Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1855-09-22


| that Mr.. Atchison is yet member of the United
States Senate His term expired last March, and
Mr.. Jesse D. Bright, who filed the chair of the
Senate for some time previous to the adjournment,
, is now the presiding officer of that body. Mr..
Bright would become the acting President in the
event Of the death of Gen. Pierce. The provisions
of the law upon the subject of succession are these
The Constitution Art II. Sec ~ saws that " in
case OF the removal of the President from office,
Or of his DEATH gnation inability to discharge
the powers and duties of said Office the same shall
devolve on the Vice President; and the Congress
may by law provide for the case of removal, death,
resignation Or inability, both of the President and
Vice President, declaring what officer shall then
act as President and such officer shall act accord
ingly until the disability be removed or Pres
ident shall be elected" This is all that the Con-
sttution says on the subject. But in March, 1892,
Congress passed law pursuant to the special au-
| thority conferred in the Constitution in which it
is provided that in case of removal death, or in
ability of both President and Vice President, the
President of the Senate pro tempore shall act as
President of the United States; and in case there
be no President Of the Senate, then the Speaker of
the House of Representative will act as President
But the next section provides for special elec-
ton by the people; enacting that whenever the
offices of both the President and Vice President
become vacant, the Secretary OF State shall notify
the Governors OF the States and publish in at least
one newspaper in each State, that electors must be
chosen within thirty-four days preceding the first
Wednesday Of the coming December. This official
notice must be given at least two months before
the said Wednesday; but in the time is less
than two months the special election would 60 over
until the next year at the same, unless regular
election should intervene. Thus in case of the
death of Mr.. Pierce, (which we trust will not hap
pen for many years. both the Offices of President
and Vice President would then be vacant. By
virtue of his Office as President of the Senate, Mr.
Bright would become the acting President, with all
the powers and privileges of the present executive
But Secretary Marcy would at once notify the Gov
ernors of the various States of the double vacancy
and special election would be held on the Tues
day following the first Monday in November next
for Electors of President and Vice President.
These Electors would meet in their several cap
itals on the first Wednesday in December, and vote
the usual manner. The votes would be opened in
Congress on the second Wednesday in February
next, and the persons found to be elected, would
be inaugurated as President and Vice President on
the 4th day Of March, to serve for one year only,
that being the remainder of Mr.. Pierce's term.
But if the supposed death or removal of General
Pierce should not happen until after the first We'd
nesday in October special election would he held
this year nor next year either, since regular cleo
ton then occurs and therefore Mr. Bright would
be President until March 8, 1857. Should Mr..
Bright vacate the Office, it must remain vacant until
the meeting of the next Congress, as the term of
the Speaker of the House died out with the House
itself on the Sd of March last On the meeting of
Congress in December, the person elected to pre-
side the Senate in place of Mr.. Bright, would
become President for the remainder of the term :;
and in Of his DENISE the Speaker of the House
would act until another President of the Senate
was chosen, and so on until the regularly elected
officers should be elected on the 4th of March,
1877