Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-11-04
rnE ELEcroRAL CoLLEGE.

In pursuance Of law of Congress,
electors for President ana Vice President
of the United States were appointed
yesterday.
Previous to the passage of this law,
they had been appointed on different
days as directed by the Legislatures of
the several States, each for itself. The
first time at which the election was held
on the same day in all the States, was in
lS4S, when Taylor and Fillmore were
elected over Cass and Butler.
The constitutional provision is, that
:" each State shall appoint number of
electors equal to the whole number of
the Senators and Representatives to
which the State may be entitled in the
Congress-
The manner Of appointing electors is
still within the power Of the Legislatures
of the several States, whether by pop.
ular elections in districts, or at a general
election, or by the Legislature itself.
But all the States have, we think, con-
CURED in passing laws to elect by general
ticket.
By special law, Virginia, Mississippi
and Texas are excluded from the college.
They may have voted yesterday, but the
power which denied them the right to
vote, will refuse to count their votes,
even if delivered according to the Con-
stitution.
The number Of States permitted to vote
under these restrictions is 81, of the 81
Of which the Union is legally composed.
The whole number of votes Of all those
permitted to vote would be 81.
The excluded States, entitled to %
votes, are Virginia 10, Mississippi Z,
Texas G.
The whole number without mutilation
is therefore 294, of which the majority
necessary to elect is las.
The provisions of the Constitution as
to the method of casting the votes Of
electors, after being "appOinted"-that is,
after being chosen in the States-are
few.
College is merely a conventional term,
employed to describe the aggregate Of
electors in each State when assembled to
vote. There is no such title known to
the law. The directions of the Constitu-
ton arc : that the electors shall meet in
their respective States and vote by ballot
for President and Vice President, naming
them separately in their ballots; sign,
certify and seal lists Of the persons voted
for. and transmit them to the President Of
the Senate, at the seat Of government;
and the President Of the Senate is to open
the certificates and count the votes, in the
presence of both Houses Of Congress, and
declare the result.
The time and manner Of doing these
things are prescribed by laws of Con-
grcss.
By the law in force the Executive of
each State is to furnish to the electors, on
the day of their assembling, a certificate
Of their appointment in triplicste.
They are required to meet on the first
Wednesday in December at the place
which shall have been designated by the
law of the State. The State laws have
universally designated the seat Of the
State government in each. They are 10
vote By ballot, and make three certified
and sealed lists, with certificates Of ap-
pointment attached, and forward them,
one by special messenger to the Presi,
dent of the Senate, and one bymail, also
directed to him, and one is to be de.
posted with the United States District
Judge Of the district in which the cleo
tors assemble.
1t is required that these lists shall be
delivered at Washington before the first
Wednesday in January.
In the absence from the seat Of Gov
eminent Of the President of the Senate,
the lists are to be deposited with the Sec
rotary of State to be by him kept to be
delivered to the President of the Senate
as soon as may be-"
Congress Is required to be in Session
ION the second Wednesday OF February
succeeding every meeting Of electors,
when the certificates of the votings Of
the electors" "or 50 many Of them as
shall have been received" are to be
opened by the President Of the Senate
and counted, and "the persons who shall
fill the offices OF President and Vice
President Of the United States asccr-
tanned and declared, agreeably to the
Constitution -