The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1877-01-24

assasa-4s
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 Amer
lea, in Congress assembled, That the Senate
and House of Representatives meet in the
hall OF the House OF Representatives at the
hour OF 10 o'clock meridian, on the first
President of the Senate Shall be the presiding
officer. Two tellers shall be previously ap-
pointed on the part of the Senate and two on
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
electoral vote, which certificates and papers
shall be opened, presented and acted upon in
alphabetical order of the States, beginning
with IA" of said letters. Having then read
the same, the tellers, in the presence and
hearing of the two houses, shall make a list
of votes as they shall appear from the said
certificates, and the votes having been ascer-
tanned and counted, as in this act provided,
the result 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, ii any elected, which
announcement shall be deemed sufficient
declaration of the persons elected President
and Vice President of the United States, and
together with a list of the votes, so entered on
the journals of the two houses. Upon such
reading OF any such certificates or papers.
when there shall be only one return from a
State, the President of the Senate shall call
for objections. II any, every objection shall
be made in writing, and shall state clearly
and conclusively, 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: the State
shall have been received and read, the
Senate shall thereupon withdraw, and
Senate for its decision, and the Speaker of the
House of Representatives shall in like man
ner submit such objection to the House of
Representatives for its decision, and no cleo
toral vote or votes from any State from which
but one return has been received shall be OBJ
jected to, except by affirmative vote of the
two houses. When the two houses have voted
they shall Immediately again meet, and the
presiding officer shall then announce the de-
cision OF the questions submitted; that il
more than one return or paper purporting to
be returned from any State shall have been
received by the President OF the State, pur-
porting to he certificates OF the electoral votes
ide1G and Vice President III such State, then
these 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 thereupon be
submitted to the judgment and decision as to
such State, OF a committee constituted as fol-
lows-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, appoint five OF its
members, who with five Ass ociate Justices OF
the Supreme Court of the United States, to be
ascertained as hereinafter provided, shall con-
stitute committee for the decision OF all
questions upon or in respect OF such double
returns named in this section. On the Tues
day next preceding the first Thursday in Feb
ruary, A. D. 1877, or as soon thereafter as
may be, the Associate Justices ofthe Supreme
Court Of the United States, now assigned to
the first, third, eighth and ninth circuits,
shall select, in such manner as the majority OF
them shall deem fit, another Of the Associate
Justices of said court, which five persons
shall be members of said Commission, and
the person longest in commission of said five
Justices shall be President OF said Commission.
The members of said Commission shall re-
spectively take and subscribe the following
oath: 81 do solemnly swear or affirm, as the
case may be, that will i1npartially examine
and consider all questions submitted to the
Commission of which 1 am member, and
true judgment give thereon, agreeably to the
constitution and laws, so help ME 0od"-
which oath shall be filed with the Secretary
OF State.
When it shall have been thus organized, it
shall not be in the power OF either house to
dissolve the same, or to withdraw any OF its
members, but if any such Senator or member
shall die, or become physically unable to per-
form the duties required by this act, the tact
of such death or physical inability shall be by
said Commission, before it shall proceed fur
Their, communicated to the Senate or House of
Representatives, as the case may be, which
body shall immediately, and without debate,
proceed by viva voce vote to fill the place
so vacated, and the person SO appointed shall
take and subscribe the oath herein before pre-
scribed, and become member of said Com
mission; and in like manner ifany Of said JUS
tees of the Supreme Court shall die or become
required by this act, the others ofsaid Justices
members Of said Commission shall Immediate
ly appoint another Justice of said Court
member of said Commission, and in such ap-
pointment regard shall be had to the impair
tlality and freedom from bias sought by the
original appointmentto said Commission, who
shall thereupon Immediately take and sub
scribe the oath herein before prescribed, and
become member OF said Commission to fill
the vacancy OccasiOned. All certificates and
papers purportingt to be certificates O. the elect
oral votes OF each State shall be opened in al
phabetical order of the States, as provided in
Sec of this act, and when there shall be
more than one such certificate or paper, as
the certificate and papers from that State,
they shall be so opened, excepting dupli
Gates of the return which shall be used by
the tellers, and thereupon the Secretary OF
the Senate shall call for objections. If
any, every objection shall be made in
writing, and shall state clearly and con;
cisely and without argument, the ground
thereof, and shall he signed by at least one
Senator and one member of the House of Re-