The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1877-01-25
THE COMPROMISE.
A Comprehensive Synopsis of
the Bill.


vote:
SEC. 1. The two houses shall
meet in the hall of the House on
the LIST Thursday ia February at
10 O'Clock, the President of the
Senate presiding. Two tellers each
from the Senate and House, who
will receive the certificates and pa
pers purporting TO be certificates
from the presiding officer as he
opens them IN alphabetic order, and
read them in presence Of the two
houses, acertain the result and hand
it to the President, who announces
it and the result is so entered.
When one certificate from a State
is presented the President calls for
objections. If any are made, they
must he in writing, stating the
ground without argument and sign
ed by at least one Senator and one
Representative Then the Senate
withdraws and the two houses sepa-
rately vote, and no vote can be
rejected except by concurrent vote
of the two houses.
SEC. 2. When there are more
than one return from a State they
are opened and read as above and
then submitted with accompanying
papers to the decision of a commits
sion constituted as follows: On
Tuesday before the day of counting
each house shall by ViUa Voce vote
appoint five members, who, with
five Justices of the Supreme Court,
constitute the commission. The
Justices are from the 1st, Sd, 8tb,
and 9th circuits, and these four
elect a fifth, and the oldest com
missioned Justice is President of
the commission. They swear to
lmpartially consider and true judge
ment give upon questions submitted
to them agreeably to the constitu
ton and laws. They consider the
certificates, papers, etc, with the
same powers, if any, now possessed
by the two houses, separately OF
together" deciding who are the
Electors elected from said certiii
Gates, and may "take into view such
petitions, dispositions and other
papers, if any," as are by law COM
petent, and shall give their decision
in writing, o majority deciding.
stating the ground thereof and sign
ing it. The two houses then meet
and the decision of the commission
is entered and the counting pro
ceeds in conformity Herewith, un-
less, upon objection made in writing
by at least five Senators and five
Representatives, the two houses
shall separately concur in ordering
otherwise, in which case said con
current order shall govern. The
counting shall not proceed to an
other State until the questions af-
fectlng the State vote under con-
sideration shall be finally disposed
of.
SEC. 3. No debate is allowed in
the two houses while met, and no
question put except to either house
or motion to withdraw.
SEC. 4. When the two houses
separate to consider any objection
each member may speak ten min
utes and not oftener than once; but
the main question shall be put at
the end of two hours.
SEC. 8 assigns the seats and pro
vides that the joint meeting shall
not be dissolved until the count is
completed and no recess taken I'M
less a question arises in regard to
the count and then not longer than |
to 10 o'clock of the next day, and |
while any question is being consid-
cred by the convention either house
may proceed with its other bust
ness.
SEC. 6. This act does not affect
the right now existing to question
before the courts the right of the
persons declared elected to the
offices.
SEC. 7. The commission makes
its own rules, keeps a record, and
has power to employ such persons
necessary 20 transact its business.
The report of the committee in
Producing the bill urges very siren
uously its importance and says that
it favors no party, but searches sim
ply for justice and right. Senator
Morton is the only member of the
committee who did not sign the re
port. The report is very lengthy
and able and, with the bill, would
occupy about three and a half col
umns of our space.
Democrats throughout the coun-
try, SO far as we are able to learn
/,