The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1853-04-29
The Succession to the Presidency and
Vice Presidency.

Inc SucceSSlOh 10 the Frequency ana
Vice Presidency.
We noticed, short time since, what was
the law in relation to the succession to the
Office of President and Vice President, where
vacancies were caused by death, or otherwise.
The melancholy event, then feared, has since
come to pass. in the death Of Vice President
King. The law has thus been brought into
operation. Ii we remember right, it is the
third time that the Vice President, elected BY
the people, has died while in Office. Death
has also aimed at the higher post, and taken
away the President-aS in the case of Pre-
sident Harrison and President Taylor, who
were the two, and the only Presidents, who
died while in office.
In regard to the filling the vacancies that
may occur in these Offices, the second section
Of the sixth article Of the Constitution Of the
United States has the following provision:
"In case of the removal of the President
from office, or of his death, resignation, or
inability to discharge the powers and duties
Of the said Office, the same shall devolve up
on the Vice President; and the Congress
may by law provide for the case of removal,
death, resignation, or inability both of the
President g. Vice President, declaring what
officers shall then act as President, and such
officer shall act accordingly until the disability
be removed, or President be elected
Here provision is made for vacancy, by
death or otherwise, in the office of President,
and devolves on Congress the duty of max
ing provision for vacancy in the Vice
Presidency. They accordingly, in March,
! 1892, passed an act entitled "a act re ative
to the election of President and Vice Pre-.
sident of the United States, and declaring
the officer who shall act as President in case
of vacancies in the Offices both of President
and Vice President" The ninth section OF
this act is follows:
"SEC. 9. And be ii further enacted. That,
in case of removal by death, resignation, or
inability both of the President and Vice Pre-
sident of the United States, lhe President OF
the Senate pro tepl., 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 disability be removed
or President shall be elected"
This makes provision to fill the Office Of
President, in case of vacacy there, but does
not include the Vice Presidency. Itrecognises
however, the right Of the Senate to elect q
presiding officer, who is to preside over its
proceedings, as President pro temIOre in the
absence of the Vice President. This president
pro tempore is, in the event of the death o
both the President and Vice President, tc
succeed the former, and act as President unit
an election is held, as provided Tor by the lOtl
section of the act Of 1892, as follows:
"SEC. 10. And be it further enacted, Tha
whenever the offices OF President and Vice
President shall both become vacant, the Sec
retary of State shall forthwith cause Motif
cation thereof to be made to the executive o
every State, and shall also cause the same t.
be published in at least one of the newspaper
published in each State within thirty-fou
days proceeding the first Wednesday il
December then next ensuing: PROVIDED, ther
shall be the space Of two months between
the date Of such notification and the said frs
Wednesday in December; but if there sha
! not be the space of two months between tn
date of such notification and the first Wed
nesday in December, and if the term fo
which the President and Vice President las
in office were elected shall not expire on tn
.h;-L dog &c MARCH ,--' ~--"i"e, thn" fh
Secretary of State shall specify in the not
ficaton that the electors shall be apponte
or chosen within thrty-lour days precedin
the first Wednesday in December in the yea
next ensuing, and the electors shall meet an
give their votes on the said first day i
u December, and the proceedings and duties
the said electors and Others shall be pursuar
J, to the directions prescribed in this act"
This law is defective in this, that it doc
II not provide for the choice of a Vice Presider
Il except by the people; and that no provisio
E is made to choose Vice President even
e this mode, except in the case of a vacanc
i occurring in both the offices of Vice Pres
dent and President.
o There is another important defect in th
law, and that is in its not providing for fillin
the vacancies in the offices of President an
. Vice President with more certainty. Tn
u law looks to the Speaker of the House
: Representatives acting as President in
i certain contingency. But now we have n
n Speaker, the term for which Mr. Boyd WI
r. elected having expired with the close Of Il
II last session-so that If the contingency col
Z tempated should occur, there would bo n
$ one to act as President-and thus the IA
ministration of the government would vrtua
r ly be suspended till an election should
Is held by the people to ill the office of Pr
III sident.
d The matter calls for the attention of Co
y gress, and at the next session, the defects
y omissions of the law, on the subject shou
ID be remedied by new law,-BaHimo
" Patriot