Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-02-17
When the certificate from the State Of Wisconsin
.as -aad II annaarad that the Elactnra of thai State

W Den Inc 0eTIlUChI6 TOlu " u
vas read, it appeared that the Electors of that State
had tnrowa their votes for President and Vice Presi-
dent on the lth GGy of December, 1856, instead OF the
Sd of thai. month, as the Law directs. The reading o.
this certificate being ended
Mr.. LETCHER Of Virginia, rose and ren.arlad
that the vote lust announced had not been cast on
the dag prescribed by law. He did not know whal
would be proper in such a case, but he desired to cal
attention to the subject, in order that 1t might be
brought to the notice of the county. The time might
come when it would be q matter Of great importance
to have these votes in regular form, and he deeired,
az a representative Of the people, TO present his OBJ,
lection to HE reception o. the vote just announced
by the tellers.
Mr.. MASON, the presiding officer, considered that
debate was not in order during the counting of the
votes.
Mr.. JONES Of Tennessee, lone of the teNors} sup.
posed that the proper course would be for the tellers to
report the facts 10 the convention OF the Two HOUSES,
that the question might be decided by them.
The electoral vote of the State Of California having
been read, after the interruption occasioned by the
inforu;aii.y Of the return from the State Of Wisoon-
SON.
Mr.. JONES, of TeEr, proceeding from the desk
to the main aisle, addressed the presiding othcer, and
reported that the tellers appointed on the part OF the
two Houses to count the votes given for fressdent
and Vice President ofthe United States had examined
all the returns, and found that they we're regular ano
that the votes had been cast upon the day prescribed
by law, with the exception of thcss given by the
Electors of the State OF Wisconsin that in the case
of that State the returns showed that its electoral
vote was caat upon the 4th day Of December, instead
Of the LIST Wednesday, OF that month, being the 30
day Of December and the tib'e fixed by law. Inc
returns showed that JAMES BUCHANAN. OF the STATE OIL
Pennsylvania, had received la votes for President oil
the United States; that JoHs e. FREMONT, OF the
State of California, including the votes of the State
of Wisconsin, had received rs votes, Hpd that MIL
LARD FILLMORE, of the State of New York, had re
ceived 8 votes; that for the Office Of Vice President
of the United State, JOIN c. BREcKlHRlDGE oil
Kentucky, had received ia votes; WV. l.. DAYTON,
Of KsB jersey, including the votes Of Wisconsin
III votes, AID ANDREW ]. DoSELsoN, of Tennessee
8 votes.
Dir. LETCHER desired to know If it would now
be in order to move to exclude Wisconsin from the
count.
YVES in order.
Dir. CRITTENDEN. OF Kentucky. Do under,
stand ihe chair as deciding thai Congress, IN this
form, has no power to determine as 10 the regularly
the validity, o. inysidi:y Of the vote7
Mr.. MASON, iprssiding.j The Chair considers
that under the Law and concurrent order OF the TWO
Houses nothing can be done bat to count the votes
Inv the tellers and TO declare the vote thus counted to
the Senate and House Of Representatives. sitting in
this chamber. What further action may be taken, ii
any, will dcvolve upon the proper constitutional au-
,horities of the sountry, the Senate or the House OF
Representatives, as the sa.e may De- Inc ChaIr was
misunderstood by the gentlemsn from Kentucky. In
pursuant OF the concurrent order OF the tSo houses,
the presiding officer will now announce the vGto
which has been delivered to him by the teilers.
The CHAIR thereupoa read the list Of votes pre-
pared by the tellers, as published in the preceding
column, and said
Thus il is reported by the tellers that tine whole
number of Electors appointed to vote tor President
aud Vice President of the United States is 296, OF
which l49 make a majority. The state of the vote,
As delivered by the ,ellers, is: For James Buchanan,
of Pennsylvania, Ia votes; for John G. Fremont, of
California, lii votes for Millard Fillmore, OF Asw
York, 3 votes. The state Of the vote for Vice FRESH
dent, as delivered by the tellers, is: For John =.
Breckenridge, of Kentucky, la votes; for VIM. L..
Dayton, Of New Jersey, III votes; for Andrew j.
Donelson, of Tennessee, 4 votes. in further eIecu-
ton of the concurrent order of the two Houses the
presiding officer therefore declares that JAMES BUG
greatest number of votes for President, and that num-
Der being a majority OF the whole number OF Electors,
has been duly elected President OF the United States
for the term prescribed by the Constitution, to COM
,nence on the 4th day Of March, 1857. also de:
clare that JoHy {. BRrcKISRiDGE, Of the State Of
kentucky, having the greatest number Of votes for
Vice President, and that plumber being q majority OF
the whole nrulhe Of Electors, hes been duly elected
Vice President OF the United Stetss Tor the terp pre-
scribed By the Constitution, to commence oE tqe ah
day of March, 1851"
The counting Of the electoral Votes having been
and the result thus formally announced
Mr.. h. MARSHALL of Kentucky, said that be
thought it a matter OF Importance, not tor the present
occasion, but for some occasion that might nereatter
arise. that the rnlirg of the chair should be excepted
to. He Understood the chair 10 have ruled that it
was within the competency Of the President Of the
Senate, in the presence Of that boay and CT The House
Of Representatives, to open the certificates and to
count the votes, thereby assuming to himself the
function 10 count. In the case OF Wisconsin, the Pre-.
sideat Of the Senate, through the tellers, had an
nounced the vote OF that STATE, and that vote wac
therefore coca,ed. upon his decision. Whether or
no, (said Mr.. H. that State cast a vote must depend
upou the determination Of this Convention, and il,