Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-02-17
From the National Intelligencer, Feb. y, lsa'l
COUNTING THE ELECTORAL VOTES foh

From the National lnteligenCer, rep. IL,
COUNTING THE ELECTORAL VOTES v
PRESIDENT AND VICE.PREsiDENi'
The official counting of the Electoral Votes cast oy
the several States OF the Union lot rEes'Gen. a Wv
Vice. President of the United States, took place yes
to-day i'm ths pressuce of the Senate and the House
sf REPRESENTATIVES,, assembled in Convention WITHIN
the Han of the latter branch OF Congress, .r
Al ao early hour The galleries and ioooles ~ene
orowded with an ~aiiluence Of eager spectators, a"a"-
mo ths opening of a ceremony imposing alike lI
its simplicity and Tor the dignihed formalities Will
attend this final contamination OF a Preslden'iai JIG
ton. If the
main aisle of the Hall of Representatives we're thrown
omen, and, the arrival of the Senate being announces.
BY the Doorxeeper of the House, the Representative
rose to receive them. ,,oo,nt.
The Senators entered, preceded by tne oeh the
alarms. Secretary, and President of the Senate, Tue
latter officer being Immediately followed BY Two pot ths
bearing q box containing the certified votes "
Electors of the several States. ,.a.dad
Mr.. MASON, as President of the Senate T1Sxs.
to occupy a seat ON the right of MIR. SPeakhe * oD,rsn.
the Secretary of the Senate occupied soma
right of the desk of the Clerk of the LOUISE I'm nc
what in the rear and on Il lower pla.o, nf The Ga
Speakers desk sat the Sergeant-at.Alm; ,ha Ca
nate on the right OF the Pres'aenr; ID . seat on the
geaut. tar of the House occupied . seq H. ~. .ss,'
left of the Speaker: and the Senators grauuany sea,.
sd tbsmssjvss in the area fronting the Speakers
desk. NJ u,-
After perfect silence had been re ,sca a,n mr: i%n,
SON, as the presiding onicer VI 'He
assembled rose and SAID: d.. oo,,r
uPnrsusIt To law and in obedience 10 the concur
rent order of the two Houses, the iresiuen. VI -
Senate will now proceed to open ane o "d = V vIs DC Duo
thai have been given Tor a President and q vice IRE,
s;dsnt Of tho Tinted States for the term prescribed
bv The Constitution, to commence on the 4h day OF
March, 1857" o,, uo,so
of Congress- were then summoned to take their
ni,cs. hefore the presiding officer; whereupon
Messrs. JOINS Of Tennessee, and HOWARD Oh h,chi'
gan, appeared on the part OF tho Rouse Oh hepresen.
tstiyes, and MIR. Bigler Of Pennsylvania, on the part
of tho Senate, the latter oi "non o''uPieu p'NSe
Mr.. MAs.N then opened the box before him, and
taking from it all envelope containing the certn1cate
forwarded by the Electors of the State Of Name
handed the same TO the teliers, WIN ihe leIalA.
"Gentlemen tsllers, l deliver TO you the electoral vote
of the State of Maine" The certificate was then read
aloud ON the part of the tellers by MIR. JONES, OF Ten
nessee, and, the result being announced, was taken
down and rscited aloud by Mr. AssURf DleAi
Secretary Of the Senate, and appointed by JOINT reso
luton to serve in the capacity oil Secretary OIL tht
presspt occasion. This same iormality was rspeaIee
with reference TO each Of the States, IN the oidor =
cording to which their electoral votes were prsseh'.e
for scrutiny, the tellers seeming 10 os r1gr' ,he task O.
reading the certificates. Nor did there seem W y
observed any general formula in drawing up y ~
tifcstes by the Electors OF the dinerenl STATES, au.
tha reading of that from Arkansas occasionea SOM
merriment by reason Of the statement oohla,nsH IL
il that tho electoral votes or that STATE had oeen oui,
~ sst for lanes uchanan, mot a citizen of Arkansas,
as President Of the United States. This phraseoiogy
wa ma ,remark, was probably suggested to the Ar
kansas Electors by the language of the Constitution
prescribing the duties Of electors, to W.T.: s.o,.
or re- electors shall meet in their respective state
and vote by ballot for President and Vice President
owe Of whom at least sAaH not be an 7nhab'tant 0
The same State mith Themselves"
The order in which the certificates Of the State
were read is designated in the following table: