The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-01-03

seome,,t amendment, offered on Mnrch sd,
Ia The effect TINT each house should by bal
lot select six members Of the Joint commit
ten sros,, twer,ty-9our members chosen In
each hoIise l,y lot, was also rejected by 9
vote AZ yeas and "a nays. The bill % hrst
reportad proyitisd that any electoral vote
might be rejected By anal fity of the ?oins
committee An amend ment that asuch re-
iection shall be founded on; a concurrence
OF two thirds Of the conimitte = W as: mega,
tiyed on the Sd Of March by 1.-THE vote OF IN
yeas and 10 nays. . $500 Z s. -
ss &, DEBATE m THE SENATE. 81 ~
4 On the 18th OF March q motion was made
m the Senate 10 strike out the first ten sec
tionsrof the pending bill, and to substitute
FOR them preamble and resolution declar-
ing that il was q g reasonable inference"
from the terms Of the Constitution, and that
it was according 70 the practice Of Congress
that electoral votes for President and Vice
President OF the United States SHOULD be
counted by the members composing both
houses0; and hence, in lieu Of the joint
committee proposed to be raised under the
bending bill, with its elaborate apparatus
for examining into the legality OF the cleo.
toral votes, this amendment proposed that
all disputed questions with regard to the
constitutionality of any electoral vote
should be decided without debate by
the members Of both houses present at the
counting OF the electoral votes. A division
of the question being called for on TINS
amendment vote was reserved, to be taken
on the motion to strike out the first ten sec
tions of the pending bill; and in the mean
time motion was made to strike out so
much of section l as authorized the grand
committee g finally to decide the ques-
tions submitted to them, and proposing that
the committee should simply enquire into
and report upon y the said questions. The
motion was negatived- II nays, IL.
The seventh section OF the bill, which Tor
mally articulated the precise questions upon
which the joint committee was empowered
to decide, and which provided that mo
petition or exception shall be granteo
or allowed by the grand committee, when
shall have for its object to draw into ques-
tion the number of votes on which any
elector in any of the States shall have been
declared appointed" was, on motion,
stricken out by a vote of yeas Is and nays
-, the friends Of the bill voting in the
affirmative. AS the first section OF the blu
provided that the decision Of the joint COM
mittee should be final in regard to all ques-
tions submitted TO it, the effect Of striking
out this seventh section was simply to re-
move certain limitations put by it on the
power Of the committee.
The question subsequently recurring on
the motion to strike out the whole body OF
the bill, and to substitute for it the pream-
BILE and resolution offered on the 18th OF
March, that question was decided in the
negative on March 27th-yeas, 10; nays,
Is.
In the mean time, though at what stage OF
the proceedings is not clear from the an
nails of Congress, it is known that the pro-
posed craftsmanship Of the grand commit
tee was changed from the Chief Justice or
or senior Justice Of the Supreme Court to
a senator, elected as follows: The Senate,
Immediately after the choice of the six
members who should compose the grand
committee on its part, was required also to
nominate by ballot three of its members,
and transmit their names to the House Of
Representatives which body, by ballot.
was left to choose one Of these three SEN
ators as the chairman Of the grand commit
tee. The theory of this provision is obyi-
Gus. It gave to the Senate, in the person
of the chairman, one majority in the grand
committee, but as that chairman was chosen
by the House of Representatives, on the
nomination of the Senate, it was hoped that
the House would find in this recognition OF
it's coequai authority sufficient compensa-
ton for being left in minority in the Joint
committee.
The bill was put upon its passage in the
Senate on the 18th Of March, 1900, when
Mr.. Charles Pinckney, Of South Carolina,
made an elaborate argument against the ne
cessity, expediency, and constitutionality
of the measure. At the close OF his speech
the bill was passed by vote OF yeas 16,
nays 12-all those voting in the affirmative
being Federalists, and all those voting in
the negative being Republicans Democrats)
except two-Mr. Livermore, OF New Hamp-
shire, and MIR. Humphrey Marshall, of Ken
tucky-who probably voted against the bill
because it was not strong enough to suit
Them The bill as it passed the Senate was
essentially as follows:
SECTION 1 provided that on the day be-
fore the second "Wednesday III February
next following the day when q President
and Vice-President OF the United States
shall have been voted for by electors it
shall he the duty OF the Senate and House
of REPRESENTATIVES Of the United States to
choose, by ballot, in each house,esix men,
bers thereof. The Senate, Immediately af-
ter this choice. shall nominate, by ballot,
three of it's members, and transmit their
names to the House Of Representatives,
who shall, by ballot, choose one OF the three;
and the thirteen persons thus chosen shall
form q grand committee, and shall have
power to examine and finally to decide all
disputes relative to the election OF President
and Vice-President Of the United States;
provided always that no person shall be
capable of serving on this committee who
shall be one of the five highest candidates
out of whom President Of the United
States may be chosen by the House OF Rep
resentatives in case no person should be
found to have majority of the whole num-
Der of the votes OF the electors appointed by
the different States. 's'-f''
SECTION 9 provides for the appointment
of two tetlers by each house to note the
dates Of the certificates, names Of electors, &c.
SECTION 3.provldes that the certificates,
notes Of the tellers; and all exceptions and
petitions against any vote, shall be submit
ted to the members Of the grand committee,
after they shall have. been sworn to by the
president of the Senate, to examine impair
TALLY the votes given by the electors.
SECTION 4 provides that the senator chosen
by the House of Representatives, on nomi-
nation of the Senate, shall act as chairman
of the grind committee, and provides for
filling vacancies in the said committee.
SECTION gives power to the grand COM
mittee to send for persons and papers while
making their examination. Ed, .asfp,.
SECTION 6 places the marshals Of the sew
eral districts of the United, States lat the
command Of the grand committee in1sunl-
moning witnesses. zs.'t .;a.'Ia So. !.
SECTION q authorizes the grand committee
to appoir,t clerk, and directs that a Jour
mil OF all its proceedings shall be filed with
tha committees final report. ~