The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-02-01
Counting the Electoral Vote.
ITS ANTECEDENTs AND HISTORY FROM
1889 TO 1878.

AT THE SIXTEENTH COUNT (Fehru-
airy IA, 1849) of the electoral votes OF
the several States, the two Houses,
agreeably to a concurrent resolution,
assembled in the chamber of the House
of Representatives, and the President
of the Senate, in the presence of the
two Houses, assisted by tellers respect
lively appointed by them, opened and
counted the votes, and declared as the
result of his count that Zachary Tay-
lor, of Louisiana, was duly elected
President, and Willard Fillmore Vice
President, of the United States.
AT the SEVENTEENTH COUNT (Feb-
ruary 9, 1869 of the electoral votes Of
the several States, the two Houses,
agreeably to a joint resolution. as
sembled in the chamber Of the House
of Representatives, and the President
pro tea1p0Te of the Senate, in the pres
ence of the two Houses, assisted by tel
lers appointed respectively by them,
opened and counted the votes, and
declared as the result Of his count that
Franklin Pierce, Of New Hampshire,
was duly elected President, and VIM.
r. King, of Alabama, Vice President
of the United States.
| At the EIGHTEENTH COUNT (Feb-
ruary II, 1850 of the electoral votes
of the several States, the two Houses
agreeably to a joint resolution previ-
ously adopted by them, assembled in
the chamber of the House of Repre-
sentatiyes, and the President pro tenn
pore of the Senate, Mr. James NJ
Mason, of Virginia, in the presence of
the two House, assisted by tellers res
pectively appointed by them, opened
and counted the votes, and declared as
the result Of his count that James
Buchanan, of Pennsylvania, was duly
elected President, and John G. Brock
inridge,, of Kentucky, Vice President
of the United States.
i During the count, when the certifi-
Gates of Wisconsin were read by the
tellers, it appeared that the votes had
been cast on December 4th, instead of
the first Wednesday in December,
which was the Sd. Upon that ground
Mr.. Letcher, of Virginia, objected to
the count Of the votes. A heated
4 Wrangla @ned. Mr. Humphrey
/ Marshall and others of the House, and
i A. 2. Butler and others of the Senate
claimed the right of the two Houses to
exclude the vote, but ON the other hand
such able Democratic Senators as Mr..
Stuart, of Michigan, quoting the COM
ments of Chancellor Kent, that "in the
absence of all legislative provisions on
4Io CJ1b +hn DraciI don't Of tho 10
counts the votes and determines the
result" and that "the two Houses are
present only as spectators to witness the
fairness and accuracy of the transac-
tion,'' declared, "that is precisely the
the view which sough4 to present to
/ the Senate yesterday" He added
II disagree, therefore, with the Senator
, from Kentucky Mr.. thompson when
he suppoSes this is a count by the
Senate. 1t is a count by the President
Of the Senate. TO secure fairness and
accuracy it is a public count before
two responsible organized bodies under
the Constitution. All that was done
here in respect to the negotiation be-
tween the two Houses was simply
done in courtesy. 1t had no binding
effect in law" sc. The vote was
counted and the result declared. The
tellers Messrs. Bigler, of Pennsylva-
! MIA, of the Senate, and Geo. W. Jones,
! of Tennessee, and Howard, of Michi-
gan, of the House. reported the facts
to their respective Houses, both Demo
cratic, and the majorities of the two
Houses, in defeating motions to inter
fere, sustained the count, and declared
their sense that it was ga count by the
President of the Senate" that the
Houses had no voice in the matter.
At the NINETEENTH COUNT (Febru-
airy IS, 1861 of the electoral votes of
the several States, the two Houses,
! agreeably to a joint resolution pre-
viously adopted by them, assembled in
the chamber of the House OF Repre-
/, sentatives, and the President of the
Senate, (Mr. John c. Breckinridge,) in
/ the presence OF the two Houses, assist
ed by tellers respectively appointed by
/ them, opened and counted the votes,
and declared, as the result of his count,
that Abraham Lincoln, of Illinois. was
duly elected President, and Hannibal
Hamlin, of Maine, Vice President of
the United States.
} At the TWENTIETH COUNT February
s, 1860 of the electoral votes of the
several States, the two Houses, agreea-
| bly, to the provisions of the twenty
second joint rule, now adopted for the
first time, assembled ''in the hall of
the House of Representatives. and
the President of the Senate, (Mr.
Hannibal Hamlin,) under the pro-
visions of the joint rule, in the pres
ence of the two Houses, assisted by
tellers respectively appointed by them,
opened and counted the votes, and
| declared, as the result of the count,
that Abraham Lincoln, Of Illinois, was
duly elected President, and Andrew
johnson, of Tennessee, Vice President
of the United States.
AT the TWENTY-FIRsT COUNT (Feb-
49, a%A