Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-01-26

that our republican institutions are
equal to any emergency. And in
this connection we cannot refrain
from an expression of our satisfac-
ton that your committees, composed
of equal members Of opposing part
les, have fortunately been able to do
what has been attempted in vain
heretofore-to almost unanimously
agree upon a plan considered by
them all to be just, wise and efficient.
We accordingly recommend the pro
posed act to the patriotic and just
judgment of Congress.
GEO. +. EDMUNDs.
FREDK. L. FRELINGHUYsES.
RosCE CoNKL1NG.
A. G. THURMAN.
Il. f. BAYARD.
NJ. w. RANSOM.
Senate Committee.
II. B. PAYNE.
EPPA HUNToN.
ABRAM S. HEWITT.
WM. NJ. SPRINGER.
GEO. w. McCRARY.
GEO. F. HoAR.
GEO. WILLARD.
House Committee.
Senator Morton is the only mem.
Der of the committee who did not
sign the report.
THE BILL.
A bill to provide for and regulate the
counting Of votes for President
and Vice President, and the deci-
sion of questions arising thereon
for the term commencing March
4, A. D. 1877.
BE it enacted by the Senate and
House Of Representatives of the
United States of america, In Con-
gress assembled, That the Senate and
House of Representatives shall meet
in the Hall Of the House Of Repre-
sentatives at the hour of 10 o'clock,
post meridian, on the first Thursday
i'll February, A. D. 1877, and the
President of the Senate shall be the
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 President of the
Senate, all the certificates and papers
purporting to be certificates of cleo
toral votes, which certificates and
papers shall be opened, presented,
and acted upon IN alphabetical order
of the States, beginning with GA"
and said tellers, having then read the
same, in the presence and hearing of
the two houses, shall make list of
votes as they shall appear from the
SAID certificates, and the votes hav-
ing been ascertaincd and counted,
as in this act provided, the result of
the same shall be delivered to the
President Of the Senate, who shall
thcreupon announce the state Of the
vote and the names of the persons
Gf any elected, which announce
ment shall be deemed sufficient
declaration of persons elected Pres
ident and Vice President of the
United States, and, together with =
list of the votes be entered on the
journals of the two houses. Upon
such reading of any such certificate
or paper, when there shall be only
one return from State, the Presi-
dent Of the Senate shall call for OBJ
jections, if any. Every objection
shall be made i'll writing, and shall
state clearly and concisely, and with
out 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 any state shall have been
received and read, the Senate shall
thereupon withdraw, and such OBJ
jections shall be submitted to the
Senate for its decision, and the
Speaker of the House of Represents
tivcs shall in like manner submit
such objections to the House of Rep
resentatives for It's decision; and no
electoral vote or votes from any
State fro II which but one return has
been received shall be objected to
except by the affirmative vote Of
both houses. When the two houses
have voted they shall Immediately
again meet, and the presiding officer
shall then announce the decision OF
the question submitted.
SEC. 2.-That if more than one re-
turn or paper purporting to be the
return from any State shall have
been received by the President of
the Senate, purporting to be certiti.
Gates of the electoral votes given at
the last preceding election for Pres.
ident and Vice President in sukh
State, unless they shall be duplicates
OF the same return, 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 tellrrs, and all such returns and
papers shall thereupon be submitted
to the Judgment and decision As to
which is the true and lawful electoral
vote of such State of commission
constituted as follows, namely
During the session of such House
on the Tuesday next preceding the
first Thursday in February, 1877 each
house shall, by viva voce vote, ap'
point five of it's members, who, with
five Associate Justices of the Su
premc Court of the United States, to
be ascertained as hereinafter pro-
vided, shall constitute commission
for the decision of all questions up.
on or in respect of such double re-
turns named in this section. On
Tuesday preceding the first Thurs
day in February, A. ID. 1877, or as