Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-01-24
The Conference Bill.

Mr. Edmunds:
A bill to provide for and regulate
be counting of votes for President and
Vice President, and the decision of the
questions arising thereon for the term
commencing March 4. A. D. 1877.
Be it enacted by The Senate and House of
Representatives Of the United States of Amer
icd, assembled:
That the Senate and House of Rep
resentatives shall assemble at the hour
OF 10 o'clock, post meridian on the
first Thursday in February, A. D. 1877
and the President of the Senate shall
be the presiding officer; two tellers
shall be previously appointed on the
part OF the Senate aud two on the part
of the House of Representatives, to
whom shall be handed, as they are
opened by the President of the Senate,
all the certificates and papers purport-
H.. to be certificates of electoral votes,
which certificates and papers shall be
opened, presented and acted upon in
alphabetical order of States, beginning
with "A" and said letters. Having
then read the same in the presence and
hearing of the two houses, they shall
make list of the votes as they shall
appear from said certificates, and the
votes having been ascertained aud
counted, as in this act provided, the
result shall be delivered to the Presi-
dent of the Senate, who shall there
upon announce the state of the vote,
and the names of persons, it any,
elected. which announcement shall be
deemed sufficient declaration Of the
person elected President of the United
States, and together with list of votes
be entered on the journals of tho two
houses. Upon such reading of any
such certificate on the paper, when
there shall be onl y one return from
State, the President of the Senate shall
call for objections, if any; every OBJ
lection shall be made more concisely
and without argument, with the ground
thereof, and shall be signed b. at least
one Senator and one member of the
House of Representatives before the
same shall be received When all OBJ
jecticns so made to any vote or paper
from State shall have been received
and read, the Senate shall thereupon
withdraw, and such objections shall Do
submitted to the Senate for its decis-
ion, and the Speaker of the House of
Representatives shall in like manner
submit such objections to the House of
Representatives for its decision, and no
electoral vote or votes from any State
from which but one return has been
received shall be objected to, except by
an affirmative vote of the two houses
W hea the two houses have voted they
shalt immediately again meet, and the
presiding officer shall then announce
the decision ct the question submitted
Section 2. That if more than one
return or paper purporting to be re.
turned from State shall have been
received by the President of the SEN
etc, purporting to be certificate of
the electoral votes given at the last
preceding election for President aud
Vice President ia such State unless
they shall be duplicates of the same
return, all such returns and papers
shall be opened by him in the presence
Of the two houses, when met as afore.
said, and read by the tellers; and all
such returns and papers shall there
upon be submitted to their judgment
and decision Is to which is the true
and lawful electoral vote of such State
OF 3 commission constituted as follows,
namely: During the session of such
House on Tuesday next preceding the
hrst Thursday in Februry, 1877, each
house shall, by viva vces vote, appoint
five of its members, who, with FIVE as
sociate justices of the Supreme Court
OF the United States. to be ascertained
as hereinafter provided, shall oonsti-
tute commission for the decision of
all questions upon or in respect of such
double returns named in this section.
On Tuesday next preceding the first
Thursday in February, A. D. 1877, or
as soon thereafter as may be, the as
sociate justices of the Supreme Court
of the United States, now assigned to
the first, third, eighth and ninth cir
cults shall select in such manner as a
ajority Of them shall deem fit, another
OF the associate justices Of said court,
which i've persons shall be members
OF said commission, and the person
longest In commission Of said five JUS
tees shall be presidents of said COM
mission. Members OF said commission
shall respectively take and subscribe
the following oath:
- do solemnly swear or affirm
las the case may be- that [ will i'm
partially examine and consider all ques-
tons submitted to the commission of
which [ am member, and true
judgment give thereon, agreeable to
the constitution and laws, SO help me
God"
" hich oath shall be filed with the
Secretary of the Senate. When it
shall have been thus organized, it shall