Forty-fourth Congress

The discuBüion npon tho resolntion of Mr. Mitcholl, authorizing an investlgation atf to the appqjntment of Cromn for Prcsidential elector úi Oiogou, being under cousideration, Mr. Bogy eaid the Committee on Privileges and Elcction of thie body liad got to bo a most important committee. No man conld be a Senator, wh&thor elected by lui Legislatureornot, unióse ho was aieo electod by the Cimirmnn of tho Oominittee on Privileges ai:d Elections. This committeo reminded him (Bogy) of what is callod in modern timos a It tnrnir.g Board. Tbe Comniittee ou Piivilegea and ElectiouB had got to bo the great Keturning Board of tho Sánate. Thep-e Returning Boards wero a new invciution. It was conceded tbal Tilden had a popniar Eiajority of 300,000, but Hayes had three RHurning Boards, so tliat to cifjher the thing down oue Iteturuing Boaid wan worth Juat (00.000 votea. Mr. Mitohell said if the Rsturning Board in Oregon conlrt cirry out its purpose it woulti be eqnal o 45,000,800 of peoplo. Mr. Bjgy nni 1 he waa glad that this Oiegon matter had happened. It was a moet fortúnate tblng, as it had compíüed tlio Senators on the otber sido to hmmigate all these que-stions as thcy Huonld do. The Orogon case has upset ell this rgiimeut about a prima facie caso. If it had not happened there wonld have been no enrl to the argumenta on the othor side about the returns from Lonisiana and Florida constitutie g a prima faoio case, and Congres could not go behind the aclion of the Boturning Boards of the othor States. Now. it was plain tht Conerees had a and the powor to carry out the will of the people. Mr. Morton said the Reh'ining Boards wcre uot a now iuvention. Thoy were es old a the conetitul ion of the. United Htates. There was not a State iu the Union which had not sutliorized ouo or more persous to count tho votes and cenify who was tleoted. In eomo States, aa in Loniniana, theso boards had discretionary and judicial powers. Tho decisión of the Iteturning Boards in aome Btatee, by tho laws of tho State, were made final. Ia I.ouistiana the Rnturaing Board had broad judicial power. It may havo made a nrong deolsion ; he would not discn&s that quebtion now, but tho Goveruor of Oregon exercised poirors not given him by the laws of the ata te. Mr. Eaton said he wonld not count a vote which he belicvtd was illcgnliy thrownto elect a unan who had triumphaDtly boen eleoted President by the American people. Ho did not deeire advantago of any wrong in this c.invags of votes by the Senate. He argued that wery ballot caftt for Watts whh y.o more timn a blank piece of papor, and the Governor of Orogon, takiug that view of the oase, saw his way clear to givo Cronin the certifícate. If every voto given for Gronin was a proper and legal vote, by a Rtrict coLstrnciion of tbe law of Oregon, tbo certificato of olection to Cronin was right and proper, though he (Eaton) thuutiht the Governor ehould have certilitd to tho election of two mop, and only two man. He (Eaton) would iot vote to place in the Preiiduutiiil chair the candidate of tho Democratie party upon the vote of the Democratie; elector in Orogon. The politie il stomech of the Senator from Oregon (MitchcJI) seeuie'l to bo disordered uow by a very ataaü matter, but it could stand the garlic of Sonth Uarolioa, Lcuisiana, and Florida. Ho hon road the rtcently publishcd letter of John J. Lyn, ltepu!3lican candidato for tho Louiwiana L1 gmlalnre decliningtoaccapttheseatawirdod liim by the lictitrnuig Board, on the gronud that ho had been fairly defeated by his Democratie opponeut, and resuming hi argument eaid a ingle witnees liko this man wcighcd down a dtzon attidavita. Long naid theru was no inlimid&tioü in De Soto parieh, 1 ut the Senator from OJiio (Sherman) deciared there was. In conclusión Mr. Eaton argued that the roprestutalive of the people oould not afford to do wroDg. The President of tbe Uuitod States had Ix.cn quoted m eaying ha would , deliver the oftioe ovyr to Hayos if he ohould be declarod to bo oloctod. Tho Prooïdent hun nothing M do with it. It wnnld not do to talk about euforeiug anythiue;. Tne good eensoof ;uo people of tina country would see that jnütico wa dono. Mr. Eaton