The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-01-19
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FILDEN ROB PRESIDENT -F HEELER FOB
j sslICE president Il
AN IMPORTANT MEASURE.

A Commission OF. Fifteen to Deal witt,
the Disputed Points.
Below VIII be found In full the bill re-
ported by, the Joint COMMITTEES for the ar
raneement OF the troublesome question OF
the electoral count.
In view of the great national interests at
stake, and the intense excitement through
out the country, this measure, " hlch aHoras
promise OF etfecting lair and satisfactory
settlement Of the threatening difficulty, may
be looked upon as perhaps the mostlmport-
ant paper ever. presented In the American
Congress. az !; -, :fY<.5 Lila ~
A Bill, to provide for and regulate the count
ing OF votes for President and Vfce-Presi-
dent. and the decision OF questions arising
thereon, for the term commencing March
- A. ID. 1877. ut saI2 = iaE1.t%.' =, .
Rel enacted, de-. That the Senate. and
House of Representatives shall meet In the
hall Of the House OF Representatives at the
hour o., O'Clock post meridian on the hrst
Thursday in February, a. DIST; and the
president of the Senate shall be their pre-
siding officer Two tellefs Shall De pre-
vjeusly appointed ION the part OF the
Senate, and two. on the part OF the House
of Representatives, to whom shall De
handed as they are opened by the president
Of the Senate all the certificates and papers
.purporting to be certificates OF the electoral
votes, which certificates and papers shall
be opened, presented, and acted upon IN
the alphabetical order of the States, begin
ming with the letter a; and said tellers,
having then read the same in the presence
and hearing of the two houses, shall make
a list of the votes as they shall appear from
the said certificates and the votes having
been ascertained and counted MS In ibis ACT
provided, the result Of the same shall
be delivered to the president OF the Senate,
who shall thereupon announce the state OF
the vote and the names OF the persons. II
INV. elected, which announcement shall be
deemed sufficient declaration Of the per-
sons elected President and Vice-President
of the United States, and together with
list OF the votes be entered on the Journals
Of the two houses. ~ :. ~.
i Upon such reading OF any such certificate
or PAPER, when there shall be only one re-
turn from State, the president Of the SEN
ate shall call for objections, If any. Every
objection shall be made in writing, and
shall state clearly and concsely and without
argument the ground thereof, and shall be
signed by at least one senator and one men,
Der OF the House:of Representatives before
the same shall be received:
When all objections SO made to any vote
or paper from State shall have been re-
ceiyed and read the Senate shall thereupon
Withdraw, and such objections shall be sub
mitted to the; Senate for it's decision f.; and
the Speaker OF the House Of Representa-
tiyes Shall in like manner submit such OBJ
sections 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 rejected
except by the affirmative vote OF the Two
houses. When the two houses have voted
they shall Immediately again meet, and the
presiding officer shall then announce the
decision OF the question submitted. ....,.
Section 9. That IL more than one return
or paper purporting to be return from a
State Shall have been received by the presi-
dent of the Senate, purporting to be the
certificates OF the electoral votes given Mt the
last preceding election Tor President and
Vice-President in such State (nnless they
be. duplicates Of the same returni, all such
returns and papers shall be opened by him
in the presence OF the two houses when met
as aforesaid, and read by the tellers; and all
such returns and papers shall thereupon be
submitted to the judgment and decision as
to which is the true and lawful electoral
vote Of such State Of commission constl-
tuted as follows-namely: :
During the session Of each house on the
Tuesday next preceding the first Thursday
in February; 1877, each house shall by Uiuo
,,oce vote APPOINT five Of its members, who,
with the five associate Justices OF the Su.
preme Court Of the United States to be as
certained as hereinafter provided, shall con.
stitute commission for the decision Of all
questions upon or in respect OF such
double returns named in this section.
On the Tuesday next preceding the
first Thursday in February, Ammo
Domini 1877, OF as soon thereafter as
NAV be, the associate justices OF the SUI.
.preme Court OF the United States, now as
signed to the First, Third, Eighth, and
Ninth circuits, shall select in such manner
as majority of them shall deem tit another
of the associate justices OF said court,
which five persons shall be members OF said
commission; and the person longest in COM
mission of said five justices shall be the
president Of said commission. The mem
bers of said commission shall, respectively,
take and subscribe the following oath:
az, - -, do solemnly swear (or
affirm, as the case may beg that I will i'm.
partially examine and consider all questions
submitted to the commission OF which am
member, and a true Judgment give there
on, agreeably to the Constitution and the
laws: so help me God": which oath shall
be filed with the secretary OF the Senate.
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 any
such senator or member shall die or become
physically unable to perform the duties re-
quired by this act the fact OF such death or
physical inability: shall be by said commits
sion, before it shall proceed further, COM
municated to the Senate or House OF Rep
resentatiyes, as the case may be, which
body. shall Immediately, and without de-
bate, proceed by vira voce vote to ill the
place so vacated, and the: person so ap.
pointed shall take and subscribe the oath
hereinbefore prescribed and become
member of said commission; and in like
mannerif amy Of said justices Of the Supreme
Court shall die, or become physically inca
pable Of performing the duties required by
this act, the other Of said justices, members
Of the said commission, shall immediately
appoint another justice OF said court MEM
Der OF said commission and in such appoint
ments regard; shall be had to the impair
TALLY and freedom from: bias sought by the
original appointments to said commission,
who shall thereupon Immediately take and
subscribe the oath herein before prescribed,
and become a member OF said commission
to fill the vacancy so oecasioned.G >: ats1
A ,fo n
to be certificates OF tho electoral votes OF
ianah c4nto al,nll ha oman nd an the alnha.