Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1873-02-27
Counting the Electoral Vote.

A Washington letter of the 18th saws: To-
day being the time fixed by law for counting
the electoral vote for President and Vice
President, both houses spent most of their
sessions in Joint convention in the Hall of
Representatives. The day was ST ormv. but the
attendance of spectators was very large, many
being attracted by the rumor that the extraor-
dlnary scene of four years ago over the cleo
toral vote of Georgia would be repeated to-day
IN the contest over that of Louisiana While
the session, however, was protracted, and full
OF technical objections to the returns from
several Southern States. and while each house
was Obliged several times to return to its own
session to vote on disputed points. the occa-
sion passed off without unusual incident The
Senate came at 1 o'clock and were assigned
seats on the Democratic side, the entire House
remaining standing till the Senators were
seated. Vice-President Cofax occupied the
Speakers chair, and presided over the Joint
session. When the joint convention came
to order it appeared that Senators we're
present from every State but Massa-
chusetts, both Senators Sumner and
Wilson being absent. The reading of the
certificate then proceeded without any particu-
lar interest or excitement until Delaware was
reached, when the members and Senators
seemed to think it very amusing that Della
ware should vote for Republican. The an
nouncement of the Maryland vote for Hen
bricks and Brown also caught a slight ripple.
as 1t was the first vote announced in OPPOSE
ton to Grant, and when Georgia was reached
and the vote was announced, points of order
we're made that as it was historic fact that
Greeley was dead the vote for him could not
be counted. Each body voted without debate
the Senate deciding, by AZ to 10. that it could
be counted, and tie House, by SO to 102, that
1t could not be counted. &c. under the rule
where division like this existed. the vote of
Georgia was thrown out. Subsequently the
point was made too late that Georgin had
For . dn,,ka
dent of that State in violation of that clause of
the Constitution which prohibits both candi-
dates from being. citizens of the same
State. Technical objections in the case of
Mississippi and Texas were made and
overruled, and when Arkansas and Louisiana
were reached, objections were made and the
electoral votes of both we're thrown out The
Senate and House concurred in throwing out
the vote of Louisiana, but only the House
voted to throw out Arkansas, which had the
same effect as if the Senate had concurred
Finally, at o'clock tonight the vote was an
nounced that Grant had received $40 votes, 1874
being necessary to choice. Georges having
been thrown out. none were counted for Gree
ley, but Hendricks footed up ~. The others
were scattering When one vote was an
nounced for Gen. Banks for Vice-President
there was good deal of merriment, and he
turned crimson at the glance of the vast crowd
The numerous technical objections made to-
day to the incompleteness of some of the re-
turns to the fact that under the joint rules no
laws were allowed to be read bearing on any
case ; that no debate was permitted and that as
consequence the votes of entire States were
lost because one house voted one way and the
another house another.-all contributed to
form the general opinion that tine present cleo
toral system is very defective, so defective
that in a close contest one man has it almost
III his power to defeat the popular choice of
the people for President.