, 1876-12-18
THE PRESIDENCY.
WHO DOES THE cOUNTrN9T

the power to Euullt the votes nrd declare tho |
result ahoulsl bo lodged In one n,nn-thu Presl-
dent OF tho Senate. Had Guy. Hayes received
aity Or sixty majority In tie Electoral College,
no ono would raise any question; and 1t Is sur |
prls[ug how readily tho Democratic party can
rcputliatc The opinions Of its nbcst lawYcrs and.
distinguished lcaders-Androw johnson, sena-
tor Thurman, and james X. Dooittlc.
The language OF tic Constitution Is: "Tha
President Of tho Senate shaN, In the praeaee Of
the Senate nnd uousc, open all the certificates,
and tho votes shal. then be countcd.'' They aro
not then present In Joint session rs one body,
hut rs distinct bodics-tho Senate and tho
House. This IA all there Is on the subject ex-
ccpt that II no person Lave anna ajority the House
s!n.l elect. .....,
Tho Constitution dors not gtve to the House
the power to count or dcctdc any question with
rcgard to the matter.
has no implied powers except such as arc nee
cssary to carry out ana put in foreo those c1-
y Thc Constitution of tho United States Is 4
State Constitution, which is a rsservaiton Of
y In ti,c present instance the scnato and House
arc only rcqullcd to be present to witness, but
There is no express power granted except 10
be present, and no Implication pt power can
possibly arlsc, or atta:h to passive state or
'or Thn nmiv ,os,t,vc net IN In performed, hy any
,,o ss.bw ;bnr prcsirnt n thc gcnntr: H. ts ~
open tho returns; this is definite and clearly
defined act 70 oc performed BY him, md By no
one else. Neither tic Senate or House can open
They nrc In his possession. They arc required
BY tho Consultation to 10 certified ard trans-
tltttcd to him, not to tic Senate OF House, or to
both in Joint session. Being in ts possession
H. o as M M ri rhs t,r o,,thor|ty "a nass t',en
,G, ne t ~ no m ~ a,'v %sn rsn u m
dt body, " some u ot,c must declare tic resait.
mt T.. sns.Ton fnr th n,,rnosc nf tnnElnr s1,ci,
n .oui5 nnt Tn on thc i",,rai ~
tIle House, and Il ia trourll It's journais That it
nk ana lor s tH sao Tsaso 1;f scate caet ea H.
uS. t'nro ,nvt,rr rhr nncnpv monntinrr. nnd Dr.
oiurI ~ ,st f. dam hv fhr nfIir"r a.',i,nrizrd
~ Tx t:nnatttution. t This power must hc in
Avn" -, NV an "eit "n,t q Inv nrounti ioosn.H
~, n9o ~ Il ~ u eantcrrc au on o a, a .oruforc
o& W ~ .na,sr,n ja ar snverai n,on
MI 't tl.c r. pa,,mte md II,sn IN nnt srssio,,''
TL. H., nronosition @ % Is addressed rather to iicv,
not IT, .os usI raWer Nv % jnnattoh on rrn,Ins nf
noiicv ~ Thpy hsrn owcrs orprcssca ind no,yers
.n,io5 ;} liz 1attcr aTc j1t.;;frnsat ma rrow
t1ipii nmt III the % former me r''''' - ''' o."
vi n t,,rrS il any troubla With tho Coustltution
+ba osEt,on u ~ I,nss hn snls1c VIII "r foro.
fntbc4is' IN ,nust tieal WITH It M IL ia. not IA
'nE III Y Il T. s IiAo ons 'nanMthe President Of
the scnatc-wiil b. partlsat,' aud t.src[osg t. ts,o
prcsunptions arc aGa!Ist his exercise q tho
ass sas s Y nsc 1s 1ey
Ing. as ono nun by caucus rule aI'd tl9dsr ~ tlle
Earty lasii, any alaer Ihe tvaaeIsnap OF Woou,
Knott Randall, ahd ie"ts: lSs., iowst mus po
lodged somewhere: lna le'tn Eseetof is u
Tn1 n n
power. 'rhe Genera! Of an army IL man q
power. Now. Il tts p.we1 p haPpens 3. 70 DC en- n
II q hi,n 1y rtrtIs q Ms Coas1tsHs4oA y. 1; hs
by any jolat rue:
sennto arbitrarily nliscolllts. or lies about tho
rouut ,r cozts It one wuy when II 1s cJnp!,atlg-
nily and notorjo,ss1y tho oiher way} Wei. sup.
that the power III ae ne,ato an onse -
do". u'. Sbnu l. T. emnkntirav af nntorIo,,sv
t.c ot htcr ,ysvi Trn M ID cost about 10 ses
,yhat % n iaros },ody Would bo likely to io Or not
Tnu.,',twtInm3
Thc Gnnycntton In tho time Of the French
| -cvojut1on tifi anna very stranre ttjl1nre md
1Ss Eensraay t,&s IA tSem % prttiv qassk and tae roll
E, Hcn,1 "'9 ">A'~~'' '''''' "~"'
"vtsh, Hhaucc,,or Kant in his commentaries. aay.:
S.A"s -. usan..,n,. .tv.x r,,,, -. ~ -. 1s,o,
The Honse o. n,, ~ u, ~,
afsy ifo ta9 ps'v srtnr 1 tnr Thay sTe nsn
nn' 70 nnytsks With ne,cksr scnstSility az tn,
nrmrs ilinu tanner md Irritable dIsposItion Of III
limes: lid 10 81 IL much mora daagsr Of aaoptint
H1:Ssrt. .rth precipitation, a"a o/ Changing then
|. This 9enate and House arc irresponsible
There Is no povek to punish them II they liz
wrong. No Impeachment can follow, But til,
Presiiept OF to souate Is M officer Of .tlIo Gov
crutneut under the Constitution, aud may b.
uunis!cl. -
But in speakiug of Chancellor Kent, vii
quote what he sall about the count. Vol. l, y
1857:
The ron,,itu,,on aoes not erpr<ss,y doc,uro b
,raom liz yotcs ara 10 b. COUNTED ind te result d.
c,aTed. lu thu caaa OF questionable votes an
ciosuIy contested election thls puwcr may be all
!npostaat, and presume n tho aosesce o. az leg
isatyo p1oyldlon n tha :aeeet ihal !as aTfstae &
AZ ssaa.s ssan. n ~ vots gag axixs'nei a 70
ana ~, .d ~ 'ns ~ nv rrn Il, mia ~ tn
apnot'' @n" ~ ''' Nv 'u''~o 70 '"'ue " '"
''ssso3 w. G,,,..,o =, r,,,.,ot, o.,as, ,,o, -,
ne Co.sttaon ~ o. tnon ~ a tJyaa.s "s. ~; sa =, =
feirns " slseto " lug - 1'atu ". 9s n,as sA " H.,
aet9a 10 tnS speaHGs ot 'mG .tnGsu H.. y. =,