The teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1876-1878, 1877-02-03
FRESIDEN COMPRO.
' T. Az MISE BILL.


A bill to provide for and regulate the count.
ing OF the votes for President and Vice
President and decision Of questions arts.
lng thereon, for the term commencing
March 4, 1877:
Be it enacted, That the Senate and
House of Representatives shall meet in the
hall of the House Of Representatives at the
hour OF 10, post meridian, o'clock, on the
frat Thursday in February, 1877, and the
President of the Senate shall be the presid-
Ing, officer. Two tellers shall be previously
appointed on the part Of the Senate and tw O
on tn part Of the House of Representatives
to whom shall be handed, as they are CD.
ened by the President Of the Senate, all the
certificates and papers purporting TO be Ger
tihcates Of electoral votes, which certif
Gates and papers shall be opened, presented
and acted upon in Alphabetical order OF the
States, beginning with A, and said tellers
having then read the same in the presence
and bearing Of the two Houses, all certifi-
Gates and the votes having beea opened
and counted as in the act provided, the re-
suit Of the same shall be delivered to the
President, 0f3the Senate, who shall there
upon announce the state of the vote, aud
the names of pers ons, ifany elected, which
announcement shall be deemed sufficient
declaration Of the persons elected President
and Vice President of the United States,
and together with the list of votes shall be
entered on the journals Of the two Houses.
Upon such reading CT any such certificate
or paper where there shall be only one re-
turn from a State, the President Of the
Senate shall call for objections if any. Ev-
cry objection shall be made in writing, aud
shall state clearly and concisely, and with
out argument, the ground thereof and
shall be signed by at least one Senator and
one member Of the House of Representa-
tives, before the same shall be received.
When all objections so made to any certit-
cate or paper from State shall have been
received and read, the Senate shall there
upon withdraw, and such objections shall
be submitted to the Senate for decision,
and the Speaker of the House Of Repre-
Ssntatives shall in like manner submit snch
objections to the House of Representatives
for its decision, and no electoral vote or
votes from any State from which one return
has been received shall be rejected, except
by an affirmative vote of the two Ionses
When the two Houses have voted they
hall Immediately again meet, and the pre-
siding officers shall then announce the de-
cision of the question submitted.
SECTION 2. That if more than one return,
or paper ,purporting to be return, from a
State,dsbAll have been received by the
President Of the Senate, purporting to be
certificates of electoral votes given a the
last precedia9 elecsion for Presidents al d
Vice President, in such State, unless they
shall be duplicates of the same return, all
such returns and papers shall be opened by
him III tho presence Of the two Houses
when met as aforesaid, and read by the
tellers !; and all such returns and papers
shall thereppon be submitted TO the judg-
mont and ,decision as to which is the true
and lawful electoral vote of such State, of
. commission constituted AS follows, name
~: During the session of such House on
tho Tuesday next, preceding the first Thurs
day in February, 1877, each House shall
BY viva voce vote appoint five OF its mem
bers who, with FIVE Associate Justices Of
tho Supreme Court of the United States to
be ascertained as hereina fter provided, shall
constitute a commission for the decision
upon, or in resrect of, such double returns
named in this section. On Tuesday next
preceding the first Thursday in February,
1877, or 40 soon thereafter as may be, the
Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of
tho United States now assigned to the first,
third, eighth and ninth circuits, shall elect,
In such manner as a majority Of them shall
deem at, another Associate Justice of said
court, which Ave persons shall be members
Of said commission, and the person longest
In commission of said FIVE Justices shall be
president Of said commission. The mem
bers of said commission shall respectively
take and subscribe to the following oath
~ (blank) do solemnly swear (or affirm as
the case may be,) that Twill impartally
examine and consider all questions sub
mittsd to the commission, of which am a
member, and true judgment to give.
thereon, agreeable TO the constitution and
lave, 90 help me Cod" which oath shall
b. fled with the Secretary of the Senate.
When tho commission shall have been thus
organized, 1t shall not be in the power of
either House to dissolve the same or to
withdraw any of its members; but if any