The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1877-01-06

the footing of the tellers when they had
enumerated the votes. He has performed
such duties as have been imposed upon
him by the concurrent orders of the two
houses, and none other; and he has per-
formed those duties in the manner and
and under the instructions given by the
order of the two houses. In no single in
stance has he ever pretended to have any
right to decide any question as to the
authenticity or validity of a vote, or to in
terfere with the tellers in the counting, or
to determine what certificates or evidence
of electoral votes should be submitted to
the two houses. He has acknowledged,
without reservation, the most absolute
authority of the two houses over the whole
subject, and recognized the fact that any
function beyond the opening of the
packages of certificates, which he might
exercise, was derived from the two houses
whole history of the government there is
not single exception to this established
and continuous usage.
Third-The two houses have not only
always exercised the power to count the
electoral vote in such manner and by such
agents as they might choose to do it ex-
clusiyely without interference from any
body else, but they have exercised the
right to fix and establish the methods of
procedure by standing rules. They have
also asserted the right to prescribe a
permanent method of counting the electoral
votes Whatever powers exist ins the
federal government tor the purpose of
ascertaining and determining the result of
a presidential election by canvass of the
electoral votes, the two houses of congress
have always claimed to possess, and to
possess exclusively, subject to such regula-
lions by law as they might themselves
concur in enacting. And they have always
asserted the right of the law making power
of government to legislate on this subject.
under the general constitutional grant of
authority ITO make all laws which shall be
necessary or proper for carrying into
execution" the powers vested in the COY
eminent of the United States by any
department or Office there.
1t has been several times proposed to
regulate by act Of congress the mode of
counting the electoral votes. of verifying
the authenticity and validity Of the votes,
and determining the result of the presi-
dental election, so far as those powers are
to be exercised by the two houses. A
bill for this purpose was introduced and
discussed in congress early in the year
1900. when many of the persons who had
participated in the forming OF the constitu-
ton in the convention of 1877 or in its
ratification by the state convention were in
in congress. Although differences of
opinion as to what would be wise and safe
regulations for the counting existed to
such extent as to defeat any agreement
upon the details of the measure, the
debate failed to develop any question or
doubt as to the exclusive authority of the
two houses to count the votes, and to pre-
scribe by concurrent action the mode of
their counting. From the beginning to
the end of the debate that authority was
taken for granted. Among the prominent
figures in that congress were John
Langdon, who, at the organization Of the
Continued on next page.)