The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1877-01-26
The Electoral Vote.
REPORT OF TIE JOINT caMMrTTBs,
wAsurxdroN January 1s.

In their report, submitted with the bill, the
commHteo say they have applied the utmost
practicable study and deliberaton to the subject,
and believe that tho bill reported is the best at
tainable disposition of the difficult problems
and disputed theories arising out of the late
election. The! speak Of the difficulty of reach
ing conclusion, and they dealt with abstract
question only save so far rs they are necessarily
involved in the Legislation proposed. The report
implief that hDslattcn msy'be had on the Sub
sect in aecordance With the constitution, but the
committee think that the law proposed is moon
sstent with few principles and theories on the
smh'eet. The bill is only dir ected to ascertain
Hng, fof the purpose and in all of tho counting
what are the constitutional votes of tho respec-
tive States; and whatever jurisdiction exists for
such purpose, the bill only regulates the method
OF exercising il. For this the constitution gives
warrant, and therefore the law proposed is not
inconsistent with hat instrument. The commit
tee regard 1t of far greater moment that the will
of the people should bo legally carried out than
the question of who shall be president for pre-
srrbed term. They, therefore, enIeayored to
frame fair AMI impartial measure The leeis-
lature and the judiciary represented in the
tribunal in equal proportions. The composition
oil the judicisl part Of the commission looks to
selection from different parts of the rcpubic.-
WSte tits thought to be free from any prepon-
dcninee or supposable bins, aud the addition of
the necessary constituent parts of tho whole
in order to obtain an uneven number of the com
mission, is left to an agency farthest removed
ono, i. wouidbe difficult. If mot impossible the
committee think, to establish q tribunal that could
be less the subject of party criticism than such
one. The committee felt bound, by the highest
duty, to let no bias of party feeling stand in the
way OF n just. equal and peaceful measure fur
cxtrcating the question from the embarrnss
ments that at present surround it. The com
tnittee conclude follows:
Ky conclusion, we respectfully beg leave to
lmpresS upon congress the necessity OF speedy
lhot tinp 10 II 20
bic 10 es'i'cte the material loss the country dai
~ snsta,ns lroh.le existing state of uncertainty.
,ra1v1e Su,iueps au po"Sally tendstU unsS'e and
cra;i 10 creaS ,nUr ,USs~se en- Sanpo ana private
ihq people that listurb NE pea. Gnl tenor of
thcS ways and ma rlIeir hnppines, It does
1ar' hr more. 1t tnds to bring repubi-an in.
'stitutons into discrdit, and to create douD.. or
ahe success of our form of government and ur
1he prosperity of.ho republic. All considcra-
MS of interest, u patriotism and of Justice
] ma''e IN aemandinsbf the law. making power a
treasure that will bring peace and pros porty to
. o 'ouhtry. and show that our republican insti
'ohs are equal to any emergency. In this
connection We cannot refrain fron the xprcssion
oi our satisfaction that your committee compo.
tunately been able to do what has bccn attemptcd
IN Vap hcretofore-almost unanimously agree
upon pan considered by them oil 20 be just,
wise and elhcient. We accordingly recomm end
mcnt of Congress
Ihe report is signed by George F. Edmonds,
treuerick L. Frelinghuysen Roscoe Conkling
n: ". thurman, T. +. BayardS NJ. w. Ransom
9t the senate Committee; ~ u" Payne, Eppa
nuh'on, VIM Nj. Springer, George W. McCrary
George F. lIoar, George Willard of the House
committee.
TIE NEW BILL
hiil to provide for and regulate the count.
ing of votes for President and Vice-Prcsident
ana the decision of questions ari ing thereon
1877. > 80 -
De At enacted, &C., That the Senate and
Eousc OF Representatives shall meet in the hali
9i the mouse OF representatives, at the hour of
u NJ, on the first Thursday in February, A. D.
1877, and tho president of the senate shall be
their presiding officer Two eilers shall be pre-
yiousy appointed on the part of the senate and
Two OK the part of the house of representatives
to whom shall be handed, as they are opened by
the president Of the senate the certificates and
papers purportng to be certificates Of the cleo
torai votes, who, certificates and papers shall
be opened in the presence Of the two houses
and be acted upon in the alphabetical order of
the states, beginning with the letter y and said
tcllers, having then read the same IN the presence
and hearing of the two houses, shall make lis
OF the votes as they appear from the said certif-
Gates anl the votes having been ascertaincd and
counted, MS in this act provided, the result Of the
same shall be delivered to the president of the
the vote and the names of the persons, if any,
elected, which announcement shall be deemed o
sufficient declaration of the persons elected pres
ident and vice president of the United States
which, together with a list of the votes shall be
recorded in the journal of the two houses
Upon such reading of any s66o1l LIE or pa,
per, yhen there shall be only one return from
o6ectohs fY"aShsnt IF t!ls ssRatsi sAall
made in writing, and shall state clearly and con-
nisely, and without argument, the ground there
oil &nd shall be signed by at least one senator and
one member of the house of representatives be-
fore the same shall be received. When all OBJ
Jections so made TO any vote or paper from
state shall have been received and read tho seI- |
ate shall thereupon withdraw, and such obiec-
tons shall be submitted to the senate for its de-
c.sion, and tho speaker of the house of repre-
ssntatlves shall in like manner submit such oh |
lectlons to the house of representatives for its |
decision, and no electoral vote or votes from anv
STATE from which one return has been received
snail be rejected, except by the affirmative vote |
OF the two houses. When the two houses have
voted they shall Immediately again meet and
the presiding officer shall then announce the de-
cision Of the question submitted
SEC. = That if more than one return mr. M |
per purporting to be n return cro,n n state shall
have been received by the presidenh of Tho snn.
nte, rurporting to bethe certificates of ei.e,orol
votes given at the last preceding election for
president and vice prSa::ss11S.z--ILn," STATE nm
less iley shall e fsane rc5s.s.
alHypIch refJirus anyf3If6tfS ODcned by |