Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-01-25
COUNTING OF THE ELECTORAL VOTE.
Report Of the Joint Committee.

The report of the joint committee on count
ing the Electoral vote was submitted to both
Houses of Congress on Thursday last. The
committee were in session perfecting their re-
port at noon, when Congress met, and it was
after o'clock when Mr.. Edmunds, the chair
man of the Senate branch of the joint COM
mittee, and Mr.. Payne, the chairman of the
House branch, made their appearance in
their respective Houses with the report, as
signed by thirteen members of the commit
tee, Senator Morton alone dissenting
THE REPORT,
which is accompanied BY bill to carry into
effect the recommendations made, says that
the committee have applied the utmost prac.
ticable study and deliberation on the subject,
and believe that the bill reported is the best
attainable disposition of the difficult problems
and disputed theories arising out of the late
election. They speak of the difficulty of
reaching conclusion, and say they dealt with
no abstract questions, save so far as they are
necessarily involved in the legislation pro-
posed. The report implies that legislation
may be had on the subject in accordance with
the Constitution, and the committee think
that the law proposed is inconsistent with few
of the principal theories upon the subject.
The bill is only directed to 'ascertaining, for
the purpose and in aid Of the counting, what
are the constitutional votes of the respective
States, and, whatever Jurisdiction exists for
such purpose, the bill only regulates the
method of exercising it. For this the Con-
stitution gives warrant, and, therefore, the
law proposed is not inconsistent with that in
strument The committee regard it as of far
greater moment that the will of the people
should be legally carried out, than the ques'
ton of who shall be President for prescribed
term. They, therefore, endeavored to frame
fair and impartial measure The Legisla-
ture and the Judiciary are represented in the
tribunal in equal proportion. The compost
ton of the judicial part of the commission
looks to selection from different parts OF
the Republic, while it is thought to be free
from any preponderance or supposable bias,
and the addition of the necessary constituent
part of the whole, in order to obtain an un.
even number of the commission, is left to an
agency the farthest removed from prejudice
Of any existing attainable one. 1t would be
difficult, if not impossible, the committee
think, to establish a tribunal that could be
less the subject of party criticism than such
one. The committee felt bound by the
highest duty to let no bias Of party feeling
stand in the way of just, equal and peaceful
measure from extricating the question from
the embarrassments that at present surround
it. The committee conclude as follows:
"In conclusion, we respectfully beg leave
to impress upon Congress the necessity OF
speedy determination upon this subject. 1t
is impossible to estimate the national loss the
country daily sustains from the existing state
of uncertainty. 1t directly and powerfully
tends to unsettle and paralyze business; to
weaken public and private credit, and to
create apprehension in the minds of the peo-
pie that disturb the peaceful tenor of their
ways and mar their happiness. It does far,
far more. 1t tends to bring republican lnstl-
tutions into discredt ; to create doubts OF the
success of our form of government and the
perpetuity of the Republic. All consdSta-
tions of interest or patriotism and of justice
unite in demanding of the law-making power
measure that will bring peace and prosper