The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-01-25

able 10 90 WndC n;tS Oeeu dLleHlpleu III
vain heretofore, almost unanimously
agree upon plan considered by them all
to be just, wise and efficient.
We accordingly recommend the pro-
posed act to the patriotic and just judg-
judgment of Congress.
The report is signed by George D. Ed
munds, Frederick T. Frelinghuysen,
Roscoe Conkling, A. G. Thurman, T. F.
Bayard and NJ. w. Ransom on the part
of the Senate, Mr.. Morton being the only
one who declined to sign it. On the
part of the House of Representatives it
was signed by the seven members, name
ly: H. B. Payne, Eppa Hunton, A. s.
Hewitt, w. NJ. Springer, George W..
McCrary, George T. Hoar and George
Willard.
PLAN OF AGREEMENT.
The following is the complete text of
the bill agreed upon by the Joint Com
mittee on Counting the Electoral Vote {:
A BILL TO PROVIDE FOR AND REGU-
LATE THE COUNTING OF VOTES FOR
PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT AND
THE DECISION OF QUESTIONS ARISING
THEREON FOR THE TERM CoMMENC-
ING MARCH 4, A. D. 1877.
Be it enacted, &C., That the Senate and
House of Representatives shall meet in
the Hall of the House of Representa-
t'ves, at the hour of P. m, on the first
Thursday in February, A. D. 1877, and
the President of the Senate shall be their
presiding officer. Two tellers shall be
previously appointed on the part of the
Senate and two OH the part of the House
Of Representatives, to whom shall be
handed, as they are opened by the Presi
dent of the Senate, the certificates and
papers purporting to be certificates of the
electoral votes, which certificates and
papers shall be opened in the presence of
the two houses, and be 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 pres
ence and hearing of the two houses, shall
make list of the votes as they shall
appear from the said certificates; and
the votes having been ascertaiDed and
counted, as in this act provided, the re-
suit of the same shall be delivered to the
President of the Senate, who shall there
upon announce the state of the vote and
the names Of the persons, if any, elected,
which announcement shall be deemed a
sufficient declaration of the persons elec-
ted President and Vice President of the
United States, which, together with list
of the votes, shall be entered on the jour
mails of the TWO houses. Upon such read
ing of any such certificates or paper,
when there shall be cnly one return from
State, the President of the Senate shall
call for objections. if any. Every objec-
ton shall be made in writing, and shall
state clearly and concisely, and without
argument, the ground thereof, and shall
be signed by at least one Senator and one
member of the House Of Representatives
before the same shall be received. When
all objections so made to any vote or
paper from a State shall have been re-
ceived and read, the Senate shall there
upon withdraw, and such objections shall
be submitted 10 the Senate for its decis-
ion, and the Speaker Of the House of
Representatives shall in like manner SUBJ
NIT such objections to the House of Rep
resentatives for its decision, and no elec-'
toral vote or votes from any State from
which 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 immediate
ly again meet, and the presiding officer
shall then announce the decision of the
question submitted.
Sec. 2. That if more than one return
or paper purporting to be a return from
a State shall have been received by the
President of the Senate, purporting to be
the certificates of electoral votes given at
the last preceding election for President
and Vice President in such State, unless
they shall be duplicates Of the same re-
turn, 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 therupon be submitted
to the judgment and decision, as to which
is the true and lawful electoral vote of
such State, of a commission constituted
as follows, namely: During the session
of each house on the Tuesday next pre-
ceding the first Thursday in February,
1877, each house shall, by viua voce vote,
appoint FIVE of its members who, with the
five Associate Justices of The Supreme
Court of the United States, to be ascer-
tanned 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, or as soon thereafter as nay be,
the Associate Justices of the Supreme
Court of the United States now assigned
to the lst, Sd, 4th and 9th circuits shall
select, in such manner as a majority OF
them shall deem fit, another of the Asso-
ciate Justices of said court, which ive
persons shall be members of said con-
mission; and the person longest in con-
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: {:
II, I,---, do solemnly swear or
affirm as the case may be- that vii!
impartially examine and consider all
questions submitted to the commission OF
which am member, and a true judg-
ment give thereon, agreeable to the con-
stitution and the laws: So help me God"
Which oath shall be filed with the Sec
retary of the Senate. When the COM
mission shall have been thus organized,
it shall not be in the power OF either
house to dissolve the same, or to with
draw any of its members; but if any such
Senator or member shall die or become
physically unable to perform the duties
required by this act, the fact of such
death or physical inability shall be, by
said commission, before it shall proceed
further, communicated to the Senate or
House of Representatives, as the case
may be, which body shall Immediately
and with TOUT debate proceed by riua uoce
vote to fill the place so vacated; and the
person SO appointed shall take and sub
scribe the oath hereinbefore prescribed,
and become member of said cominis-
sion; and in like manner if any of said