New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-02-20
4 Direct Vote for President aud
Vice PresId ent.

1t will be seen by the following that Hon
Charles II. Porter, Of Virginia, proposes b.
amendment Of the Constitution to place III,
choosing of the nations Executive where i
properly belongs, viz, in the hands of the
people. The canvassing Of the electora
votes by the two Houses Of Congress las
week demonstrated the utter folly of on
present system of choosing Chief Magis
tratc.
The following we clip from the proceeding
o:the House of Representatives in the Club
OF Tuesday:
Mr.. PORTER. l ask unanimous consent e
introduce the following resolution:
Rcsolced, That the Committee on the Ju
dietary be, and they are hereby, directed tc
examine and report at any time an article to
be proposed as an amendment to the Con
stitution, by which the President and Vice
President may be elected BY a direct vote o
the people OF the several States.
Mr.. RANDALL. Ifthe gentleman will strike
Oh; the permission to the committee to repor;
a; any time shall not object.
Mr.. PORTER. | agree TO modify my Teso-
luton In that way
The resolution a. modified was adopted
Mr.. PORTER also, by unanimous consent,
introduced Joint resolution Oh. X. No. l9!)
proposing an amendment TO the Constitution
providing for the election Of President aud
Vice President by direct vote Of the peo-
pie; which was read a first and second time,
referred 10 The Committee on the Judiciary,
and ordered to he printed.
Mr.. PORTER. l ask that it he printed also
"a the Cloje.
There was Ia objection, and it Vas 50 or
iered.
The JOINT resolution il as follows:
Joint resolution proposing an amendment to
the Constitution providing for the election
Of President and Vice President b. dircc,
'oie Of the people.
!:e7o!lc! by tie Senate a.d House Of Regre.
scn.d.t.ls oC lie United State Of Ameyica az
CJayTe's assembled, two thirds of each House
concUrr.ng therein,) That the following ar
t.cle be proposed as an amendment to the
Constitution Of the United States, which,
.oUrths OF the several States, shall be valid,
Il al iu;e'.ts and purposes, as part thereof:
ARTICLE -.
SEcIioE /. The President aud Vice Prcsi-
dent shall be chosen by the electors In the
several States qualified To vote for Repre-
sentatiycs to the Congress. The person
having the greatest number OF plurality OF
votes shall be the President and if there be
two or more receiving the highest numbers,
and who have an equal number of votes for
President, the House Of Representatives
shall choose, by cira coce vote, one of them
for President; and if upon the first vote no
one Of them shall have a majority OF the
whole number Of votes east, the House shall
Immediately proceed 10 a second vote, in
which plurality Of votes shall prevail but
# there be twO or more receiving the highest
numbers, and who have equal votes, then the
Speaker shall determine the question by an
nouncing his vote. The person having the
greatest number Of plurality OF votes for Vice
President shall he the Vice President; and
i there be two or more receiving the highest
numbers, and WHO have an equal number of
votes for Vice President, then the House of
Representatives shall choose one of them for
Vice President, in the same manner and I'M
der the same proceedings as above provided
fer the election of the President by the same
body.
SEC. .. The Congress shall have power
20 enforce this article by appropriate leglsla-
fi0r,