The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-11-24

States, although their reception or re-
lection could not have made the slight
est difference. On this occasion the
somewhat famous twenty-second rule
(passed Feb. 6, 1869 was used to stop
debate and questioning while in joint
session. The substance of this rule is
as follows:
II upon the reading of any such certificate
by the tellers any question shall arise in regard
to the counting of the votes therein certified,
the same having been stated by the presiding
officer, the Senate shall thereupon withdraw,
and said question shall be submitted to that
body for its decision and the Speaker OF the
House shall, in like manner, submit the said
question to the House for it's decision and no
question shall be decided affirmatively and no
vote objected to shall be counted except by
the concurrent votes Of the two houses which
being obtained the two houses shall reassem-
BILE, and the presiding officer shall then an
nounce the decision Of the question submitted;
and upon such question there shall be no de-
bate in either house and any other question
to this object, for which the two houses are
assembled, may be submitted and determined
in like manner.
The two houses met on the 10Th of
February to count the vote. When
Georgia was reached Mr.. Hoar objected
to the three votes for Horace Greeley,
because they were given after his de-
cease, and the electors could not lawful
ly vote for dead man. The point was
waived for the time, and the count went
on till Mississippi was read. Mr.. Trum-
bull objected to the vote because the
statement did not say it was done by
ballot. Both objections were put in
writing, and the Senate retired In that
body it was voted-44 yeas and 19 nays
to count the votes for Greeley. Dur
ing the debate Mr.. Conkling and others
undertook to got through O declaration
that the functions of the joint session
were purely ministerial, and that the re-
cording of the votes of the States was
done independent of and without regard
to the effect Of such votes but the mo-
tion failed-yeas 8,nays 32. In the mean
time the House voted not to count votes
for Greeley, but both houses decided to
count Mississippi. They met again at
half-past D. M, and, as the houses dis
agreed on the Greeley votes, they were
not counted. Still another trouble was
found in Georgia. There we're two votes
for Charles J. Jenkins, of that State, for
President, and five votes for A. II. Col
quit, also of that State, for Vice Presi-
dent. The constitution says that the
President and Vice President must be
citizens of different States. There was
also similar mistake made by the Mis-
souri, electors. Then Mr.. Trumbull OBJ.
jected to the vote of Texas for certain
irregularities, chiefly clerical; and with
this budget of troubles the Senate again
retired. On reassembling, both houses
had agreed to count Texas, and six or
seven States were gone through with
when Louisiana appeared with two re-
turns. Again the Senate walked out,
and long war of words followed in both
houses. Finally the joint session was
resumed and the count completed at
about o'clock in the evening. The
Vice President then stated that there
were 366 electoral votes, of which $40
had been counted for President and 1862
for Vice President; that for President,
Ulysses s. Grant, of Illinois, HAD re-
ceived 2S6; b. Gratz Brown, of Missouri,
18; Thomas A. Hendricks, of Indiana,
AZ; Charles J. Jenkins, of Georgia, 2;
and David Davis, of Illinois, l vote.
That for Vice President, Henry Wilson,
of Massachusetts,, had 286, etc, and he
declared U. S. Grant and Henry Wilson
duly elected. (The II votes rejected
wei # Georgia, 6 of Arkansas, and 8
of uisiana.)
CONCLUSION.
1t does not appear that the houses, in
joint session, can pass upon anything
beyond the result as shown by the count.
Their duties are merely clerical; they
have no power to decide upon what to
receive or what to reject. The cases
where such power has been exercised
(not in joint session, but in each house
for itself are all since the rebellion. In
1865 there were no votes offered from
the States not counted; in 1869 Georgia
was practically counted, and only in
1873, at the very last election, was there
positive throwing ont of State, and
on that occasion the omission of their
votes made no difference, for Gen. Grant
was almost unanimously reelected.
What might be done if the vote of a
single State should be enough to change
from one candidate to another is ques-
tion yet to be reached.