The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1877-01-18
THE JOINT COMMITTEE.


The senate and Han.r Committees APpslnI.
cd 60 Causiderthv Presidential ttarstion.
Fourteen mon now have the important
question before them of reporting "a plan
for tho settlement of the Presidential
problem. seven Republicans, Senators
Elmunds. Morton, Frrnnghuyscn and
Logan, and Congressman McCrary, Hoar
and Willard, and seven Democrats, Senn-
tors Thurman, Bayard and Ransom, and
Congressman Payne, Hmtnn, Hewitt
and Springer. They have from now
until the fourteenth of February to de
hbvute and agree upon measure, Ion II
is not until then that the vote is count
cd, and il is probable that the two
houses will accept any " method of eX-
amming the votes uu which the com
mittee may agree, On the whole, the
committee is thought 10 have been well
selected. Members uf both sides are
sound lawyers, capable of sitting and
naturally respecting precedents, ami Who
are likely a. be guided 10 conclusion
by what they shall find, on a careful IN
yrsugution If the manner IN which this
question has been treated and regarded
IN Congress from the beginning, 10 he the
proper way of counting the votes,
Senator Morton has probably exam
iued the matter more carefully than any
other member If the present JOINT com
mittee. lie has beeu for several years
drsiruus of constitutional amendment
changing the method uf clcctlng the
President and Ia the debates uu his
amendment and uu the blll which, al the
last session. passed the Senate 10 take
the place 81 the twenty second JOINT rule,
ht took f. very prominent part. That
biu, under his leadership, received the
support ~ almost every Republican in
the Senate and uf some Democrats, In
the course of the debate. which lnsted
many dsys, Mr. Morton lAli down two
important points as beyond controversy.
As to the powers Of the Nlce-Presldent
hy said,
81 aa not accept the suggestion that
the Vice President # the United Statca
has ANYTHING more to do Ia the business
uf counting the votes for President and
Vice President than that specific duty
which is prescribed Tor aud euloinrd
upon him by the Constitution. That
duty is. iu the presence f lIe Senate
and House uf Representative, 30 open
the certificate. fhere being NO other
duty assigned e. him / infer, naturally,
that be is to du nothing more.
In regard T. the decision where two
sets uf electoral returns come up from a
State hc thus explained the effect Jt a
section in hls own hill.
The effect II this section Is t1 deter
mime which stt II electoral returns ls a.
hc counted, and il the two houses do not
agree neither Fet Is a. be- counted; and
again. the vote goes ont The State has
40 vote because, unless there is some
tribunal tn settle which vote shall be
counted. yau cannot count both, and,
therefore. you cannot count either. You
must have some tribunal o. settle that
difficulty: and what trihuuA ~ safer
than lc two hauses ~ Congress p
OF senator Edmund opinions less II
known. He and Mr.. Freliughuyrcn
have favored "a submission Of disputed
questions % the supreme court. but this
could u1t br dome without Cunsutu-
tiuual amendment for which no one is
now inclined.
Senators Thurman, Frelinghuy7en and
Logan voted far Mr.. Martuu's hill last
session nui are TINS committed 90 Mr.
Moriuns views as above expressed
Senators Bayuri. Eimunds and Ransom
yu,rd aguinsi IL. but they are known to
have leau uf late r,-eNamiuiug the sub
lcct and may see caise o. come g. DIFF
iyrcnt conclusion.
or the representative en- the JOINT
committee Mr.. McCrary has probably
given Oh, most careful attention tn the
question. lie ls tho author Of standard
treatise un the law Il elections. and II a
sound aAd paiustakiug lawyer. Mr.
Willard also q Republican, IS MEM
beer II ,hc silver commission. Mr.. Geo.
T. H1ar IB learned lawyer O, the
Democrats on the committee Mr. Payne
IA n banker, Mr. Hewitt n manufacturer,
Mcssrs. Hnutou aud Springer LAWYERS
IL is not yet known whether the two
committees Will work together o. first
They will at any rate frequently confer,
and they have Senator Murions old bin
10 work on. They viii probably not be
content without c1'nplct" investigation
uf al the proccdcuts since the ioundn-
ton of the government upon the olcctor-
al count and an examination ui what
has been held upon the powers of the
Vice-Prcadent and the two houses in
the somewhat numerous debates IN
which TINS question las come up.--iisr-
gTy