Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-11-22


the Senate formed, with their Ser
geant-at-arms at the head, then the
Vice-Presidcnt, with the Secretary
of the Senate on his left, then the
Chief Clerk bearing the electoral
votes, and then the Senators, two by
two. The procession was met in the
rotunda by the House sergeant-at-
Arms, who led it down the broad
aisle. The Speaker received the
Vice President on the steps Of his
stand and conducted him to the chair
as President Of the joint session, the
Speaker seating himself on the left.
The Secretary Of the Senate took Il
seat at one end of the Clerks table
and the Clerk Of the House Mt the
other. The teilers were stationed IN
front Of the presiding officer, the Seu-
ate teller in the middle and the
House tellers on each side. The
members OF the House remained
standing while the Senate came in.
The galleries were filed with ladies
and the scene was very impressive.
The presiding officer announced the
! purpose ofthe joint session, and took
up the package containing the vote
| Of Maine. He broke the seal, and
/ handing it down, said: ~ deliver to
| you gentlemen tellers, the votes u
tho electors Of the State Of Maine fof
President and Yice-P President of the
United States, that the same may be
counted.n When the counting Of the
States was finished the presiding
officer declared the result, and said:
II do declare that William Henry
i Harrison, Of Ohio, having arnajority
of the whole votes for electors for
! President, Is duly elected President
of the United States for tho term Of
four years, commencing with the 4lh
day Of March, in the year 1871
The same declaration was made in
the case of John Tyler for yicc-Pres-
ident, and Then the Senate retired in
formal order.
The counts in 1915, 1919 and 1853
were conducted In tlesame way, and
nothing occurred beyond the ordi-
nary routine. In 1857 Il great deal Of
time was wasted in discussing
whether the vote Of Wisconsin should
or should not be counted. The oh
lection was raised by Mr.. Mason, the
presiding officer Of the joint session,
and was on account Of irrcguarity,
the Wisconsin electors having met
the day after and not on the day
fixed by law. No decision was made,
and the matter was dropped after
two days Of debate. In February,
1861, while we were on the very eve
of war, the proceedings of tho joint
session were briefand entirely quiet.
the same old formalAics were ob-
served, except that there was no Dig
niiled parading.
REJECTING THE VOTES or STATES.
Tho first move made toward posi-
| lively refusing tho vote Of any State
was made in the House, December
10, 1864, when Mr.. Wilson offered n
joint resolution declaring certain
| States those In rebellion not entitled
to representation in the electoral col.
| leges, and that no votes from them
| should be received or counted. This
was adopted, and votes from only
| twenty-five OF the thirty.sevcn States
were counted. No votes were offered
from tho States in rebellion.
In 1869, tho question Of the regu-
larity or legality of counting the vote
Of Georgia WINS brought up by Sena.
tor Edmunds, who, on the 9Th Of
February offered q CONFERENCE.-The
ton, reciting that whereas tho ques-
ton now pending whether the state
OF Georgia Is entitled 10 representa-
ton in Congress, because not yet re-
organized: Resoired, That, If the
votes OF Georgia shall not essentially
change the result, they should be re-
ported thus: "Were the votes Of
Georgia TO bo counted the result
would be for----for President, ---
| votes; If not counted, for for
President, votes; but in either
case---is elected President of the
United States" Tho Senate passed
this resolution, 81 to 81. Subsequent
ly, Senator Trambull moved to re-
ject the votes Of Louisiana, but the
motion was lost. There was much
confusion and wrangling, but finally
the count was completed, and the tel
lers announced 29t votes, including
Georgia, of which 1t8 would BIO a
majority; but excluding Georgia,
| there were 2s5 votes, and lI3 was n
majority. AS Grant had 2I4 votes
aud Seymour only II, or so with
Georgia, the result was fixed beyond
eayil, and, the presiding officer dc.
clared Ulysses $. Grant duly elected.
ITHE LAST MEETING-TTfE TWENTY
SECOND RULE.
The last joint session for counting
the electoral votes was on the 18th of
February, 1878 Again there was
difference over the votes Of the ro-
constructed States, although their re-
ception or rejection could not have
made the slightest difference. ON
this occasion the somewhat famous
twenty-second rule (passod Feb. @,
1860 was used to stop debate and
questioning while in joint session.
The substance OF this rule IL rs iol-
| iaua,