, 1877-01-27
The Conference EBill.


tOral Committee Of both HJuses Of Con.
grcss to provide for and regulate the
counting OF the votes for President and
Vice. Prcsldant, and the decision of queS.
tions arising thereon, for the term com.
mcncing March 4, 1877:
Be IL enacted, ETC., That the Senate
and House of Representatives shall meet
IN the hall of the House of Representa-
tives at the hour of 10 O'Clock, post me
ridian, on the first Thursday in Febru
AIRY, 1877, and the President of the Sen
ate shall he the presiding officer. Two
telers shall be previously appointed on
the part of the senate and two on the
part of the house of Representatives, to
whom shall be banded. as they are open
ed by the President of the Senate, all
the certificates and papers purporting to
be certificates of electoral votes, which
certificates and papers shall be opened,
presented and acted upon in alphabetical
order OF the States beginning with A !;
and said tcllers having read the same in
the presence and hearing OF the two
Houses, all certificates and the votes hav-
ing been opened and counted as in said
net provided, the result of the same shall
be delivered to the President Of the Sen.
ate, who shall thereupon announce the
state of the vote, and the names Of the
persons, if any. elected, which Announce.
ment shall be deemed u sufficient declN-
ration of the persons elected President
and Vice.Presdent Of the United States,
and together with the list OF votes shall
be entered ON the journals Of the two
Houses. Upon such reading of any such
certificate or paper where there shall he
only one return from State, the Presi.
dent Of the Senate shall call for ohjec-
tions, if any. Every objection shall be
made in writing, and shall state clearly
and concisely, and without argument,
the ground thereof, and shall be signed
by at least one Senator and one member
of the House Of Representatives, before
the same shall be received. When all
objections so made to any certificate or
paper from State shall be received and
read, the Senate shall thereupon with
draw, and said objections shall be sub
mittGd to the Senate for its decision, and
the Speaker oi the House Of Representa-
tives shall in like manner submit such
objections to the House OF Representa-
tiVes for its decision, and no electoral
vote or votes of any State from which
but one return has been received shall be
rejected, except by an affirmative vote
of both Houses. When the two Houses
have voted, they shall Immediately again
meet, and the presiding officers shall an.
nounce the decision Of the question sub.
mitted.
SEC. 2. That IL more than one return
or paper purporting to be return from
State, shall have been received by the
President Of the Senate, purporting to be
certificates ui electoral votes given at the
last preceding election for President and
Vice President, in such State, unless
they shall be duplicates Of the same re-
turn, all such returns and papers shall
be opened by him IN the presence of the
two Houses when met rs aforesaid, and
read by the tellers and NIL such returns
and papers shall thereupon he submitted
to the judgment and decision as to
which is the true and lawful electoral
vote Of such State, ofa commission con-
stituted as follows, namely; During the
session OF such House on the Tuesday
next proceeding the first Thursday in
February, 1877, each House shall by q
vica Uoce vote appoint FIVE OF its members,
who, With five' assd dciate justices of the
Supreme Court Of the United States to
be ascertained as hereinafter provided,
shall constitute commission for the de-
cision of all questions upon, or in respect
of, such double returns named in this
section. On Tuesday next preceding
the next Thursday IN February 1877, or
as soon thereafter as may be, the associ-
ate justices of the Supreme Court OF the