, 1876-12-23
THE EIEGT0aAl VOTE.
Republican Senators ON Ihe Electoral
GOunl.


vote on the l4-h of February.
1. j. II, VT trli-ve. rskrn for granted that
the twenty SECOND joint rule l. no longer op-
erative. This serrns 20 us m ,it-r q small
impor'snee. The rule merely provided CON-
v-nirnt details of the P'Oe,rdings by which
the constitutional da'y Of the two hou>
could be carried into eF-et. It could confer
no ezra constitutional powers npon ei'her
house; iis authors did NOT. aud O. course
woald uo', pretend that it provided mr huds
in violation OF or contrary 30 he constitution.
\ mere j"int rule could aurhoriza nothiug Of
gre-s, enforce or carry in'o effect what The
constitution had previously authorized and
commanded If, l. supposed, rhe Y
second joint rub has fallen, and if SOM other
form of procedure uuler the con~riru ion Il
needed IN Is Plac-, 10 doubt he common
sens. of the two houses will provide another
We are not at all surr that any NV rule l.
NEEDED. We remark, howeve., b-fore p,s,-
i"g TO ano'hrr and more Inrpur'aur consider
arion, thar az the last count, in F.DruaIv,
lS'3, N very curious cOhoqrv took place upon
this qneS ion in HI. ). NATE. :. us'or An
III ,uy a-krd the VIce President - 49,,
the chair if the Sruare by uuauinious
consent can dispense wi'h a jriut IuIe?"
The Vice President rrPli-,! promptly Hnd ay-
pAren'ly ~iIhou' he>i'arian, in rhe negative.
- TIE Senate hY Unanimous consent csrnut
di-p-use Vi'h II JOIN, rula." The matter
seems TO us OF fIrle impor'aace. though the
Wee Presid nt ben, Nr Cuifax, Is thought
high au'horiy on p'rIi mea'ary Law; aud
no S n,'nr at fh- 'inr DISPUTED ti- dic'um.
>. Whru the electoral votes come 10 bs
counel 10 dub. anbs.anyiiIly the same
m-'hri viii b. us.d ~ On previous occasions.
The Wee President Oill oren III sernra, aud
hand rh-m to ~ l'-rs --,.''nre, ~ both hon-f-;
ti.ss wiil real .As sermaI re url.-, nua b.-s-
upon. a. Is eu'.r-rT, gs.-siou- v.i, b. ass-
ea by S~n-''-- ...i ---.,5-.s -s'-.es, ia',aaea
- ,aasi.,h
AMI "a ~ a.u.
la lsl5. ls. 81
S.a.- v5a.. .r.r
sid ,-..I would inquire IF 'bat c--1f.s.te
h.a- rh- -I-c..or- .l tt- governor II the
a ale Of N,in,5 soJ DR. ] iur convention
I, u~r. ~ l'~ i-O,rs 10 hayr that poirr ,.'ab-
h~h-I. The s-rn'iay ia ~'.r6 gt-,- J. always
o'o,r, ne proc. rling baa. OF Ee h'-h,st inl-
F,rr aar- a:d therefore >o!ra,u and formal
AMI in'~a!,I 70 lrsye 40 roUrn 10, su1s, On. NJ
doatr or drspa'e.
3 + may h,Tp,n NJ the next count, il
Z truTy. Is If Is hsrfen-d - !.,r.'ous
eases, anG uu'ab'y il 1873. that iha vote Of
some Safes uIli b. OF se! So Il sueh
con'ii,-, ley ,ho F=en'y .,,coa.. 'i'i' 'ale Mas
a conveni-nc-. trzcars- it l1i! down hrIr,e-
hand he orl,r in and re hud l,v which TIE
Two hca-ts would c,n-.l.- srrh oi i-s'ions.
But, ~ W. have rhowr before. il w,-s a ,..rrv
convenience. The r:I!e cp,.iG rot cuuf-r ap-
;hori Y or righ', on either hous- o. on tAe
JON c,uyeu'ion which the constitution had
r,t before gwen. No one prer. :,ls thai the
rule violated or tr,u>orn.lr,i -. constitution;
both p.rrirz in bo'h hons in 1873 accepted
liz provisions w.rh"ut Question. WhIl-,
Therefore, IN the ahSrBue If rms rule he
der a.id methods 10y y hiuh obj-r,ious TO the
rrcrp'Iou Of =. States vote may D. changed,
10 one cat Doubt bat tie frndaiu,n'al p,o-
vi-ions which be te.en y-second rule WIS
framed praoricaliy 70 apply, exist now rs
they must have exiS'rd before the rule WAS
framed. The tween y-s-coad jpint rule pro-
hib,'s debate on gpy proposition " hich Elay
b. made. aud this p-ohibl'irn oi course falls
to thr grUuud WI toe rule. Bur the right
of making. hearing and vofing on 0lj-ciIous
20 the r.ceptiu. Of States vote must b. fan
da:neural, brcause = could Do' be cOui-rrrd
by a mere rule. J. 1nnst have been tonndei
cn the constitution, else Cong-rss would have
ben ac ing IL violation of the oons'irafiol,
which L. nor 10 b. supPoSed wh-n 70 many
a6,e and careful constitutional Lawyers are III
both hou-es.
/ In 1873 he woes Of Georgia, Ark-a-as,
Texas rnu BJaisiaae were formally o!,j-ered
10 Oh various grounds, ard a. ezaisIaarIoa
Of the pr.cerdiugs shows that nr-t Of the
l-4d:ng .-yub.Ican S-raFor- uuequigoG,lly,
by rheir remarks and rh,lr woes, accepted
b. following PfuPO-l ri0IIs e. u"Cuesr.oustiy
constitutional :-E.rst. rSsr th- e!ec'oral vote
OF State Is pro?-r suiieer for tie scrutiny
o. the JOIN; eou,ei'lOR; second, That It l.
equally within he power o. TIE Two bousrS.
actIng SEPARATELY, 10 s''rn-lnizs II; ihIrt,
thai the electoral vore # safe may be
thrown our, aud fourth, that 'h- Ol ofIOu 10
), S-ins stained III c3e hogs-. The -1cia-l"n
lolioaS az =, ma 'rr Of right. Oi eogFse all
the action IL 1913 VS. ;assn under he I'D
iuiut ruie bur We rrp-G' again thar no orr
h,- ever pretended, and 10 ole Co" Prs'e;'a'
that In-rr iIint ruIr could authuIize u coz
f-r the power % xclaie b. vote oi a State;
So great AL nu hon Y onud be derived only
from the eons'iru Ion. by Ibo-r " b. framed
and ac-rd unG The Iale. l. l. Ui IN errst
10 revi.w rome Of 'he proceedings ia 1873
Nh-u che Of the re!!iirrr. Sir. BIZ, snnrune-
ed The vote # G-Orzia. &r HOar. reEubii-
can. oil e'-d TO the e'uuf Of three vo''- cast
for Ar GREELEY. uu rhe ground that he Uas
d-ad q, the, time. and H. HOH-- iaarprrc-
rufiy c.sn>idrrrG and vo'ed on '.Ir qn@-'r'D-
Wh-n rhe iwY hor-,-s had s~ps afsd Mr. Ed
mundS, # Yrrurnr, Ou- OF he attest law
ysrs IN the Seusts, offered resolution that