Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1837-11-23

a majority, thsn irem the Eve highest On the |
list the said House shall in like manner cheese |
the president But in chosing the president,
the VOTES shall be taken by States, and ma
joriiy Of all the States shall be necessary 10 a
choice"
From the above extract il will be seen
that the Constitution is imperative as Ia the
form and manner in mich the electoral re.
turns are TO be made. The ceremony of ..
pening was perIurmed in the presence OF the
two Houses. The package oil State having
heen opened 10y the Vice President. il WAS
handed by him 10 the tellers. MIR. Jeffer.
son was the presiding officer Or. opening
The package endorsed Georgia votes, il was
discovered 10 be totally irregular. The
statement now about 10 be given is derived
from an honorable gentleman a member OF
Congress from the State of New York du-
| ring The Administration of Mr.. Ielfcr son, &
yet living in this State. He says that Mr.
Wells, teller on the part ofthe Senaie) in>
formed him tina, the envelope was blank
| that the return Of votes was not authen ticated
| by the signatures If the electors, or any OF
! them, either ON the outside the inside oil
The envelope or in any other manner that il
merely stated in tbs inside that the votes of
Georgia were, for Thomas Jefferson four, &
Tor Aaron Burr four, without the signature
! of any person whatsoever. Mr.. Wells ads
| proper course 10 be pursued by tho teller.
IL was however,, suggested by one OF them
that the paper should be handed to the presi.
ding olhcer, without any statement from The
teilers except that the return was informal
that he consented TO this arrangement under
the firm conviction that Mr.. jefferson would
announce the nature OF the informally from
the chair but, 10 his utmost surprise, he
| { MIR. JeiiersOn) rapidly declared that the
| a
ierson and !our Tor Aaron Burr, without no
ticing their informality, and in a hurried
manner put them aside. and then broke the
seals and handed 10 the tellers the package
from the next State. Mr.. w ellis observed,
that as soon as Mr.. Jefferson looked at the
paper purporting To contain a statement uf
the electoral vote of the State of Georgia, his
coun,enance changed, but that the decision
and prompiitude with which he acted on that
occasion convinced him Of that which he Ga
isderalistD and his party had always doubted,
that is 10 say, Mr.. Jefferson's decision of
character, al least when his ewn interest was
al hazard. MIR. Wells further stated, that if
the votes OF Georgia had no, been thus coun-
ted, as II would have brought all the candi-
dates into the House, Mr.. Pinckney among
the number, hlr. Jefferson could not have
been elected president.
| The same honorable member of Congress
| further stated, that some few years after re-
ceiving the above information from MIR.
w ellis, he became intimately acquainted " ith
John Nicholas, who was one of the lelers re-
ferred TO, and who had removed from Va
INTO the western part of the State ofN York,
MIR. Nicholas gave 10 The honorable member
the same statement iu substance, not know
ing that II had been previously derived from
MIR. Wells. mir. Nicholas as warm per-
sonal and political friend of Mr.. JefTe rsnn,
and declared that he never fell nstoni shsd
IN his lite as when he discovered the irregu-
iariiy. He claimed some credit for the A.
droii manner in which he had managed Mr.
Rutledge, so far as 10 obtain his consent 10
hand the paper 10 Mr.. Jefferson without pub
lie explanation from The ielers, and which
was effected by conciliatory appeal TO the
maSnanimity OF the memter from South |
Carolina.
The whole number OF electoral votes given !
al the election in 1900, was enc hundred and
thirty eight necessary le a choice, seventy
Mr.. Jefferson and Mr.. Burr had each, &C
cording 10 the return made, seveniy>three
Georgia gave four votes. Ii that number
had been deducted from Jefferson and Burr,
as illegally returned, Of which there is no
doubt, they would have hat emily sixty nine
votes each ); consequently they would not
have bad, in The language efthe Constitution,
"a majority OF The hole number of electors
appointed, and The candidates out Of which |
d choice OF President must be made would
have been Mr.. jefferson, Mr.. Burr, MIR.
Adams, and Mr.. Pinckney. The federal
members would then have said TO the Repub- |
licans, we will unite with you IN The choice |
of either Of the gentlemen presented To the
House except Mr.. Jefferson; and il the Gov
eminent is 10 be brought 10 II Termination by !
our failure to elect President, the RESPONSE
bIilty VIII be on you. And is ii Ia be be- |
lieved, that IN such case the doubtful MEM
hers who were signing for sffice il auy such !
there were, ould have rejected The suggestion |
10 toto.
The balloting continued from the l1th I'M
I'll the 18th Of February inclusive. Nine
States were necessary TO a choice. On the
first ballot Mr.. Jefferson had eight, Mr. Burr
six, and two Senators were divided. Atev-
cry ballot the same result was announced,
until the thirty sixth ballot, which was given
on the 18th Of February, when Mr.. JeffeTso
was declared duly elected, len States having
voted for bin.
On the first ballet Mr.. Jefferson received |
n. York, N. jersey, Pennsylvania, Virgin
ia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Georgia end
TeDnessee-eight.
MIR. Burr received New Hampshire, Mass
sachUsetIs, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Del.
aware, and South Csrolina-six.
Divided, Vermont and Maryland--two.
On the final ballot, MIR. Jefferson received
N. York, n. Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virgin
la, n. Carolina, Kentucky, Georgia, Ten
nessee, Mary land ,(fOur votes & four blanks
Vermont, Gone vote and one blank ten.
Mr.. Butt received N. Hampshire, NJ ASA
chusstts, Rhode Island, s. Conneclicui-feur.
Delaware blank, South Carolina no vote.
During the balIoting one hundred and six
members of the House of Renresartstives