Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1825-02-15
From the Boston Centinel,
Choice Of President by The House Of
RehreSenfatiUeS Of Congress


RehreSentatiUes Of Congress
The choice of President of the United
States, for the second time since the
adoption of the Constitution, devolving
this year on the House Of Representa-
,ives, we give the following outline of
the rules adopted by tina, body in 1901,
when the first choice was made by that
body, and when the Electoral votes for
President we're 70 for Mr.. JEFFERSON,
and 70 for Mr. Burr.
The declaration of the votes took
place in the Senate Chamber on Wed
nesday, The 18th February. After the
declaration that choice had not been
made by the Electors, and tina, it de-
volved on the House Of Representa-
tives, the House convened in its own
Chamber, and furnished Seats for the
Senate, as witnesses. The House had
prev iously adopted rules, that It should
continue 10 ballot, without interruption
by other business, and SHOULD NOT Ap-
JoURN, BUT HAVE A PERMANENT SESSION
UNTIL THE CHOICE BE MADE; and that
the doors OF the House shall be closed
during the ballouRg, except against the
| officers Of the House.
The following was directed to be the
mode OF ballotling.
Each State had ballot box in which
the members belonging to it, having
previously appointed teller, put the
votes OF The State; the teller on the part
OF the United States having then count
ed The votes, dupllcates of the result
were pu, by him into TWO general ballot
boxes. Tellers being nominated by
each for the purpose OF examining the
genera ballot boxes. they were divided
| into two parts, oil whom one examined
one OF the general ballot boxes, and the
| other examined the other Upon COM
parlng the result and finding them 10
agree, the votes were stated to the
Speaker, VINO declared them to the
House"
The number Of States was l6--nine
necessary to a choice. On the frs bal
lot, Mr.. had eight States, MIR. B. six,
and two We're divided.
The first ballot took place about 4
o'clock, p. M Seven other ballots,
with similar results, succeeded, when a
respite took place, during which the
Members retired to the iobbles, and
took retreshment. Mr.. Nicholson. OF
Maryland, being unwell, had bed pro-
Vided Tor him IN one of the Hobbies, to
which the teiIers took the balottng box
OF The state OF his vote. A, three O'Clock
ia the morning oil the 18th, two other
battots took place, and at tour O'Clock
III the morning, the twenty first trial, Sc
vera OF the members coming in with
their isb,-caps on.--At Twelve at noon,
OF the l2lh, the twenly-eighth ballot took
place, when the House Adjourned to the
next day, having probably, IN secret ses-
sion, dispensed with the rule for the per-
manent sesslon.-On Friday the 18th,
the House proceeded TO the thirtieth
ballot, without choice, and again ad-
Journed to the mex, day. On Saturday,
the 18th, balloting had the same result.
On Tuesday, the l7th, at the thirty
sixth ballot, the Speaker declared, at
one o'clock, that Mr.. JEFFERSON was
elected, having the votes of New VI rk,
New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia,
Ken.ucky, Georgia, Tennessee, North
Carolina, Mary land four votes for Mr..
]. and four blanks, and Vermont, one
vote for Mr. ]. and one blank VOTE
This ended the sc enc.