The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1877-01-18
The Joint Committee
on the Electoral
Count Agree!
A BILL REPORTED WHICH BIDS
FAIR 70 SATISFY ALL.

| WASHINGTON, Jan. lS,-SENATE, -
Mr., Jones, of Florida, presented the pc
tition of the Democratic presidential cleo
tors claiming to have been legally elected
and asking that the vote cast by them be
counted. On motion of Mr. Jones the Pc
titon was tabled until next week,
Mr.. Edmunds, from the special Joint cleo
toral committee, reported in writing, ac
companying the report with a bill, ex
pressing qualification that all members Of
both committees had signed the report
with one exception. The committee
would desire to take the bill up by Sat
urday or Monday at the furtherest, bellev
ing their recommendation was not COM
prlmise, but measure of justice in aid OF
constitutional government which would
command respect aud which surrendered
nobody's right. The following is the bill
accompanying the report presented by
Mr. Edmunds:
A bill to provide for and regulate the
counting Of votes for president and
vice president, aud decision Of questions
arising therein, for the term commencing
March 4th, A. d., 1877.
Be it enacted, that the senate and house
Of representatives shall meet in the hall of
the house OF representatives, at the hour
OF 10 O'clock post meridian, on the first
} thursday in February, A. d., 1877, md
the president of the senate shall be the
presiding officer. Two tellers shall be
previously appointed on the part of the
senate and two on the part of the house oi
representatives to whom shall be handed
as they are opened by the president of the
senate, all certificates and papers pur
porting to be certificates of electora
votes, which certificates and papers shal
be opened, presented and acted upon il
the lphabetical order of states, beginnlns
with A of said letters. Having then reaC
the same IN the presence and hearing O
the two houses shall make a list of vote
as they shall appear from said certificate
and the votes having been ascertained ant
, counted, as In this act provided, the rcsul
of the same shall be delivered to the pres
ident of the senate, who, thereupon, shaI
announce the state of the vote and th
= names OF the persons, if any, elected
which announcement shall be deemed
sufficient declaration of the persons electe
q. president and vice president OF the Unite
L. States, and. together with list of th
al votes, shall be entered on the journals OF th
fr two houses.
Upon such reading 0f any such certit
cate or paper where there shall be nnl
to one return from a state, the president
ng the senate shall call for objections, if an,
y: 5E Every objection shall be made
R. writing, and shall state clearly and col
IN cisely and without argument the grour
nrss thereof, and shall be signed by at least OF
al senator and one member of the house
al representatives before the same shall
r. received. When all objections so made
any vote or paper from h state shall ha
been received and read, the senate sh;
". thereupon withdraw and such objectio
shall be submitted to the senate for
~ decision, and the speaker of the house
representatives shall, in ike manner, su
It's, NIT such objections to the house Of repI
/. sentatives Tor its decision, and 30 electol
vote or votes from any state from whl
'ss but one return has been received shall
rejected, except by the affirmative vote
tae two houses. When the two hons
have voted they shall Immediately ag;
= meet, aud the presiding officer shall tn
u announce the decision Of the question ST
mitted.
SEC. ?. That If more than one retu
sts or paper purporting to be return tr0u
state shall have been received by the pr
. ident OF the senate, rurpOrtlng to bc c
tiicates Of electoral votes given at
4 -ito to last preceding election for president L
the vice president in such state. unless Il
las shall be duplicates of the same return,
USs such returns and papers shall be opei
RE- hv him In the presence Of the two hous
when net as aforesaid, and read by
telIers, and all such returns and papers 81
~ thereupon be submitted 10 Judgment
ard decision as to which is the true and Law
electoral vote of such state.
The commission shall be constituted
heir follows, viz: During the session Of e
Tss lrss house, Oh the Tuesday next proceeding
New first Thursday in February, 1877, e
;. house shall, by gjUd U0ce vote, appt
n ~ FIVE of its mem bers, who, with five al
ciate justices of the supreme court Of
United States, to be ascertained as her
after provided, shall constitute the C
80 mission for the decision of all quest
S., unoo or in respect Of such double retu
-oted named 10 this section.
On the Tuesday next preceding the
'4, Thursday in February, 1877, or as {
ed TO thereafter as may be. the associate just
e be of the supreme court of the United st
ctufe now assigned to the first, third, eie
LY. and ninth circuits. shall select in
rders manner as majority of,them shall d
ormi fit another of the associate just
of said court which five per
Wis Shull be members of said commission
- the person longest in commission of
ss.5 5 Justices shall be president Of the
s;lss.i mission. The members of said com
~ sion shall, respectively, take and
ssssse. scribe the following oath, Il (btank
soemnly swear Tor affirm as the case
, fSS e. u bel that | will impa-tially examine
eases. consider all questions submitted to
'dVloA commission of which / am a member
MI true judgement give thereon aG
drug Amy ~ '19 'ona:liu'iou Guu III 80
with the secretary of the senate. Y
a the commission shall have been thus
AsE'S ganized it shall not be in the pow,
ss1 either house to dissolve the same c
64A3 withdraw any of its members but ii
such senator or member shall die ol
aoassa latlca come physically unable to perform
action. duties required by this act, the ia
advice such death:or physical disability sha
sMY by said commission, before 1t shall
leeed further, communicated to the S
: OiO or house of representatives, as the
=I may be, which body shall im
lately. without denial, proceed,
viva Uoce vote, to fill the
lIIIII SO vacated and the person so appC
shall lake and subscribe the oath d
CHAM before prescribed and BECOME me
vaatlIs nahG of said commission and in like mani
any ad- apy of said justices of the supreme
itorials shall die or become physically incaap
I ding GOT of performing the duties required by th
e Stock the other of SAID justices, members {
90 are ,o,,, ,,,;ooiop shall Immediately a.