222 



CONNECTICUT. 



Resolved, 1. That it is the power and duty of the 

 House, conjointly with the Senate, to provide by 

 law or other constitutional method a mode for fairly 

 und truly ascertaining and properly counting the 

 electoral vote of each State, so as to give effect to 

 the choice of each State in the election of President 

 and Vice-President. 



2. That in the absence of legislative provision on 

 the subject, or authoritative direction from the Sen- 

 ate and House of Representatives, the President of 

 the Senate, upon opening the certificateSj declares 

 and counts the electoral votes for President and 

 Vice-President of the United States. 



The reports of the committee were dis- 

 cussed, but no final action was taken in the 

 House on the subject. The decision of the 

 presidential election engrossed the attention 

 of Congress until almost the last hour of its 

 session, which terminated at noon on March 4. 



CONNECTICUT. In accordance with the 

 constitutional amendment recently adopted by 

 the citizens of this State, the General As- 

 sembly met at Hartford on January 3, 1877, 

 when both Houses were promptly organized. 

 In the House of Representatives, Lynde Har- 

 rison was elected Speaker. In the Senate, 

 such members as came from evenly -numbered 

 districts took their seats for the term of two 

 years ; those from odd districts hold theirs for 

 one year ; but the Senators from the last- 

 named districts, who are to be chosen in No- 

 vember, 1877, will be elected for two years ; 



TALE COLLEGE LIBUAKT, JiKW HAVEN. 



so that all of the Senators will thereafter oc- 

 cupy their seats for the same length of time, 

 being elected biennially the Senators from 

 even districts in one year, and those from odd 

 districts in the year next following. 



With reference to the political complexion 

 of the legislative body at this session, the 

 Republican members wefe\in a considerable 

 majority over the Democrats. 



Early in the session, when Congress was still 

 discussing the various plans proposed for a 



peaceable settlement of the questions raised 

 about the validity of certain returns of elec- 

 toral votes, on the counting of which depend- 

 ed the determination of who of the two can- 

 didates for the presidency had been elected in 

 November, 1876, both the Senate and House 

 of Representatives in the Connecticut Legisla- 

 ture held the subject under consideration, tend- 

 ing, apparently, to indorse and approve, in 

 advance, that measure which Congress should 

 finally resolve to adopt. At the afternoon 

 session, on January 25th, the House of Repre- 

 sentatives, by a vote of 120 to 77, taken after 

 warm debates, passed the following resolutions, 

 as a substitute for others previously offered and 

 referred to the Committee on Federal rela- 

 tions : 



Resolved by this Assembly, That, laying aside all 

 party feeling, and looking only to the good of our 

 common country, we hereby express our confidence 

 in the wisdom, patriotism, and integrity of the Execu- 

 tive and the Congress of the United States in settle- 

 ment of the questions growing out of the lale presi- 

 dential election. 



Resolved, That the provisions of our written Consti- 

 tution should be strictly followed in times of peace ; 

 the three departments of the Federal Government 

 should be kept as far as possible independent of each 

 other ; the remedy for defects in the Constitution is 

 by its amendment, and not by legislative interfer- 

 ence. 



Resolved, That we are opposed to intimidation, vio- 

 lence, and murder, as a 

 means of influencing po- 

 litical opinion and elec- 

 tions ; that we denounce all 

 frauds in elections ; and 

 we demand such amend- 

 ments to the national Con- 

 stitution as will secure fair 

 and honest suffrage, and 

 correct any ambiguities 

 which may now exist in 

 it concerning the election 

 of President. 



Resolved, That whether 

 thepending disagreement 

 at Washington, in relation 

 to the method of ascertain- 

 ing the result of the last 

 election for President, be 

 settled by following eitlier 

 the plan adopted at the 

 first election of Washing- 

 ton, and followed at sub- 

 sequent elections for 40 

 years ; or by adopting a 

 plan which would provide 

 for the rejection, t>y the 

 concurrent vote of botli 

 Houses of Congress, of the 

 electoral vote of any State 

 on account of intimidation, violence, or fraud ; or by 

 the operation of the proposed law to submit all the 

 questions now at issue to a committee of 15 persons 

 we, the General Assembly of Connecticut, hereby 

 heartily pledge the support of the State Government 

 and of all our loyal citizens to that person who shall 

 thereby be declared elected President of the United 

 States. 



Resolved, That any armed opposition to the inaugu- 

 ration, or administration, of the person who may be 

 declared elected President by either of the aforesaid 

 methods which may be adopted by Congress, will be 

 treason ; and all persons who threaten civil war, un- 



