PENNSYLVANIA. 



663 



seat of a member must be presented within 

 ten days after the organization of the House. 

 Others said that the above-mentioned provision 

 contemplated only cases of elections held be- 

 fore the meeting of the Legislature, and not 

 those of special elections, held during its ses- 

 sion. This sentiment prevailed, and an inves- 

 tigating committee of seven was appointed. 



The committee having effected their organi- 

 zation on the 21st of February, commenced at 

 Harrisburg, and then proceeded to Philadel- 

 phia, where, in a continuous series of sessions, 

 extending from February 26th to March 20th, 

 inclusive, " they examined nearly one thou- 

 sand witnesses for the petitioner and about 

 eight hundred for the respondent." On the 

 23d, at Harrisburg, " they heard at length the 

 arguments of the respective counsel." On the 

 27th the chairman submitted to- the Senate 

 the result of the investigation, in a short pre- 

 liminary report, signed by four members of 

 the committee, and introducing and embody- 

 ing the resolution adopted by them, as follows: 



The committee selected to try the matter of the 

 petition contesting the election of Henry W. Gray 

 as Senator from the Fourth District, make report : 



That, having heard the parties in the case, and 

 taken testimony upon the points in controversy be- 

 tween them, the committee have this day adopted 

 the following resolution as their judgment and de- 

 termination in the case : 



Resolved, That the return of Henry "W". Gray as 

 Senator from the Fourth Senatorial District is false 

 and fraudulent, and that at the special election in 

 said district, on the 30th day of January last, Alex- 

 ander K. McClure did receive a majority of the legal 

 votes cast therein, and is entitled to his seat in the 

 Senate, to fill the vacancy occasioned by the death 

 of Hon. George Connell, late Senator-elect from said 

 district. C. E. BUCKALEW, 



J. D. DAVIS, 

 A. II. DILL, 

 A. G. BEODHEAD, JR. 



The report and resolution were adopted by 

 the Senate ; Mr. Gray was accordingly ousted, 

 and Mr. McOlure sworn in as Senator from the 

 Fourth Senatorial District, on the same day. 



A full and very lengthy report of this in- 

 vestigation, bearing the same signatures as the 

 preliminary one just cited, was presented by 

 the chairman on the 29th of March. It gives 

 a detailed account of the investigation, and 

 embodies the evidence of the sworn testimony, 

 together with the remarks of the committee 

 on the facts thereby established; concluding 

 with their finding in the case, as follows: 



The committee have found that "by the rejection 

 of the fraudulent returns from the ten divisions be- 

 fore mentioned, and by the correction of votes in 

 other divisions, as heretofore stated, the majority of 

 891 for Colonel Gray upon the general return of the 

 district is reversed, and a majority of 224 votes es- 

 tablished in favor of Colonel McClure. Their con- 

 clusion, therefore, must be that the latter was duly 

 elected Senator from the Fourth District, to fill the 

 vacancy occasioned by the death of George Connell, 

 late Senator-elect from said district. All of which is 

 respectfully submitted. 



C. E. BUCKALEW, 



Committee. 



A. G. BEODHEAD, JR., 



The Eepublican party, in pursuance of a call 

 issued by their Central Committee, under date 

 of February 5th, met in State Convention at 

 Harrisburg, on the 10th of April, " to nominate 

 candidates for Governor, Judge of the Supreme 

 Court, Auditor-General (should the Legislature 

 provide for the choice of one by the people), 

 and an electoral ticket ; and also to elect sen- 

 atorial and representative delegates to repre- 

 sent the State in the Republican National 

 Convention to be held at Philadelphia, June 5, 

 1872." The following candidates for State 

 offices were nominated : For Governor, John 

 F. Hartranft, of Montgomery County ; for Su- 

 preme-Court Judge, Ulysses Mercur, of Brad- 

 ford County ; for Auditor-General, Harrison 

 Allen, of Warren County. The nominations 

 of Mr. Mercur and of Mr. Allen were, on mo- 

 tion, made unanimous. The same motion'was 

 made in regard to the nomination of Mr. 

 Hartrauft for Governor, concerning which 

 some reports stated that " the motion was car- 

 ried with applause ; " others stated that, the 

 question being put, the favorers of Mr. Ketch- 

 am "vigorously voted 'no';" adding that 

 " the Chair decided the motion carried ; but a 

 singular sound of hissing was mixed up with 

 the applause." 



The power of action conferred on the dele- 

 gates to the National Convention appears from 

 the following resolution, which was adopted 

 unanimously : 



Resolved, That the delegates from the State to the 

 National Convention are hereby instructed to cast 

 the entire vote of the State for General Grant for the 

 presidency, and that on the question of the vice- 

 presidency they are instructed to act together for 

 the best interests of the Eepublican party ; and, upon 

 all questions arising in said convention, they cast the 

 vote of the State as the majority of the delegates may 

 direct. 



The Committee on Resolutions reported the 

 following among others, which were unani- 

 mously adopted by the convention : 



Resolved, That we reaffirm our devotion to the 

 principles of the Eepublican party, and our belief 

 that the continued existence of said party is neces- 

 sary to the maintenance and success of those princi- 

 ples. The grand and fundamental idea of the equal- 

 ity of all men in political rights is not possessed by 

 any party, and can be sustained faithfully only by 

 those who are sincerely committed to it. 



Resolved, That the adoption of the thirteenth, four- 

 teenth, aud fifteenth amendments to the Constitution 

 of the United States has not been sufficiently acqui- 

 esced in by all to render certain and secure their per- 

 manent incorporation in that instrument, and, hence, 

 the administration of the Government can safely be 

 intrusted only to that party which is heartily and be- 

 yond question committed to them and the policy 

 necessary to put them into successful operation. 



Resolved, That we are now more than ever called to 

 question the policy of protection to American indus- 

 try. If the laborer is worthy of his hire, and a fair 

 day's work entitles the worker to a fair day's pay, 

 we must continue to throw the protecting arm of the 

 Government around those who toil for their daily 

 bread. The protective policy alone makes labor 

 contented and capital secure. It renders employ- 

 ment certain, and pay ample and satisfactory, while 

 free trade means that our laborers and mechanics 

 must either work for lower wages, or that our fac- 



