The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1877-01-30
Csuntinr the Electoral votes,

Csunting the Electoral Votes.
A BILL to provide for and regulate the coun-
/ ting Of votes for President and Vice Presi-
don't, and the decision of questions arising
thereon, for the term commencing March
fourth, ammo Domini eighteen hundred and
seventy.seven. z
q, Be t enactedby the Senate and House
Of Representation Of the United States
of America in Congress assembled, That
the Senate and House OF Representa-.
tives shall meet in the hall of the House
Of Representatives. at the hour Of one
o'clock post meridian, on the first Thurs
day in February, ammo Domini eighteen
and seventy seven; and the
President of the Senate shall be their
presiding officer. Two tellers shall be
previously appointed 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 GER
tifcates, and papers purporting to be
certificates, OF the electoral votes, which
certificates and papers shall be opened,
presented, and acted upon in the alpha
betical order OF the States, beginning
with the letter A; and said tellers hav
ing then read the same in the presence
and hearing of the two Houses, shall
make list Of the votes as they shall
appear from the said certificates and
the votes having been ascertained and
counted as In this act provided, the re-
suit of the same shall be delivered to
the President Of the Senate, who shall
thereupon 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 Pres
ident of the United States, and, togethr
er with list of the votes, be entered
on the journals Of the two Houses. =
Upon such reading Of any such certifi-
cate or paper when there shall be only
one return from a State, the President
Of the Senate shall call for objections, IL
any. Every objection shall be made in
writing. and shall state clcaiiy and con-
ciseE, and without argument, the ground
thereof, and shall I've signed by at least
one Senator and one Member Of the
House OF r representatives. before the
same shall be received When oil OBJ.
jeciions SO made to any vote or paper
from State shall have heen received
and read, the Senate shall thereupon
withdraw, and such objections shall be
submitted to the Senate for its decision !;
and the Speaker OF the House of Rrpre.
sentatise shall in like manner, submit
such objections to the House Of Repre-.
sentatives for its decision; and no elec
toral vote or votes from any State from
which but one return has beea re.
ceivcd shall be rejected except by the
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
decision Of the question submitted.
SEC 2 That il more than one return,
or paper purporting to be a return, from
a State, shall have been received by the
President Of the Senate, purporting TO
be The certificates Of electoral votes Civ
en- at the last preceding election for
President and Vice President in such
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 tellers. and
all such returns and papers shall there
upon be submitted to the judgment and
decision as to which is the true and law.
ful electoral vote OF such State. OF a
commission constituted as follows,
namely: re I4oa'5 Aaa 'iIo sAtiss5a@
D,,ring the session Of each House on
the Tuesday next preceding the frs,
Thursday in February, eighteen hun.
aired and seventy. each House
shall, by viva voce vote, appoint five ol
it's members, who with the five associate
justices of the Supreme Court Of the
United States, to be ascertained as here.
1inafter7proyided, shall constitute a com
mission for the decision OF all questions
upon or in respect of such double re-
turns named in thi, section ION tlpji
ig o the Tuesday next preceding the
iirst Thursday in February, ammo Do
mini eighteen hundred and seventy sew.
en-, or as soon thereafter as may be, the
associate justices Of the Supreme Court
of the United States now assigned to
the fret third, eighth, and ninth circuits,
shall select, in such manner as major.
ity of them shall. deem fit, another oI
the associate justices Of said court
which five persons shall be members ol
said commission; and the person long.
est In commission, of said FIVE justices
shall be the president Of said commits
sion. The members of said commits
sion shall respectively. take. and sub
scribe the following oath: .s,s 80
81, e-r--- -, do solemnly swear
(or affirm, as the case may be) that ]
will impartIally examine and consider
all questions submitted. to the commits
sion of which l arn a member, and a trut
Judgment give thereon, agreeably to th'
Constitution and laws SO help mi
God;. which oath shall be filed with tht
Secretary of the Senate. !aeT
When the commission shall have beer
thus organized, ,itshall not be in thepowel
of either house to dissolve the same, ol
to withdraw any Of it's members; butil
any such Senator or member shall di,
or become physically unable to perform
the duties required by this act, the fac
Of such death or physical inability shal
be by sal ! commission, before it shal
proceed further, communicated to th,
Senate or House. Of Representatives, al
the case may be, which body shall i'm
mediately and without debate proceed
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