Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1877-01-23

sion of said five justices shall be the
preside of said commission, The
members of said commission shall re-
spectively take and subscribe the fol
lowing oath;
II, --, do solemnly swear Tor
affirm as the case maysbe) that ] will
impartially examine and consider all
questions submitted to the commission
Of which l am member, and true
judgment given thereon agreea-
bly, to TIE Constitution and the laws
So help me Godn Which oath shall
be filed with the Secretary of the Sen
ate. When the commission shall have
been thus organized it shall not be in
! the power of either house to dissolve
| the same or to withdraw any of its
members; but if such senator or MEM
Der shall die or become physically un-
able to perform the duties required by
/ this act, the fact of such death or
| physical inability shall be by said com
! mission, before it shall proceed fur
/ Their, communicated to the Senate or
| House of Representatives, as the case
| may be, which body shall Immediate
| " and without debate proceed by UiUd
UOce to fill the place so vacated, and
! the person so appointed shall take and
subscribe the oath herenbefore pre-
| scribed and become a member of said
| commission ; ard in like manner, If
any of said justices of the Supreme
! Court shall die or become physically
| incapable of performing the duties re-
quired by this act, the other of said
! justCes, members Of the commission,
shall Immediately appoint another
| Justice of said court a member of said
commission and in such appoint
ments regard shall be had to the i'm
partially aud freedom from bias
sought by the original appointments
of said commission, who shall there
upon Immediately take and subcrbe
the oath hereinbefOre prescribed and
become q member of said commission
to fill the vacancy so Occasioned, All
the certificates and papers purporting
to be certificates of the electoral votes
of each State shall be opened in the
alphabetical order of the States, as
provided in section one of this act,
and when there shall be more than
one such certificate or paper from such
State it shall so be opened, excepting
duplicates Of the same return. They
shall be read by the tellers, and there
upon the President Of the Senate shall
call for objections, if any. Every OBJ
lection shall be made in writing and
shall state clearly and cOncisely and
without argument the ground thereof,
and shall be signed by at least one
Senator and one member of the House
of Representatives before the same
shall be received. When all such OBJ
jections so made to any certificate
vote, or paper from q State shall have
been received and read, all such certif-
icates, votes, or papers so objected to,
and all papers accompanying the same,
!, together with such objections shall be
forthwith submitted TO said commits
sion, which shall proceed to consider
the same with the same powers. II
any, now possessed for that purpose by
the two houses acting separately or to-
gether, and by a majority of votes de-
, eide whether any and what votes from
, such State are the votes provided for
by the Constitution of the United
States, and how many and what per-
sons were duly appointed electors in
such State, and may therein take into
! view such petitions, dispositions, and
f other papers, if any, that shall by the
, Constitution and now existing law be
competent and pertinent in such con-
siderati0ns, which decision shall be
made in writing, stating briefly the
l ground thereof, and signed by the
therein, whereupon the two houses
, shall again meet and such decision
shall be read and entered in the jour.
nal of each house, and counting eff the
votes shall proceed in conformity
: Herewith unless, upon objection made
= thereto in writing by at least five Sen
+, ators and five members of the House
of Representatives, the two houses
: shall separately concur in ordering
! otherwise, in which case such concur
:, rent order shall govern, No votes OF
papers from any other State shall bC
acted upon until the objections previ-
: ously made to the votes or papers from
: any State shall have been finally dis
!. posed of.
! Section 3. That while the two houses
: shall be in meeting, as provided in the
9 act, no debate shall be allowed and NJ
. question shall be put by the presiding
= officer except to either house on mo
q ton to withdraw, and he shall have
3 no power to preserve order.
4 Section 4. That when the two houses
: separate to decide upon an objection
. that may have been made to the
! counting OF any electoral vote or vote
9 from any State. or upon objection to 6
3 report of said commission or Other
= questions arising under this act, each
- Senator and representative may speak
= to such objection or question ten min,
. utes, and not oftener than once. But
after such debate shall have lasted two
-. hours it shall be the duty of each
; house to put the main question with
! out further debate.
= Section 5. That at such Joint meet
y ing of the two houses seats shall be
: provided as follows For the President
Z of the Senate, the Speakers chair
= for the Speaker, Immediately upon
: the left the Senators, in the body Of
: the hall, upon the right of the presi.
: ding officers for the Representa-
g tives, in the body of the hall not pro,
3 vided for the Senators !, for the tellers
u secretary of the Senate, and clerk ot
= the House Of Representatives, at the
: clerks desk !; for the other officers OF
: the two houses, in front of the clerks
. desk and upon each side of the Speak
: er's platform. Such joint meeting
. shall not be dissolved until the count
: of the electoral vote shall be completed
and tho result declared, and no recess
shall be taken unless a question shall
. have arisen i'm regard to counting any
i such votes or otherwise under this act
. In which case it shall be competent fol
either house acting separately in the
manner hereinbefore provided to di-
= rect a recess of such house not beyond
! the next day, Sunday excepted, at the