Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-01-27

lty OF votes decide whether any an
what votes from such State are tn
votes provided for by the COnstitHtio
of the United States, and how man
and what persons were duly appointe
electors in such State, aad may the
take into view such petitions. desposi
tlons, and other papers, if any, as shal
by the Constitution and now existinl
law be competent and pertinent il
such consideration, which decision
shall be made in writing, stating brief,
the ground thereof, and signed by tn,
members of the said commission agree
ing therein. Whereupon the two
houses shall again meet and such de
! cision shall be read aud entered in tn,
journal of each house, end countinG
of the votes shall proceed in conform.
ty Herewith, unless upon objections
made thereto in writing by at least five
members of the House of Representa-
tiyes, the two houses shall separately
concur in ordering otherwise; in which
case such concurrent order shall gov
ern. No votes or papers from any
other State shall be acted npon until
the objections previously made to the
votes or papers from any State shall
have been finally disposed Of
"SEc.3. That while the tive kouses
shall be in the 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 motion to withdraw, and he shall
have power to preserve order.
+ SEc.a4 That when the two houses
separate to decide upon an objection
that may have been made to the count
ing of any electoral vote or votes from
any State, or upon objection to a re-
port Of said commissioner, or other
question arising under this act, each
senator and representative may speak TO
such objection or question ten minutes,
and not oftener than once; but after
such debate shall have lasted two
hours, it shall be the duty of each of
the houses to put the main question
without further debate.
SEC. 5. That at such joint meeting
of the two houses, seats shall be pro-
vided as follows:
For the president of the Senate,
the speakers chair.
For the speaker, Immediately upon
his LETT.
For the senators, in the body of
the hall, upon the right of the presid-
ing Oficre.
For the reprepresentatives, in the
body of the hall, not provided for the
senators.
For the tellers, the secretary oft
Senate, and the clerk of the House of
Representatives at the clerks desk.
For the officers of the two houses,
in front of the clerks desk and upon
each side of the speakers platform.
Such joint meetingshall not be dis
solved 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 |
he manner hereinbefore provided,
10 direct a recess of such house, not |
beyond the next day SUNDAY ex-
,epted), at the hour of 10 o'clock in |
,he forenoon. And while anyquestiOn /
s being considered by said commits
ZION, either house may proceed with its
legislative or other business.
SEC. 6. That nothing in this act |
hall be held to impair or affect any
light now existing under the Constitu-
ion and laws to question by proceed
ng in the Judicial Courts of tie
United States the right or title of toe
person who shall be declared elected,
,r who shall claim TO be president or
rice president of the United States, if
my such right exists.
SEC. z. That said commission shall \
make its own rules, keep a record of
is proceedings, and shall have power
o employ such persons as may be
necessary for the transaction of its
business and the execution of its pow
r."
THE REPORT.
The following is the report of the
ommittees of the Senate and House
t Representatives, appointed under
he several resolutions of those bod
IS, to prep re aud report such meas
res as may be best calculated to ac-
omplish the lawful counting of the
a /
II questions connected Herewith, and
be declaration of the result. The
ommittees say that they have consid-
red the subject named in the said re-
DlTtions, and have had full and free
difference with each other threon, and I
ow report the accompanying bill, and
its passage We have ap-
lied the utmost practicable study and /
to the subject, and be-
eve that the bill now reported is the
est attainable disposition of the diff.
,rent problems and divided theories {
rising out of the late election. 1t
lust be obvious to every person con- =.
ersant with the history of the coun- I
y, and with the formation and inter- q
rotation of the Constitution, that a Il
ide diversity of opinion touching the =
lbject, not wholly coineident with the
las or wishes of members of political 1
arties, would naturally exist. We d
ave in this state of affairs chosen, a
lerefore, not to deal with abstract
lestions, save so far as they are neces-
Irily involved 10 the legislation pro- 7
Osed. 1t is, of course, plain that the y
port of the bill implies that, in our 7
Dinion, legislation may be had on the u
inject in accordance with the Consti- r,
on, but we think that the law pro- 81
lsed is inconsistent with few of the a
'incipal theories on the subject. 0
The Constitution requires that the p
ectoral votes shall be counted on a a
lrticular occasion. All will agree a
lat votes named in the Constitution ?
e the constitutional votes of the d
,ates, and not others, and when they g
ave been found and identified, there D
nothing left to be disputed or de- Z
ded. All the rest is the mere cleri- .
j work of summoning up the num- y
srs, which being done, the Constitu- "
on itself declares the consequences. u
his bill, then, is only directed TO as n
,rtaining for the purpose and in aid a,
the counting what are the constitu- 81
onal votes of the respective States; oI
I'd, whatever jurisdiction exists for p
lch purposes, the bill only regulates e
10 method of exercising it. The Con- o
tuition, our great instrument and n
lrety for liberty and order, speaks in tol
10 amplest language for all such cases, q
whatever aspect they may be pre- "a
nted. 1t declares that Congress shall al
i've power to make all laws which al
lall be necessary and proper for car y
ing into execution the foregoing pow v
5, and all other powers vested by the q
onstitution in the Government Of the u
nited States, or any department or 10