The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1853-04-26
The Vice Presidency.


Our Constitution was half century Vld before
anv instance occurred of the death Of a lres-
dent in Office The decease Of Vice President
King is the first instance Of death of the incum-
bent of that Office, and the factmay suggest in
ouirics as to the constitutional statutory pro-
visions forsuch All emergency
The Constitution only provides, directly, for
the death, removal, DC, Of the President, sub
stitutine for him the Vice President; but, by
that instrument (Art 9, Sec. j, 9th Clause) the
Congress were empowered sto provide, by law,
for the death, removal DC, of the Vice Presi-
dent. The power thus vested in Congress was
exercised in the Act Of March lst, 1892, entitled
an "Act relative to the election of President
and Vice President of the United States. and
declaring the Officer who shall act as President
and Vice President"
We sub Join, the 9th and 10th Sections Of this
Act, being all relating to the point before us
SEC. 9. 1nd be 1t further enacted, That in
case of removal, DEATH resignation or inability,
both of the President and Vice President Of the
United States, the President of the Senate pro
tempore, and in case there shall be no President
of the Senate, then the Speaker Of the House OF
Representatives for the time being, shall act as
President of the United States until the dsabili-
ty be removed or a President shall he elected
SEC. 10. And be it further enacted, That
whenever the Offices of President and Vice Presi-
dent shall both become vacant, the Secretary OF
State shall forthwith cause notification thereof
to be made to the Executive of every State; and
shall also cause the same to be published in at
least one of the newspapers printed in each State,
specifying that Electors of the President of the
United States shall be appointed or chosen in
the several States within thirty four days prcce-
ding the first Wednesday in December, then
next ensuing: Progided, There shall be the space
of two months between the date of such notiti-
cation and the said lst Wednesday in Decem-
Eber sbut if there shall not be the space of two
months betweenthe date of such notification and
the lst Wednesday in December and if the term
for which the President and Vice President last
in office we're elected, shall not expire on the 3D.
of March next ensuing, then the Secretary of
State shall specify in the notification that the
Electors shall be appointed or chosen within
Ithirty.four DAYS preceding the first Wednesday in
December in the year next ensuing Within
which time :he Electors shall be appointed or
chosen, aud the Electors shall meet and give their
votes Of, the said first Wednesday in December,
and the proceedings and duties Of the said Eec-
tors and Others, shall be pursuant to the direc-
tions prescribed in this act.
1t will thus te seen that no provision has been
made to supply vacancy in the Vice Presiden-
ICY co nomiae ana it is only i'll case OF the re-
nlova; death, &c, of both President and Vice
President, that the President or the Speaker OF
the! House Of Representatives becomes President
of the United States ad interim. The Presiden-
cy Of the Senate is now filed by Hon. David R.
Atchisoa, of Missouri. The last Speaker Of the
House Of Representatives was Hon. Linn Boyd,
of Kentucky, but as the House whose legislative
tenure dates from the .4th March last, has not
met or organized; there is in constitutional
s;rictuess no speaker at present. Charleston
CouTior.