New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-01-19
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Representatives before the same shall be
received. When al such objections 90
made to any certificate, v0te or paper from
. State shall have been received and read,
such certificate, votes and papers so OBJ
jected to, and all papers accompanying
the same, together with such objections,
shall be forthwith submitted to the said
commission which shall proceed to consider
the same with the same powers, If any, now
passed for that purpose by the two houses,
acting separately or together, and by ma
jOrity of votes decide whether any and Whas
votes from such States are the votes pro.
vided for by the constitution of the United
States, aud how many and what persons
were thus appointed electors in such State,
and may therein take into view such per-
sons dispositions and other papers, If any,
rs shall by the constitution and now exist
ing law be competent and pertinent IN SUCH
consideration, which decision shall be made
In writing, stating briefly the ground there
Of, and signed by the members OF said com
mission agreeing therein, wheupon the two
houses shall again meet, and sHch
decision shall be read and entered
In the journal of each house, and the count
ing of the votes shall proceed in conformity
Herewith, unless upon objection made
thereto in writing by at least i've Senators
and five members of the House of Repre-
sentalives. The two houses shall sep
aIately concur in ordering otherwise, in
which case such concurrent order shall
govern. No votes or papers from any other
State shall be acted upon until the objec'
tiOns previously made to the votes or papers
from any State shall have been finally dis
posed of.
Sec. g. That while the two houses shall
be in meeting as provided in this act no
debate shall DC allowed and no question
shall be put by the presiding officer, except
to either house on motion to withdraw, and
he she'll have power to preserve order.
SEC. 4. That when the two houses Sc
parate to decide upon an objection that
may have been made to the counting Of any
electoral vote or votes from any State, or
upon any objection to report of said COM
mission or other question arising under
this act, each Senator and Representative
may speak to such objection or question,
ten minutes 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 without further
debate.
SEC 5 That at such joint meeting of the
two houses, seats shall be provided as fol-
lowe; For the President of the Senate, the
Speakers chair; the Speaker Immediately
upon his left; the Senators in the body Of
the hall upon the right of the presiding
officer; the Representatives in the body of
the hall not provided for the Senators; the
tellere, Secretary of the Senate and Clerk Of
the House of Representatives, at the
Clerks desk; the other officers Of the two
houses in front of the Clerks desk and
upon each side of the Speakers platform.
Such Joint meeting shall not be dissOl Ved
until the count of the electoral votes shall
be completed and the result declared; and
no recess shall be taken, unless q question
ahall have arisen in regard to the counting
of any such votes or otherwise under this
act, in which case it shall be competent for
hnnnn aannRoEalu
manner hereinbefore provided, to restrict
. recess of such house not beyond the next
day, Sunday excepted, at the hour of ten
O'Clock in the forenoon, and while any
question is being considered by said COM
mission, either house may proceed with its
Legislative or other business.
SEC. 8. That nothing in this act shall be
held to impair or affect any right now exist
ing under the constitution aud laws to ques-
tiOn by proceeding in the judicial courts of
the United States the right or title of the
person who shall be declared elected, or
who shall claim to be President or Vice
President of the United States, if any such
right exists.
Sec z. That said commission shall make
its own rules, keep q record of its proceed
ings, and shall have poWe 70 employ such
persons as may be necessary for the trans
action Of its business and the execution OF
its power.
Mr.. Edmunds, the chairman of that COM
mittee, said-I am directed. Mr. President,
by the select committee raised under the
resolution of the Senate, on the subject Of
the counting of the electoral vote, to sub,
init report in writing, with an accompany
ing bill. The report is signed, am happy
TO say, by all the members of both com
mittees, it being a report, in form joint aud
several, to the two houses, with one exeep-
ton. And all that wish to say on this
occasion, after stating that we shall desire
TO take it mp at the earliest pos
sible day, as time lie running very
fast, possibly, and hope indeed, on
Saturday, the day after tomorrow, but GER
tainly on Monday, to press determination
In some form steadily from that time forth.
only wish to say in addition that the COM
mittee are of the opinion that the measure
we recommend is not what Is called COM
promise in any sense of the term, but is
measure of justice in aid of the exercise OF
constitutional government, and that in no
sense of the term will anybody have q iast
right to say that anybody's opinions or
views have been surrendered in any sub
stantial respect. It is not q measure of pol
Icy or continuance, but . measure Of con.
stitutiOnal justice for the preservation of
the peace and order Of the government
1t was ordered printed, read second time
and placed on the calendar.
Adjourned.