The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-01-19
f0RTY-F0uRTH CONGRESS
Report Of Joint Committee.
Morton Refuses to Sign It.

WAsHINeToS, January Is.
f@ SENATE.
Mr.. Jones, of Florida presented pc
tition thst William Call, Robert B. Hi
ton, j. Z. Young and Rober. Bullock
the Democratic Presidential Electors O
Florida. claiming it TO have been legal
ly elected, and asking the electoral vot,
cast by them for President and Vic,
President be counted instead Of ths
cast by electors on the other side.
On motion Mr.. Jones, the petition wa
laid on the table, and he gave notice tha
he would call it up next week.
Plan for Counting the Electoral vot.
Mr.. Edmunds, from the special com
mittee appointed to devise means tol
counting the electoral vote, submitted ,
report in writing accompanied by bill
He said the report, he was happy to say
was signed by all the members of bott
committees with one exception. Tht
committee desired to have the bill taken
up at the earliest possible day, probably
Saturday, but certainly on Monday mex
would press it to final consideration Ths
committee was of the opinion that the
measure they recommended was moi
what could be called compromise, but
It was measure Of justice in aid of Con.
stitutional government. No one would
have q right TO say that anybodys views
had been surrendered in any respect.
The following is the text Of the bill
accompanying the report presented by
Mr.. Edmunds:
A BILL to provide for and regulate the
counting of the votes for President
and Vice President and the decision oi
questions and arising tberefrom, for
the term commencing March 4tb,
Ammo Domini 1877. .-.g
Be it enacted by the Senate and House
Of Representatives. of the United States Of
America in Congress assembled, That
the Senate and Rouse OF Representatives
shall meet in the hall of the House Of
Representatives at the hour of o'clock
post meridian, on the frst Thursday in
July, A. d. 1877, and that the President
of the Senate shall be the presiding oHi-
Ger. Two tellers shall be previ.
ously appointed on part of the
Senate and two on the part OF the
House Of Represen tatives, to whom shall
be handed, as they are opened by the
President Of the Senate, all the certiH-
Gates and papers purporting 10 be certif-
Gates Of the electoral vote, which certifl-
Gates and papers shall be opened, pre-.
ssnted and acted upon in alphsbeti cal
order of the States, beginning with the
letter A, and said tellers, having then
read the same in the presence and hearing
Of the two houses, shall make list of
the votes as they shall appear
from said certificates, snd the vote
having been sscertained and count
ed as in this act provided, the
result of the same shall be delivered
10 the President of the Senate who shall
thereupon announce the state Of the vote
and the names Of the persons, if any,
elected, which ann ouncsment shall be
deemed a sufficient declaration OF the
persons elected President and Vice
President of the United States, and, to-
gether with list of the votes, be entered
upon the Journals CT both houses. Upon
uch reading OF any such certificate or
paper when there shall be only one re.
turn from State, the President of the
Senate shall call for tie objections,
it there are any. Every objection
shall be made in writing and shall state
clearly and concisely, and without argu-
ment, the ground for objecting, and
shall be signed by at least one Senator
and one member Of the House Of Rep.
before the same shall be re-
ceived. When all objections so made TO
any vote or paper from the State shall
have been received and read, the Senate
shall tnereupon withdraw, and such OBJ
jec,ions shall be submitted TO
the Senate for its decision, and
the Speaker Of the House of Repre-
shall 10 like manner submit
such objections TO the House of Repre-
sentatives for its decision, and no cleo
torsl vote or votes from any State from
which but one return has been received
shall be objected TO eIceptby an afirma-
tive vote of the two houses. When the
two houses have voted they shall imme-
again meet and the presiding
oticer shall then announce the decision
OF the question submitted
SxcTlos 2. That if more than one re.
turn, or paper purporting TO be return
from State. shall have been received
by the President Of the Senate, purport.
ing 10 be certificates OF electoral votes
given q, the last preceding election for
Presiden. and Vice President in such
State, unless they ,hall be duplicates of
the same returns, ali such returns and
papers shall be opened By him in
the presence Of the two houses
when met as aforesaid, and be read
by the tellers, and ell such returns and
papers shall ttereupon be submitted to
the Judgment and decision, As TO which
il the true and lawful electoral vote Of
such State, Of . commission, constituted
as follows. nsmely: During the session OF
each House, on the Tuesday next precsd.
ing the hrst Thursday in February, 1877,
Each House shsll, by rira roce vote, aP
point Ave Of its members, who, with i've
associate justices Of the Supreme Court
of the United States, 70 be Ascertained
a. hereinafter provided, shall constitute
a commission for the decision
Of all questions upon, r in re-
,uect OF such double return
named in this section. On the Tuesday
mex, preceding the frsi Thursdsy 10 Feb
rusry A. ID. 1877, or as soon thereafter
a. NAV be, the associate Justices OF the
Supreme Coar. ofthe United States nov
assigned 70 the ars,, third, eighth, and
ninth Circuits shall select in such man
ner a. the majority Of them shsl deem
st. another Of the associate Justices OF
sad Court, which Ave persons shall be
members OF ssid::comms.ion and the per-
,oo longest in commission Of paid I'VE
Justices shall be President Of said CON-
missicn. The members Of said comnis-
sioo shall respectively take and subscribe
the following oath. I-ydo solemniy
swear Tor af5rm, - the case may be, tha;
l will inpartially examine and consider
W ,r.-.iocs subrnitfAd 70 the