also argued that the President of tho Seuate hal no moro right to count tho votes for President than ouo of tho pagen. Tho Preeidorit of tlie Senato (ras not President of the joint convention nalees choscn by tho joint convention to fill that poattion. Mr Sliorroan said he was not informed that the Rsturnine Board had returuod Mr. Long as electtd to tho Leginlature from De Soto psrieh. Ho thonKht the gentleman leaocd before ho camo to the atilo. He then roforred to the affidavits of intimidatiou in Da Boto parisb, and resuuiing, said tho will of the peoplo of Oregon had boon fairly expressod in favor of tho tliree i layen electora, and he was entitlcd to three voten from that Btato. Mr. Bogy - Apply tho samo rule to Florida. Mr. Sherman 8aid he was porfoctly williug to apply the rulo to Florida, bnt thesethingswere governed by the laws of the State. Órogon had her lawa and Florida hora. If Gov. Hayes should become natiBiied that ho had not a inajority of tho legal votes of Florida and Loniniana, lio wonld uot accipt tho offico of President. If it should bo clear that Gov. Hkybb had not reoeived that majority, he (Sherman) would not have him aocopt tho ofiioo. Mr, islicrmau then argued that the LouisiRna Itoturuing Board was a legally-oonBtituted body, aud it had not been hown that that board made f falso return. He did not dosire to eeo Gov. llaves have the bent fit of any wrong, aud ho was natiaöed that he spoke the sentiment) of Gov. llaves when he said if that gontloman should be eonvinoed thst the Keturning Boards of Louiftiana or Florida noted wrong, he would make 110 oluim to tho office of President. Tuero wan an absence of auy proof that then6 oards had actftd wron . As the returns from hoge Statta now stocd they were just as much ontitled to be counted sh ttie returns from New i'ork or Ohio, and he conld show from evid6nce now before the Senato that the voto of rhe State of Louimana in fr.irness should bo ooantcd for Gov. Hayes. Funding the L.egal Tenders. Representative Chittenden, of New York, ua--i matured ai;d introduoed in the House a bilí providing for tho fonding of the legaltencTer noten. It provides as follows : First - That the Seoretary of the Treaurybe andiñherebylauthorized.towithdrawas soon as the necessary preparaUonH can be made, the legal-tonder notes of the United States whenever proaented by holdors thereof, and ieiue therefor, dollar for dollar, face value, coupon or rogintered bouds of the United States in the spirit of the original Lígal-tendor act, providod that bonds autfaorizod by this act BhaL be payablo in gold at the expiratiou of forcv years from tho Int of January, 1877, and bear interest at tho rate of i por cent. per annum, payable quarterly in gold. Seccmd- That the bouds authorized by this act shiül be available for -ieposit in the treasury of the United States for banking purposes undcr the provisions of the various laws relating to national banks. Third- That the legal-tender notes received in exchange for bonds under this act bh&ll be destroycd under sueh regulat ons as the Secre tary of the Treasury may prescribe. Territory of Huron. The proponed new Territory adjoining the Red river of the North has received a new baptism in the Seuate. Aa originaliy passed, the bill organizing it gavo it tho name of "Pem bina." The Seuate the other day reooiiöiderei the bill, aud Bogy aid ' ' Pembina" was not an ludían, but was a corrupt French appellation meauing holy bread (pain beni). Sherm&n suggested " Wj'andotto" and "Séneca,1 Spencer "Ogalialla," Bogy "Algocquin" anc "Huron," and the lattcr namo was flnally agroed to. Tho wieh of all the Senators who spoko on the subjeot was to apply to the new Territory the name of some ouce-powerful ludían tribe. Regular Proceedtngs. Tuesday, Dea 19.- tenate.- A number of bilis of a prívate character were pasecd ThePenfaion bilí, an passed by tho Houho, was reported by tbe comiuittöft and placed on tlie tbe calendar,... Statues of John Winthrop and Samuol AdaniB wero formally preeented by Mot-sre. Boutwell and Dawes, on beli.il f of the State of Massachusotts Mr. Mitcíiell'fl rcHolntioxi in regarct to tho appointmciit of Croniu a a Presidential elector in Orejón was diecussed by Mesará. Mitchell, Morton and líogy. House. - The Housc proccedings wero exceedíngiy tame. The Fortificaron Appropríation bilí was passed, after which the fornialities of presenting and receivícg the idamsand Winthrop statues occupiod the attcntion of the membore. Wednespay, Deo. 20.