Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1877-01-27

assigned 10 the First, Third, Eighth aud Nirth
circuits shall select in such q manner rs amajsr.
iiy Of them shall deem it, another Of the associate
justices Of said court, which i've persons shall DC
members Of the said commission, and the persen
longest In commission 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:
I, =, do solemnly swear Tor affirm. as The
case may Ge) that Will impaitially examine AMI
consider an questions submitted to the commits
sion OF which am n member, and true iudg
menl give thereon, agreeGbly % the Constitution
and the laws. SO help me God.
which oath SHALL be filed with the Secretary Of
the Senate When the commission shall have
been thus organized it shall not be in the powe.
Of either house 10 dissolve the same or to with
draw any of its members but if any such Ser
ator or member shall die or become physcall-
unable 20 perform the duties required by tliis act
the fact of such death or physical inability
shall be by said commission, before it shall pro.
coed further, communicated to the Senate OF
House Of Representative as the case NAV be
which body shall Immediately and without de
bate proceed by viva voce vote to Oil the place sc
vacated and the person 30 appointed shall take
and subscribe the oath hcreinbefore prescribed
and become member of said commission. And
in like manner if any of the said Justices Of the
Supreme Court shall die or become physically in
capable Of performing the duties required by
this act the other of the said Justices members
of the said commission, shall Immediately APP
point another Justice Of said Court member OF
said commission, and in such appointments re-
gard shall be had to the impartiality and freedom
from bias sought by the original appointments to
said commits "a
ly take and subscribe to the oath hereinbafore
prescribed and become member of said com
mission to fill vacancy so occasioned. All the
certificates and papers purporting to be certf.
Gates of the electoral votes of each State shall be
opened in the alphabetical order of the States, as
provided in section l of this act and when there
shall be more than one such certificate or paper,
as the certificates or papers from such State
shall so be opened, excepting duplicates of the
same return, they shall be read by the tellors,
and thereupon the President of the Senate shall
call for objections, if any. Every objection 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 Sen.
ator and one member of the House Of Represen-
tatives before the same shall be received. When
all such objections so made to any certificate,
vote or paper from a State shall have been re-
cefved and read, all such certificates, votes and
papers SO objected to, and all papers accompany
ing the same, together with such objections, shall
be forthwith submitted to said commission
which shall proceed to consider the same, with
the same powers if any, now possessed for that
purpose by the two houses acting separately or
together, and by q majority of votes decide
whether any and what votes from such State are
the votes provided for by the Constitution of the
United States and how many and what persons
were duly appointed electors in such State, and
may therein take into view such petitions, depo-
sitions and other papers, if any, as shall by the
| Constitution and now existing laws be competent
and pertinent in such consideration, which de-
cision shall be made in writing, stating briefly
| the ground thereof and be signed by the men,
bers of said commission agreed therein; where
upon the two houses shall again meet, and such
decision shall be read and entered in the journal
Of each house, and the counting Of the votes
shall proceed in conformity Herewith, unless,
upon objection made thereto in writing by at
least five Senators and five members of the
House of Representatives, the two houses shall
separately concur in ordering otherwise, in
which case such concurrent order shall govern.
No votes or papers from any other State shall be
acted upon until the objection previously made
to the votes or papers from any State shall have
been finally disposed Of
SEC. g. That while the two houses shall be in
meeting, as provided in this act, no debate shall
be allowed and no question shall be put by the
presiding officer except to either house on a mo-
ton to withdraw, and he shall have power to pre-.
serve order.
SEC. 4. That when the two houses separate to
decide upon an objection that may have been
made to the counting of any electoral vote or
votes from any State, or upon objection to a re-
port of said commission, or other question arts
ing under this act, each Senator or Representa-
tive may speak to such objecsion or question ten
minutes, and not Ottener than once; but after
such debate shall have lasted two hours it shall
be the duty of each house to put the main ques-
ton without further debate.
SEC. 8. That at such joint meeting of the two
| houses seats shall be provided as follows: For
the President Of the Senate, the Speakers chair;
for the Speaker, Immediately upon his left; the
Senators, in the body of the hail upon the right
of the presiding officer; for the Representatives,
in the body of the hall not provided for the Sen
atOrs; for the teers, Secretary of the Senate and
Clerk of the House of Representatives, at the
Clerks desk, for the other officers Of the two
houses, in front of the Clerks desk and upon
each side of the Speakers platform. Such joint
meeting shall not be dissolved until the count OF
the electoral votes shall be completed and the re-
suit declared, and no recess shall be taken unless
a question shall have arisen in regard to counting
any such votes .or otherwise under this act, in
which case it shall be competent for either house
acting separately in the manner herenbefore
provided to direct recess Of such house not be.
| yond the next day, Sunday excepted, at the hour
of 10 o'clock in the forenoon; and while any
| question is being considered by said commission
either house may proceed with its legislative OF
otESr business.
SEC 6. That nothing in this act shall be helC
to impair or affect any right now existing under
the Constitution and laws to question, by pro
ceedng in the judicial courts of the United
States, the right or title of the persons who shall
be declared elected or who shall claim to bC
| President or Vice-President of the United
States, if any such right exists.
SEC. I. That said commission shall make it,
shall have power to employ such persons a; may
be necessary for the transaction of its business
and the execution Of its powers.
SPEECH OF SENATOR EDMUNDS.
In the Senate on Saturday Senator Ed
munds made powerful argument in favor
Of the adoption Of the compromise prop
osition. Mr.. Edmunds said as fitting
commencement to the consideration o.
| 1hiS bill he WOuld have read the twelfth