Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-12-09
The Vermont Electoral College.

ut the proceedings at the Electoral
College of our own State, aud cs
ppcially as u question has been
made IN regard to the election Ol
one Of the number.
On Tuesday, Dec. 9th four Of thu
electors, viz: Jacob Esty Of Brat
,icb0rO, Charles u. Houghton oi
bennington, Roswell Farnham II
bradford and Alvin q. WEIGH OF
WilllstOn met ut the State House
in Montpelier, as required by the
laws of Vermont, and organized b.!
electi0g Hon. Jacob Esty Chairman
and Col. RosSe Farnham Srcreta.
~. At this stage of the proceed
lngs Henry N. SolIace. Esq. of Bird
port presented himself before the
electoral College. thus organized,
with his cert lticate Of election exc
cutpd in duo form by the County
Clerk, and said IN substance that he
presented his certificate Of appoint
npnt as one OF the Presidential
electors for the State ut the election
held Nov. It'll; bnt ut that date he
was II Postmaster at Bridport, bur
afterwards resigned said office which
resignation was accepted and he
hen held no Office OF trust or profit
under the United States, that hr
had some doubts Of his right under
the circumstances to act as such e'rc'
tor; that he refused to act rs such
elector, by virtue solely OF such ap
pOintment and SO should retire aud
neglect to attend. Thereupou Mr.,
Sollace withdrew from the room in
which the other cleo Ors were rs
sembled aud took no part in THEN
deliberations.
The Chairman then called the at
tentiOn of the College to the fact
that there was q vacancy in lis
numbers TO be filled at that time, in
place of Mr.. Solace.
The College then filled said va
cancy by the election of Mr.. SOllact,
by a unanimous vote. lie was then
notified and came in and took the
oath of Office as the other electors
had previously done.
The meeting was then adjourned
to Wednesday morning for the east
ing of the electoral votes for Prrsl.
dent and Vice President of the U,
States as provided by the Constitu
lion and the laws.
On "Wednesday tho College met at
the State uouse according to adj
journInent and proceeded at once Ia
cast their votes Tor President. Al
this time Mr.. Aldrich, one Of the
Democratic candidates for electO,.
appeared and through his counsel.
Mr.. Fisk of Mortified, claimed the
right to be recognized as Il member
of the Electoral College, and pro
tested against MIR. Solace being al
lowed to vote as an elector. As
Mr.. Fisk seemed to be about to
make extended remarks, Col. Farm
ham objected to the time Of the
electors being taken up by parties
outside of their number, as they
were there for specific purpose
which it was their duty to perform.
The votes were then taken tor Pres.
ident and Vice President and the
i've electoral votes We're declared to
be cast for Rutherford b. Hayes OF
Ohio for President and for William
A. Wheeler OF New York as Vice
President. Mr.. AI.llich offered !;
vO.e for Tilden rs President and
for uenrickS as Vice President, but
they were not received. The cleo
lo!s appointed Hon. George Mich
oils rs their messenger to convey d
certificate of their doings 10 the
President of the Senate of the Uni
ted States as required by law and
then adjourned sine die.
1t was rnmOred that Mr.. Aldricll
remained and organized II meeting
Ivy electing himself chairman, sec.
rotary and messenger of his clecto,
raj vote to Washington.
The papers sent to the President
of tie Uni,ed StotcS Senate are the
certificate of Governor Fairbanks
that MesSrs. Estey, i'oughton, Sol.
lace, FaInham and Welch were du-
~ elected Electors Nov. 9TH last II
certified copy of 'he Vermont Stat.
ute providing for filing IL vacancy
in the Electoral College the certiti-
cate of the four Electors who met
on Tuesday setting out the fact OF
IA vacancy and the cause of it and
how it was filled; certificate OF
the vote of the Electors tor preSi-
dent and a similar certificate of thu.
wore for Vice President, the last two
certificate being signed by all five
Of the electors.
The certificate of the four electors
as to the cause Of the vacancy is us
follows:
The undersigned. four of abe Electors for
the state of Vermont OF President and Vice
President of the United States. certify that
having. according to the laws of Vermont. as
semhled at the State House in Montpelier in
said State on this 5tli day of December, A.
D 1877 G. being the day before the first We'd
,esday in December aud having duly taken
the oath of office as such eleatnrs. it was
made to appear before us that Henry N. Sol
lace, who was one of the five persons who AZ
the election for electors of President and Vice
Presidents of the Uni'ed States holden for
Vermont on the 9TH day of Noye,ber A. ID.
1876. received the greatest member of votes as
such electOr and had been therefore declared
duly elected was M The date of said election
Post Master at Biidpoi. in said State, but
that he afterwards resigned said office OF
Post Master and such his resi- ynatiou was duly
accepted and that he now holls no office OF
trust or profit under the United States, and
50 is now eligible as such elector, and the said
Sullace also communicated to us his refusal
to act as elector hy virtue solely Of such his
appointment and neglected to attend. by
means of all wmth one vacancy was OCCASION
ed and did exist in this Electoral College
u hrleiIe. he unde. signed being the other
four Gle ctOIs present. in pursuance utthe laws
of the United States and of the State OF
Vermont. did OH the same occasion proceed
10 ill the cancy, occasion cd lis aforesaid
and then existing, by Appointing b., RIGA uOce
and unanimous vote. lleIry n. SJlace an elec
TOR, so that said Electoral College might be
iul and complete: and we state and certify
the foregoing rs required by a statute of the
state OF Vermont, u uuly authenticated copy
whereof is herewith annexed. as showing how