The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-04-04

The accouuts from HAvxnA are contradictory as
to tls AsaIth-of Vice FFssfdeht King. we had a
statement the other day from . New OrIea ms pa
per reporting Ais hsasth ~ generally improved,
and now We 6nd in the Mobile Zdvetisr of the
10Th uftimo tho following statement
I'VE had the pleasure yesterday Of meeting
With D. Mccullough, esq long resident Of Ma
a .sd %ss Il Ios san
Tough paid visit 70 Colonel King, who il COM
'ortaby settled at the sugar estate called Lame.
rales, about twenty i've miles from Matanzas. He
unable to stand without support, and only able TO
Sonvesse IN low tone Of voice. Colonel King ex-
pressed himself as without the slightest hope Of
IeooyeFy, and DESTROYS that the people of Alabama
return 70 this State by the first of April, should
ne i've 90 long. He did not wish to die abroad.
Inc Fulton. 1t Is understood, is to await his or
ders He had not yet taken the oath of Office.
neither had he refused to take II INDIE Sh.r
key had some doubt as to his AUTHORITY pnder
the act OF Congress, to administer the oath out
OF Havana, but, having recently received fuller
instructions from Washington he informed Mr.
Mccullough, just previous to his departure, that
be intended visiting Colonel King Immediately
for that purpose. The oath has doubtless been
administered before this.''
This account seems to be more authentic than
any we have had before. and authorizes fear that
we may soon hear of the death of the Vice Pres-
dent.
Our Washington correspondent, in his letter
which we publish day, says that the probability of
the death of Colonel King has suggested inquiry
as to who would be President if Presid emit Pierce
should die also before his term of service expired
Our correspondent gives US to understand, in
portion OF the letter which we have omitted, that
the opinion in Washington is, that the Speaker of
the House is the only officer whom the law desig.
mates to act as President, in the event suggested:
and that, as there is now no Speaker-the term of
OF Mr. Boyd having expired with the close of the
last session OF Congress, on the 4h of March-here
would be no one to act as President, and the Office
would become vacant till an election could be held
This is mistake. The Constitution saws that
Congress should provide by law for the e1igency,
and they have done 80 by law passed in 1892.
That act declares that in She event of the death of
both the President and Vice President, the presid.
ing officer of the Senate first, and, if there be no
presiding officer, then the Speaker of the House of
Representatives shall act as President till an cleo
ton by the people can be held to supply the va.
cancy. If the death occurs two months before the
first Wednesday in December, succeeding, then
the election shall be held in that year. but If not
then the year after; provided, however, the term
of the deceased President does not expire on the
fourth of March next succeeding his death in
which case provision is to be made for an imuedi-
ate election.
If then it should happen that President Pierce
and Vice President King should both die, Mr..
Atchison, the now presiding officer of the Senate.
would succeed to the Presidency, and hold it till
an election should be made, as provided by the law
noted above.