The Louisiana Case

The decisión of the Electoral C'onnnission in the case of I.ouisiana is in langunge about the winic as in that of Florida. It readfl as follows : ! The brief ground of this decisión ík, that it appears, apon such evidence as by the, conntitution and law named in said act of Congress ■ Electoral hw) is competent and po tinent to 1 the considenuion of the subject, that the ; before-ineiitioned elertors appear to )i:ivi' been lawfnlly appohnvd surh electora of President and Vfoe Presdent of the United Staten for the term beginning March -1, 1S77, of tlie Stilte of Louisiana, and that they voted ax snel at the time and in the maiincr provided for by the , coiiKtitution of the United States and the law ; and the coramission lias, by a hiajority of votes, decided that it is not competent, ánder the j constitntion and Iftw, as it existed at the date of ; the passage of said act, to go into evidence ! aliunde of the papers opened by the President ; of the Kenate m presence of the two houses 1 to prove that other persons than those rfegularly certified to by the Governor of the state, on ! and according to the determinaron of their appointment by the retiuning otficers for elections in said State, prior to the time rcqnired for the performance of their dnties, had lxsen ftppoüitëd electora, or, by counter-proof, to show that they had not, or that the detonnination of naid retnrning officers was not in accordance with the trnth and fact - the coinmission, by a majority of votes, beins of the ! opinión that it is notwithin the jinisdiction of the two houses of Congi-ess ssemUid to count the for President and Vice I'riïsident, to enter upon the trial of such r[iiestion. ïhe connnission, by a majority. of, .votes, is also of the opinión that it is not competent to prove that any of said personH, ao appointed electora .as aforesaid, held office of trust or ; profil ondel the United States ut the Unie they i , were appointetl. or tluit they were ineligible nti! der the laws of the State, or any other matter olfered t be proved alimule by said certificates ! and papers. Thr i'omniission is nlso of the ojiiiiion. by a I majority of votes, tliat the returiinig ofticer's of elections who canvassed the votes at the electioii electora in Louisiana were a lawfullyj constitutvil body by virtneof constitutional law, and that a yacaney in said body did not vitiate it.s proceedings, J be commisaion has also decided, and does hcreby decide, by a majority of votes, and re: port as the consequence of the foregoingf, and upon the grmiml before stated, that the pa])er pm-])orting to Be that ( ertificate of thé electoral TOte of BaidStfttooí Louisiana, objected t) by T. ! O. Howe and others, marked N. C. No. 2 by the commigdOn, and htrewith returned, is not a ; certifícate of votes provided by the constitution Of the United Stati;s, and tllilt they OOghtOOt to be countcd as such. Signed Samuel F. Bfiller, V. Strong, Joseph P. Bradley, George F. lidnmnds, O. l'. Morton, Frcderick T. Frelinglmysen, James A. Garfield, George F. Hoar.