The New York herald., 1876-12-25
THE CONSTITUTIONAL METHOD.
HOW THE ELECTORAL VOTES WE'RE COUNTED
IN 1906 BY BOTH HOUSES OF CONGRESS,
WITH AARON BURR, yIcE-PREsIDENT, PRE-


To EDITOR OF THE HERALD
have been examining Tor myself to ascertain the
practice OF Congress counting the electoral votes
for President ana ycePrcsident, and herewith send
you transcript copied from Bentons Abridgment Of
the Debates OF Congressl or what occurred IN 1905
when Mr, Jefferson reelected President Your
readers will please note the words which have itai
cizac:-"yoL Ill, pages l67. los. "Wednesday,
February l3, lSo5. Counting OF clecto
raj votes Tor President and vicc-Prcsdent
About twelve O'Clock the Senators took their seats
and Immediately after the speaker and members ofthe
House Of Representatives entered.
"Mr. Samuel smith, teller the part Of the Senate
and Mr. Joseph Clay and Mr. II. GriswoId, teIers
the part OF the House. took seats at table placed
in front Of the Chair in The between the Senate
and House
The Secretary OF the Senate read the resolutions
the two houses previously agreed to-
DUTIES or THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
"Ihe President tAr. Burr stated that pursuant to
law there had 1aen transmitted to him several pac
which, IRON the Endorsements upon thom, appeared
President; that the returns forwarded hy the mall as
well ~ the duplicates sent by special messengers had
been received by him in due time. foa iciu siow pro
ceed gentlemen sad he TO count tie rotss as tie cons
tuition and iaios direct adding that pcrceving no
cause tor preference in the order oi opening the
turns he would pursue a geographical arrangement,
beginning with the Northern States
"rhc President OF the Senate then proceeded TO
break the seals OF the respective returns handing each
broken, to he tetlers through ne Secretary Mr.. s. SnM
reading cloud the returns and the a!etdfons Of the ap
pointiaent Of the electors and Mr. !. Clay and Mr. H.
Grtsootd comparing item pciU the duplicate returns
lying before them. According TO which enumeration
the following appeared be the result" The result is
then given.
NO oBJECrl0N FROM EITHER HOUSE.
s'Afer the returns had been examined, without
any objection hapng been made 10 recetrtng Of the
potes Mr.. S. Smith, behalf Of the tellers. commu-
nicalcd the President the foregoing result which
read from tho chair when the Vice President
said FroM this report 1t becomes my duty to declare,
agreeaby to tho constitution, that Thomas Jefferson
elected" :" &c
HONEST CONSTITUTIONAL COUNT WANTED.
AS the HERALD remarked some weeks ago, II is Of
consequence to the American people TO
have n fair count than to have any partc-
ular for President Aud they will submit
Hayes Tildcn, the case may he, but they will insist
that the electoral votes must be counted In the
provided by the constitution. II the President OF the
senate has any duty TO perform other than .open
all the In the presence Of the Senate and
House OF Representatives.; If he has anything to do
with tho nation and count have becn unable to
discover IL Mr. Burr would surely have exercised
the right TO examine and count II he thought he pos
sessod IT, but all he did TO break the seals and
hand the returns 10 the tellcrs, by whom they
examined. G. Il. J.
New YORK, Dec. %. 1870