- íenate.- The Ssnate paseed a bul to créate a ncw ïerritory out of the norlnern portion of Dakota. weat of Minnesota, to be called Hurón The Oregon electoral caee was again before the Senate, and Mr. Bogy concludcd hÍ8 speech. Tbe matter wns further diecusafcd by Mesera. Morton, Kuton and Sherman....Mr. Hitchccck introducid a bilí provicling for an additional Representativo in Congress from Nebraeka....The Pension Appropríation bilí was passod. House.- The report of the Judiciary Oommittee on the question of the. power of couiuiittees to compel the production of telegranis was irade. The report asserts the, right. A resolution, otteren by Mr. Hurd, from the majority oí the committee., watte-s the same aasertion, but requirea a deseription nf the telegram to be givon. A subftitute for both of the reporte has been offered by Mr. Knott, tbe Chaircuan of the Judiciary Conimittoo, declaring tliat telegraphic comuiunications have no more privilege than oral or ottaer commujications. and must be produce d wheu callea íor. A long discusaiou tnaued. A in on g the notable speechen made was one by Mr. Garfleld protesting that the. telegraph should be as eacred as the poatoffice, and one by Mr. Elewitt declariug that the eanctity of the postofnue was more imaginary than real, as hie (Bewitt's lettert i'nd been constantly opened in the Now York postoffice. Mr. Garfield suggested tbat iL was the duty oí t)io gentleman (Hewitt) to ask for an inquiry, and he ld) would assiet him in it. Mr. Wood (N. Y ) favored the report of the committoe, and oppoed Mr. Hurd's amendmenc as being tantaznount to a defeat of the LoniBiana iuvestigation Finally Mr. Uurd'a resolution, reqniring tho subpeeoa to deteribe the specinc tolegrame to be produced, was defeatrd- yeas, 04 ; nayp, 125- and Mr. Knottfs subRtitute was adopted without división. Mr. Platt then asked uuanimous consent to offer a repolutíon for inqniry into thfi charge made by Mr. Hewitt aainst tho New York poatoflice, but ohjection was mado by Mr Luttrell Tho Irish üeutcnnial addreas, which the Troyident declined to receive because 8:r Edward Thornton, the British Minister, üad rcfuned to proeent it, carne up in the House. It was ref errad to tiie Foreign Affairs Conimittoe for couBidoration....Mr. Chittendon anked loavo to introduce and havo referroi to the Banking Committee a bilí for funding legaltender notee, but objection was made by Mr. Holman ') he conference report nn the bill to provide for the expenses of investigatiDg committces was made by Mr. Holman, discusged, and agreed to. Thdesday, Deo. 21.- Jáenate.- The Sonate ordcred 6,000 extra copir-e of the compilation from ite jcurnal, by its Chief Clerk, of all that has taken pïaco coneerning the coimting of doctoral votes.... A reaolulíon wa passed providing for an adjournmer.t from the 2'2ii to thc 6th of December. ... Mr. Davis called ti pon tho report of the conference committeí- on the disagreeing vowb of tho two houBcs on tho bilí to próvido for the expüUKoa of (vrtam Bpecial C'Mumitteeí?. Tho committee agreedto givo each houo $35,000 to conduct tltc investigation ordered. rhojroport waa agroed to, Tüo Chair appointed as the special commíttce authorized by the recent reeolution of Mr. Edmunds to devise means for the proper count of the vote for President and Vice President, in Qpnnection with a similar comuiittce of the IJoutie, Uowñ. Edmundfl, Morton, Frelinghuyseu, Logan, Thurman, Hayaid and líansom Mr. Frclinghuybou preflouted the petitiou of a large uumber of floMiers of the late war, aakiug for the passage of tbc House bilí for an eqnalizaiion of bountics. Roferrod. Tho Oregon electoral matter was diecupwid On motion of Mr. Davis, business was . il .i'ijiïi'ii and the Senate then paid ite tribute of respect to the ïnemory of Senator Caperton. Apju'ij riiiic remarks were made by Mesara. Davis. Wright, WltiMTB, Edmunda and others. Aa a further mark of respect the denate adjourned. Boute.