Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-11-15
RESIDENTIAL ElEcTcaAL VOTE.
UNITED STATES SENATOR MORGAN, OF
INDIANA, EXPLAINS HOW II is
FINALLY COUNTED AND
DECIDED.

United States Senator Morton, OF
Indiana, to the San Francisco Chron-
icle, is OF peculiar interest at this
time:
To correct Misrepresentation 10
the public press in regard to the
late twenty-second joint rule Of the
two houses Of Congress, for count
ing the electoral vote, l ask short
space in your columns.
Up to January, 1860, there had
been no rule or law regulating the
counting OF the electoral votes for
President and Vice-President, and
the count lau been made under the
general direction only of the consti-
tntional provision. At that time
the twenty second joint rule was
adopted, providing the form and
method for making the count and
enacting, among other things, that
when the two houses assembled in
the hail Of the House to witness the
count, if any objection was made by
any member of the House or Senate
to receiving any electoral vote or
votes, the two houses should imme-
diateIv separate, and each, in its
own chamber, without any debate,
vote upon the objection; and il the
objection was not overruled by the
vote OF both houses, then tho cleo
ioral vote or votes objected to were
to he received. 1t was thus placed
in the power Of either house, by re-
fusing to override an objection to
an electoral vote. however trivial
or immaterial the object, N might
be, to have the vote rel ctcd and
thus any State, or all the States,
might be di.francllise 10y the ac-
ton OF one nouse OF congress only.
TO me this provisio'. of the rule APP
peared to he gross y demonstrations
al and dangerous to the peace and
safety of the CO. ntry and l called
tho attention vi the Senate to Its
character as early as the Winter OF
1871. WI EN- the electoral votes
were count' d in February, 1873, the
danger ard folly of the rule were
strongly illustrated. Objection was
made to counting the vote OF Ar
kansas because the certificate. Signed
by the Governor, was not attested
by the seal OF the State. Upon this
oujectio On the two houses voted sep
ara:c'y. The House Of Representa-
tivcs cverrulrd the objection, but
the Senate sustained it, and the vote
of Arkansas was lost. Objection
was made also to- counting certain
votes from the State Of Georgia,
upon the ground that Mr.. Greeley
was dead. This Objection was over
ruled 10y the Senate and sustained
10y the House, aud 50 those votes
were not counted.
At the next session of Congress,
l introduced an amendment TO the
JOINT rule, providing that no elcctor-
nj vote should he rejected unless by
the concurrent action OF both bOnses,
ard afterwards reported bill from
the Committee on Privileges and
Elections, embracing the amend
nent ana providing for a limited
debate in each house upon auy ob-
lection that gut hc ohered to cleo
lotal votes. The bill, after much
debate, passed the Senate by large
majority, ami was not reached 10
the House tor want OF time. AT the
last session Of Congress | hroagat
forward the TN, snt! Vt again passed
the Senate, On its second passage
1t nec me near y q lAty question,
RECEIVING only Two Dtmocrstic votes,
those II Senators Thurman, Of Ohio,
anu Mcrrlman, OF North tAoliua.
After the passage, aGl before the
btl! was seat to the House, SrnStor
Thurman made q motion 10 recon-
slider tie vote, and upon this motion
na action was aitersartl takeu-the
acton If the Democratic Senators
maiiiug II certain that the House
would reject tie bill, aud 50 it iaile't
tie -scoh Time. The joint rules ui
TIE Senate and House expire with
the end Of each Congress They ara
simply agreements between The two
houses Tor methods o. action in re-
gard TO particular matters, and nee
esSarlly expire with the Congress.
Que Congress cannot make rucn