The New York herald., 1876-10-25
THE ELECTORAL COLLEGES.
Now the Votes OF the States for President and
Vice President Are Counted.
Joint Meetings Of Both Houses Of Con-
gress to Declare the Result
of the Election.
FORMALITIES OBSERVED
States in Rebellion Not Counted Questions
About Votes Not Regularly
Cast or Certified.
POWERS OF THE TWO HOUSES

in the matter Of counting the electoral votes for Pres
idsnt and Vice President may be in some degree
hghtened by account OF what has been done hereto
fore, beginning at the commencement OF our govern
nsnt under the existing constitution. lIs9 The man
ner OF elec,ing President and Vice President on
gagged tho OF tho Convention that framed the
constitution, and the system OF electors now in
was proposed by James Wilson, of the delegates
from Pennsylvania Other plans were proposed, al
though none OF thcm contemplated an election by
direct vote Of the people, and Wilson's plan was
adopted and became part OF the organic
law That plan was defective In two i'm
portant particulars; II fixed time Tor
The choice OF electors and made distinction between
votes for President and Vice President, simply pro-
vidng that the person having the greatest number OF
voes II majority OF all the electors, should BIO de-
eared President and the person having the next high
should therefore be Vice President Another
sight In tho method OF opening and counting the
votea That important work DO done, now.
by Congress in joint session, and tho 'Presdcnt Of
ihe Senaen be the custodian and tho opener Of
lhc vStcs and he declare the result The mani
lest improprety of delegatng this power TO one who
would naturally be n candidate for the highest Office
quickly perceived In tho FIRST Congress- for that
body had not been weeks session the cleo
toral given 1883 had not been opened when the
Senate Apr 1881 proceeded to ballot for the choice
or president "tor the solo purpose oil opening ana
counting the votes President the United States"
John Langdon of New Hampshire, was unanimously
scccd and message sent to tho House ''thai quo
oil the Senate is formed. that president is
elected for the sole purpose OF opening the certificates
aud counting The votes Of the electors OF the several
States in the choice of President and Vice President
OF the United States; that the senate is ready in
the Senate Chamber proceed in tho presence OF the
House. the discharge OF that duty and that the Sem
ate has appointed OF its members to sit at the
clerks table make list OF the votes they shall
be declared, submitting Il TO the wisdom OF the House
10 appoint more of their members for the like
purpose"
COUNTING ELECTORAL VOTES.
Immediately upon receiving this Information tho
members of the House, preceded ry the Speaker
Frederick A. Muhlenbcrg. of Pcnnsyvana), went to
The Senate Chamber. Mr. Langdon took his place and
declared tho purpose OF the meeting then opened
and read the certificates from the States and the eIers
made the recori. When completed the presiding
ofhcer declared that George Washf gton had been
unanimously elected President Of the United States
for the term ending with the Sd day of March, 1898;
aud that John Adams, having the next highest vote,
and n majority Of all the electors was elected Vice
President ike term There sixty nine votes
sent in from ton States, New York. Rhode Island and
North Carolina voting, because they had not
ned tho constitution in time TO do About the vote
tor Vice President there to be confusion
II there were sxty-nine votes cast, recorded in
The "Hstory OF Congress-" then Mr. Adams
aid not have clear majority Lanman's 8
.Dc. .ionary of Congress" however, gives only sixty
seven votes ignoring the votes iron Georgia set
down in the "Hisiory" given for Mr. Milton
Lanman may be presumed to be right as there
was no question raised about Adams election,
and yet he could not have had a majority
an
ipon Washington; but the iull vote for tho :
md place interesting showing that party diyi-
hons already beginning among our people,
Adams had but two States complcte-New Hampshire
and Nassachusetts bo had Ave votes IRON Connecti-
cut one from New Jersey, eight from Pennsylvania
and nvc from Virginia; John Jay had Delaware, I'VE Of
New jerseys six and from Virginia. Robert IL.
Harrison had Maryland; John Rutledge had six OF
South CaroliEas seven; John Hancock had two from
Pennsylvania, one from Virginia and IRON South
Carolina; George Clinton had three from Virginia
Samuel Huntington had two from Connecticut and
Edward Teliair Benjamin Lincoln each from
Georgia II Now York had voted she would have
named Clinton, and thero wou,d have been choice
for Vice President
REGULATING SELECTION ELgcroRs
To reduce the business oil choosing electors to some
thing like the act OF March l. 1892, passed
and Is st IN force. II provided that the electors
should be CHOSEN wlthln thlrty mmediatciy
preceding tho first Wednesday in December OF each
year preceding the end OF Presidential term; that
Tho electors should meet and vote by ballot tho rst
Wednesday December aud sign three certificates OF
mo result TO be seLt 10 the President OF tho SEN
l,e by mail one to bo sent 10 him by messenger and
one 10 be deposited with tho United States Judge OF
Tho particular district The second section provides
that Congress shall bos In session the second
Wednesday in February succeeding every meeting Of
electors 'for the purpose OF counting and declaring
the vote" Should there be no President OF tho
tho ff State he act m IA
that in Of vacancy OF both President and Vice
President the President OF the Senate Pre- kmpore
should act US Prcsdent; and II there should be no such
officer chosen by the Senate then the Speaker OF tho
Rouse should act.
lie old thirteen and tho states OF Vermont,
Georgia aud Kentucky voting. On this occasion 4
Joint committee raised TO determine upon tho
iorms bo observed counting the votes, and that
practice yet This committee reported, an
ordered that the two houses should meet In tho
Senate chamber al noon OF the day fixed by the ACT OF
Congress that the senate should previously appoint
and the House two telcrs TO set down the votes
declared that they should deliver the result 10
Prssident OF tho Senate. who should announce the
Of the vote and declare the persons elected 70
both Aouses then assembled, (which shall bc
deemed declaration OF The persons elected President
and Vice President which declaration together with
he list Of votes should be entered The journals of
The two houses. There nothing worthy OF noto
the counting the second "Wednesday OF February,
i7e3; Washington had the entire 49, votes; Adams
had H. clinton 50 Jefferson 1 aud Aaron BarrI
In i96 John Adams was chosen President having
al the votes OF The New Entiand states With New
from other states. ne had barely cnough--,l Of
lao votes only ono majority Jeiierson, having the
next highest was the Vice President There was
peculiar incident about the announcement OF this
suit that Is worth noticing The President OF tho
Benatc Mublcnberg, the same who presided IN
1859 Amer declaring the result aud prccaimng that
John Adams and Thomas Jsncrson were duly elected,
&C., sc, for tho term Of four years he added and
may the sovereign of tho universe, the ofdaincr OF
civil government earth for the preservation OF lib-
erty justice and peace among men enable both to dis
charge the duties OF their offices conormaby 10 The
constitution OF the United states with CONSCIENTIOUS
diligence punctuaIity and perseverance,
rne nrst action suggesting that Congress ought TO
have ANYTHING TO say about tho casting the rocey
ing OF tho electoral votes beyond the purely minis.
tcrai act OF counting aud declaring was Ia the Senate,
In January 16O0 when committee was raised 10 re-
port what regulations should be made for deciding dts
puted elections OF Presidents and for determining the
legality or illegaty OF votes for President and Vice
President In the different States bill was reported
IN February, wncn Charles PDckncy strenuousIy op.