were, by the greatest number of votes given at the said election, respectively elected _Electors of President and Vice-President_ of the United States.
"Given under our hands, at the office of the Secretary of State, of said State, in the city of Albany, the twenty-fifth day of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
"JOHN BIGELOW, _Secr'y of State_. "L. ROBINSON, _Comptroller_. "CHARLES N. ROSS, _Treasurer_. "CHARLES S. FAIRCHILD, _Attorney-General_.
"State of New York,} "Office of the Secretary of State.} _ss._:
"I CERTIFY the foregoing to be a true copy of an original certificate of the Board of State Canvassers, on file in this office, and of the whole thereof.
"Given under my hand and seal of office, at the city of Albany, the twenty-fifth day of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
EDGAR K. APGAR, "_Deputy Secretary of State_."
"SIR,--I have in my possession a telegram sent to Z. Chandler, chrm. Repn. com., by O. C. Babcock, dated Chicago, Dec. 4/76.
"I consider it not only very valuable, but the _key_ to the editorials and political arguments on the 'electoral count' which has filled the columns of the _National Republican_, the administration organ, for the past month.
"Respectfully Yours, "FRANK CROCKER, "617 6th St., N. W."
"The Illinois electors here have agreed they will vote an open ballot. If any elector refuses so to vote, or refuses to throw a ballot for Hayes and Wheeler as he votes, they will immediately declare a vacancy in the district thus represented by such judge and elect another in his place; they claim that such action is not only perfectly justifiable, but that it cannot be reviewed by any tribunal, as the action of the electors is final. If this meets with your approbation I suggest you to telegraph this programme to every Republican State.
The subscriber of the last preceding letter during the Civil War was on the staff of General Grant, and when the latter became President acted as his private secretary. He was indicted in 1876 by the Grand Jury of St. Louis for frauds upon the revenue and for the "safe-burglary conspiracy" referred to in the following testimony of one of the witnesses in the trial, Col. H. C. Whitley, who was one of the parties charged, but desired, before doing so, to place on the record a conditional pardon granted him.