The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1877-01-29
Counting the Votes fnr President
and Vice President.

The following bill was reported on
Thursday list by the joint committee
Of tho Senate and House Of Rcpresen!
,atiyss, providing for counting the
electoral vote Of the II menIbUrs
composing the committee, oil recon-
mendcd its passage except Senator
Morton. Tho bill will no doubt pass,
and will tend in n grco. measure to
aIlay the excitement growing out Of the
Presidential muddic.
a Bill to provide for and regulate the
counting of the votes for President
and Vice President aud the decision
Of questions arising thcrctl DIN, for
the term commencing March 4th,
Ammo Domiui 1877.
Be il enacted BY The .SaHtc and
House of Representatives. ct the United
States If Antcricd III Congress As
srmLled, That tho Senate aud House
Of Representatives shall meet in the
hall OF the House of Representatives ut
the hour Of l o'clock past meridian,
IN tho first Thursday in July, A. D,
1877, aud that the President Of the
Senate. shall be tho presiding officer,
Two te!lers shall be previously appOin.
It'd on part OF the Senate and two on
tho purt OF The House of Representa-.
tivCs, to whom shall be handed, as
they are opened by the President Of
| tho Senate, and the Certificates and pa
pcrs purPOrting to be certiIicat,sof the
electoral vote, Shich certificates and
papers shall be opened. presented und
acted upon in ALPHABETICAL order Of the
States. beginning with tho letter A,
and said teIIc7s, having then read the
same in the presence and hearing oil
tue two houses. shall make Il list Of the
votes ms they shalI appear from said
certificates, aud the vote having been
asccr.aincd and counted rs III this net
provided, tho result Of the sanie shall
DO delivered to tho President Of the
Seulte who shlll thereupon announce
tho state of The vote aad the names Of
The persons, il any. elected. which an.
nouneemcnt shall BE- dccn.cd sufficient
declaration Of the persons elected Pres.
ident and Vivc President Of tho United
States, and, together with list of the
woes, DO entered upon tue Journals Of
both houses. Upon such reading Of
any such certificate or paper, when
there shall be only ono return from u
State, the President Of the Senate shall
call for the objection, il there are any
Every objection shall DO made in wri.
ting and shall state clearly and con.
cisely, and without argument, the
ground for cbjcc,iug. and shaIl be
signed by at least one Seuutor aud one
mcmber Of the House of Representa-.
tiycs before the smile shall DO received.
When all objections so made to any
v3;e or pnper from the State shall have
been received aud read, the Senate
shall tbercupon withdraw. and such
objections shall DO submitted TO the
Senate Tor its decision, anu the Spea.
ker OF the House Of Representatives,
shall III like manner submit such Oh
jectioDs to the House of Representa-.
lives for its."dccision, and no electoral
vote w. votes from any State from
which but one return bus been recsiy-
cd shall DO objected to except by au
affirmative vote Of the two houses
When tho two houses have voted they
shall immediately again mset, aud the
presiding officer shall then announce
the decision Of the question submitted.
SEC. 2 That if more than Que return,
or paper purpOrting to be return frOul
Stutr, shall have been received by
the President Of the Senate, purpor.
ting to DO certificates Of electoral votes
given at the last proceeding election
Tor President and Vice President in
such StatO. unless they shall tie lupli-
Gates Of tho saIne returns, all such re.
turns aud papers shall be opened by
him in the presence Of the two houses
who met as Aforesaid, and be read by
the tcIlrrs, mud I'LL such returns aid pa.
pers shall lhcreupOn be submitted TO
tho judgement and decision, Us to which
| is tho true and lawful electoral vote o.
such State, Of u commission, constitu,
ted as follows, namely: During the
session of each House. on the Tuesday
next preceding the first Thursday in
February. 1877. Each House shall, by
viru rOce vote, appoint Eve Of its mem.
bcrs, who, with five associate justices
Of tho Supreme Court Of the United
States, to b. ascertaiuGd as hereinafter
provided, shall constitute q commission
Tor tho decision Of all questions upon,
or in respect Of such double return
named in this section. On the Tues.
day next proceeding the first Thursday
in February A. D. 1877, or Us soon
thereafter as may DO, tho associate Jus.
tees Of said Court, which five persons
shall be members of said commission
unI the person longest in commission
Of said i've Justices shall DO President
Of said commission shall respectfully
take and subscribe the following oath.
" T., do Solemnly swear or affirm,
US the case may be, that | will Impair
TALLY examine and consider all quss-
tons submitted to the commission OF
which | am a member, and true iudg.
meut given thereon agreeable to the
constitution and laws. So help me
Cod" Which oath shall 10 filed with
ths Secretary Of tho Senate. When
it'll Lao, I,H Nkp,