Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-01-23
$tauntott Spectator.
TUESDAY, JANUARY %. 1877.
The Bill for the Electoral Count.

TUESDAY, JANUARY %, 1877.
The Bill for the Electoral Count.
The compromise bill was reported last
Thursday. Its points, as condensed by
The State, are as follows: The joint ses-
sion to meet in the hall of the House, the
Senate's President presiding. Tellers to
be appointed, to whom the President
shall hand the votes to be counted, the
certificates having been opened by him
the tellers to read the lists in presence OF
the houses and deliver the result to the
President of the Senate, who shall an
nounce the vote and the name of the
persons elected, if any be so. In case OF
a single return from State, objections
shall be called for and if any are made,
signed by at least one member OF both
houses, shall be read and all such being
received, the houses shall consider them,
the Senate returning to its own hall, and
no such single return shall be thrown
out except by the affirmative vote of both
houses. When more than one return
purporting to be the true return shall
come from State, all such returns and
the papers touching the same shall be
opened by the presiding officer in pre-
sence Of the two houses, and read by the
tellers, and shall thereupon be submit
ted ITO the judgment and decision as to
which is the true and lawful electoral
vote of such Staten of commission
said commission to be chosen on the
Tuesday next preceding the fourth
Thursday in February next, five mem
bers of each house, elected by uioa 0oce,
the ten to be associated with five justices
of the Supreme Court Judges Clifford,
Strong, Miller and Field being named,
and these directed to choose fifth men,
Der from their bench.) To this commits
sion of fifteen all certificates, or returns
or papers purporting to be returns from
States having more than one such certifi-
cate or return, shall be submitted, to-
gether with all papers touching such re-
turns, and the objections made to said
returns or certificates, as aforesaid (sec
ton ~ in the joint convention.
The said commissioners shall proceed
to consider the same with the same pow.
ers, if any, now possessed for that pnr.
pose by the two houses, acting separate
~ or together, and by a majority of votes
decide 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 persons were
duly appointed electors in such State
and may thereon take into view such
petitions, dispositions, and others papers
If any, as shall by The Constitution and
now existing law be competent and per
tinent in such consideration which
decision shall be made in writing, stat.
ing briefly the ground thereof, and sign.
ed by the members Of the commission
houses shall again meet, and such deci
sion shall be read and entered in th;
journal of each house, and the counting
of the votes shall proceed in conformity
Herewith, unless upon objection thereto
in writing by at least five senators ant
five members of the House of Represen
tatives the two houses shall separated,
concurin ordering otherwise, in which
case such concurrent order shall govern
No votes or papers from any other Stat
shall be acted upon until the objection
previously made to the votes OR paper
from any State shall have been fnall,
disposed of.
In the joint convention the presidil:
officer shall have no power to put any,
question except, to either house, mo
ton to withdraw, nor shall any debat
be allowed. In separating to decide Oh
an objection to a vote the two house
shall ALLOW speakers ten minutes eacl
in debate, and shall order the maiI
question to be put so soon as debate shall
have lasted two hours.
Such is the gist of the report signed b,
all the members of the Joint committe
except one.
The indications are that it will be q
Esdopted and that it will settle before til
: 4th of March all the vexed question
which affiict the country.
While there may be doubt as to til
power of Congress to delegate its duties
there can be none of its right to tax
advice, and in the section of which W,
quote the words of the bill, the house.
reserve the power, by a "concurren
vote" Of both, to refuse to adopt the re
Communications of the reference tribu
nal.
LUTHERAN CHURCH IN WINCHEs