- Mr. Platt ofifered a resolution for the appointment of a select committee to investígate the charge made by Hewitt that nis letters had been tampcred with in the New York poetofflc. Iu connection with if. Mr. Tlatt Bent to the Ck'rk's ! -k, and had read, a telegrain from Poetmastir James, pronouuelng the nccusation utteriy and ab-olutely IhIhc. Mr. Hewitt Bta'ed th circumRtanceB iinder which ho made the charge. He said about a montli ago he received a letter, the writer fitating tbat he was au employé in the New York poetomce, and he feit bouud to communicate the fact that " Slade's little Kcttlo " was at work on hi letters. Tlie only attenüon which he feit called upon to pay to this aiionymous letter was to observit c'osely the letters whtch he receivod. He found tbat a considerable number of thein presented tho appearanco of J-.aviiiíí liten opened, tho flaps cï tho envelopes presenting a piickcrod or corrwgated appeavance. Uufortunately he had thrown in tbe witBtc-baeket the anonymone letttr. [Ue received from ten to tweuty a week.j Thereforo its hand riting could uot bo identified. 8o, tuo, wilh tbo envelope. They had boen thrown away, and it was a remarkablo tact t U.it none of the lattea received by him to-day present cd tho appearance of liaving Itecn tanipi-rc:d with. Aftf.r nonio littlo díscuRsion, the ptcvious question was voted down, ly a voto of 79 to 77. Mr. Holman then moved that th! special committeo now in Now York investigating tho election frauds be directed to investígate this matter. Mr. liucliner moved to lay the whole subjt-ct on the table. Mr. lïuckner'H motion wbs Jost, by a vote of 53 aye-ö to H8 noes Tho resolution din cting Mr. Cox'a New York conunittce to invoRtignto the charges was then pasflpd.. . .The Spwkto laltïbtioretho Jlonne a telegraphio commuuication from Wm. R. Morrison, the Oltairman of tho Louiaiana Investiga! ing Committce, traueporting a report of the proct'tidiugH boLore the committee in the caae of E. W. UarncB, thc Manadero!' tho WoHtcrn Union Telegraph Comp.iuy in New Orleann. Itwati agreed tliatan liour'n tliscuKtiiou should be allowed, and Ml. Garfield Bpoke Ji{;ainnt thH reBolutioii, on the ground that the Blouse is not juwtilhd in troating toiographic Communications as an oöloial reiiort. Quito a tong discusión lolloweü, and iinally tne reclutiün wa-s adoptd without división. Fkipay, Deo. 22. - Senate. - Tho reeolutiou of Mr. Mitchell, autboriziug an inveetigation au to tho api-ointment of E. A. Groo in a Preside nti al elector iu Oregon was again tho subject of diitcuHlon in the Seu&te. Mr. Mitcht 11 acooptod the pruamble of Mr. Bayard, u licu oí that reporlod by tho Committeo on PriviK6s and Eleotion, and tho reaolutou was agreed o. . .. Af ti r the traueaction ot hoiug unimportaut ueineet tho Sonate adjourned until Tuesday. Doe. 26. House.- The Houee pasRod a rcsolution givdr to the widow of the late Speaker Kerr an tuount cqift! to hifl pa y up to tho oud of tho proent CoDgrrsa.... Speaker ltndU appointcd the ollowinn as a committeo to act with the Senato oiuiuittet! to connidcr the queation of conntiiif; ihr-. Irctcral votop : Paino, Himtoii, Qewlttj SpririgLT, ToCrary, Iloar, and Willard of Michigan. Saturday, Deo. 23.- Sen ate.- Not in eeE■'on. Iloitfir. - Mr. Springer offörod a resolutíon for the oouapilation nnd prlhting of the proceediugs and debates relatlng to the couuting of the doctoral votos einco tue establiRhiuont of the Government. Adoptcd... Mr. Reagan, from tho Oommittee 011 Conimeroe, offcred a resolution, which was adopted, requosting tho President to furnish the House wíth copies of ail tho orders made by híni or under his direct ion t and )f the orders and correepotidence cf the Sar Deartmeut relaliijg to the Jimitat;ons made by the ■'resident of tho ïppropriaticiiB for the improvome.nt of rivera and harbors, and to Bpeuify how tht 12,000,000, out of the $!", 00,0U0 appropriated by the aat Congress, have been expended, and also to state ur.der wliat law Buch limltalion was made. . . . ThcspsBion last ;1 only twenty minutes, when an adjonanment was ordered tlll rt'odnoBday, Dtc. 27.