Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1825-02-10
asTD CONGRESS,
SECOND SESSION

Mr.. WRleHT, from the select Commit
Zee appointed to prepare rules to be
observed in case the election of Presi-
dent and Vice President shall d~evolve
on this House, made the following re-
port:
The Committee appointed "to prepare
and report such rules as,ln their op'n-
ion may be proper to be observed by |
this House in the choice OF a Presi-
dent of the u. States, whose term of
service IS TO on the fourth
day Of March next, If, on counting the
votes given in the several States, IN
the manner prescribed in the Consti-
tuition OF the U. States,i it shall appear
that no person has received a major
ity Of the votes of all the Electors of
President, and Vice President, APP
pointed in the several States"
REPORT;
That the following Rules be observed
by the House in the choice of a Prsi-
dent of the United States, whose term is
to commence on the fourth day ~ofliarch,
1926, if the choice shall constitutionalIy |
deYolve upon the house:
Isl. In the event of it's appearing. on
opening all the certificates and counting !
the votes given oy the Electors of the
several States for President, that no per-
has a majority of the votes OF the
whole number of Electors appointed,
and the result shall have declared, TIE
same shall be uttered on the Journals
of this House.
cd The rool of the House shall then
be called, and. on its appearing that =
member or members from two-thirds Of
the States are present, the House shall
immediately proceed,by ballot,to choose
a President from the persons having the
highest numbers, not exceeding three,
on the list of those voted for as Presi- !
dent, and in case neither ofthose persons
shall received the votes ola majority Of
all the States on the first ballot, the
House shall continue 10 ballot for a
President, wiG~eut interruption by other
business, until a President be chosen.
Sd. The doors OF The Hail shall be clo-
sed during the balloting, except against
Members of the Senate, and the Officers
of the House; and the Galleries shall
be cleared on the request of the Dele
CATION of any one State.
4th. From the commencement of the
b%alloting until an election is made, no
proposition to adjourn shall be received
unless on the motion Of one State, Sc
conded by another State; and the ques-
tion shall be decided by States. The
same rule shall be observed in regard
to any motion to change the usual hour
for the meeting of the House.
5th. In baIloting, the following mode
shall be observed, to wit.
The Representatives of each State
shall be arranged and seated toge-
Their, begining with the seats at the
right hand of the Speakers Chair,
when the Members from the State
Of Maine, thence proceeding with
the Members from the States in the
orderthe States, are usually named
for receiving petitions. around the
Hall Of the House, anti all are sea- !
ted;
A ballo,-box shall be provided for
each State;
The Representatives of each State
shall. in the first instance ballot a.
mong themselves, in orderto asser-
tain the vote oftheif state, and they
may, if necessary, appoint tellers
of their ballots;
After the vote Of each state is ascer-
tanned, duplicates thereof shall be
made out, and, in case any one of
the persons from whom the choice
is to be made, shall receive a ma
iority of the votes given, on any one
balloting, by the Representatives Of
a State, the name of that person
shall be written on each of the du-
plicates; and, in case the votes so
given shall be divided, so that nei-
ther of said persons shall have a
majority Of the whole number of
votes gwen by such state on any
ono balloting, then the word "diri-
ded' shall be written on each du-
plicate;
After the delegation from each State
shah have ascertained the vote OF
their State, the Clerk shall name
the States in the order they arc u
sually named for receiving petit
fions: and, as the name Of each is
called, the Sergeant-at-Arms shall
present to The Delegation of each
two ballot boxes. in each Of which
shall be deposited. by some Repre-
sentative of the State, M If the
duplicates made as aforesaid; of