, 1877-01-04
THE PRESIDENCY AGAIN.


In practical manner and tho light of reason.
That instrument Il br.cf, probably too much 30,
but likely not. 1t was framed for The govern
ment Of republic, character Of government
not thcn much known, snd cmbodyinR the pltu*
ciplcs Of \ representative democracy.
1t Is cfenr TINT according to the Constitution
The President OF tile Senate shall open tho ccr-
tidcatcs. II Is equally plain that when opened
the Electoral voto shnll be counted. by whom
that count Is 10 bc mndc accn1s to have become
q mootcd qucttion.
We admit that In regard to the manner Of
counting tho votes mud declaring the result,
rule might be adopted, not In violation Of the
Constitution, but, II no eueh rule shall be In
force, that furnished by tho Constitution must
govern. "The votes shall then 10 counted.'
Whcn3 After tho certificates shalt have besn
opened.
There Is, therefore,, power conferred upon
some pctson Or persons tn do, Or cause 10 be
done, what tho Constitution says shall be done.
We have recently seen pomu speculation on
tho question OF Joint convention Of The two
Houses Of Congress-, certainty very visionary.
So far from ioiut convention being proper. tho
Constitution does not rcQuEre that either House
slnl be present In TIC character Of convention,
or In netunl session for any purpose, except 10
witness tho Of tcnlng OF certificates and counting
tho votes.
Ordinarily, tho President Of the Senate is the
Vice-rrcsidept DE- jutr, having no vote except In
case Of tie.
Whatever tle tsrs OF de ,)aeto character he may
possess. he Is the presiding officer. or, moro
properly, the officer, who is required 10 do tho
work, or catiso It to 10 done under his super.
vision. Though he may not bc expressly direct
ed TO count tne VOICE ~ pe1spie. no otnea pelsoh
y 70 required, and " rs Tue co'ant!nE Il YES.
somewheie vested. Mc appfcheha ing seaeoh
TINT tle direction on TINT Question ta n1t n1rc
positively stated N ths GonsusatsoN ~ IS, shnt w.
f9esast e ts tSs senas IN ps s
supervision. ~ tciiere appointed by nm for liat
PURPOSE rus aiao ineltiues tno aut!otIy 20
aeciaro tna tesult pY tho Fscf'dcht VI the
senate. .,~o. .,,,. ,,o.,, 1r,,., =,
lhe statato requires tl'nt ootn Hohscs OF
Congress shall % 10 session ,, on t!le second
WEDNESDAY M FepIuaiI: Mnyt olInpiy r.
Gauss ou !"ak wy ths eestMshee ase sGnHseH'to
p9ftant @ pToeeeihg @ snall % oe na IN 1ms presence
ta a. ootA ltuuses. nuss no'uvI., .e 1ot'ssa t,
Iiola II os ntaLueo ptcssiue .a1E u.1.E iof eitncI
Huuso ~ ", cAcupt ~ uiscIaISe the'I icHnl
nIt5t y ut1uN ElesGntt - ~ uoSa W hNFe
filled filled to tee observe It. lho Constlt9t!on do@s not
dlrect tuat, auIlnE tne ~ OF opent1 cett1!eates
ao a spa"S ~ taat 'Hae, ~ III es tas u % tne atc
~ "ir ~ s!nnIv Xxx nTIr sn, r. & .e e
Ii 0'" ~
ths presence &C; q M the to Two A9tlscs: e. , e.
~ tnGte nus peIn tu1m 1marocu HoI' cnen plalo
ss teaa! ~ iosa' asa SNOW
tu M ~ ~ ia.s ~ a. ~" H. s
entltGnt S' ~ uo' ~ ieest a"nh'ns ~ hmo rastt-
gaito aos Yotes' mere VIII ~ no ni1.leu,ty IN
st shaes euiuns.,s i VI uteiasf .he result oeeaNse
tts'o ae Is I'r ILL., u1Ss IT. tnns a & 1nf ees afe e'
wo'a nni n III Il. nnrta nH VIII ~ p'''ee'' ~
q, ~, 1omefsf, cc1tni9utes run sonc Q. Inc
etlteA i'nve ueoh Hlutuatc4s SHOWING that I"o
ests o. hlettot' sla'fa 10 nas9 heen arlxnnteo,
ahd sai, easa mn has sast ahe hMbsr ~ yotes ~
sehate w necessarily KNOW ',, LINZ one Sce ol
saia Votea nave ocest Ilcea!iY gwen We
ass,ume, a1.t %e thihR lts correctness
W. W., pao n91 r,9. 10 a.sls,s. tiat ~ more
tnn'l GOV fotcs cti ~ icEAiIy eotln1eu' nor eal
nmy nosn n ~ sgany sy eonlten TT ItaIe taaN
fala siate IS entitled TO- ara AZ s'iih numbers
afe oIlc1al1y Known oY the frcsiaeHt ot t4e
Senate;
epMr'nus ~ WI as th9se tnat 9Fe Ieea! tases
WI! oo presented, seAa!Tsns the Hests!oh % t!e
oiiecf or persons hsV1ns tne fishI 70 decide;
ni'd' az aomo must necessarily ls alsfccar!ed.
tho rulIug on tho QUESTION presented must ba
innae hy tho person os persons On whom tho au'
thoflty 70 aee;de has nce1' soh.cfteu either e
rrcssly or by Implication. toT sueh power ~ ccf~
tainlY vested somewhere. Without IT, the en-.
tire fabric OK our G0Ycrntneilt ~ou''l be hclu
togcthcr by bauas no stronger than ropes Of
se!.d.
hHoi t@eFcInIcf eLlAli HGciue tiIUfG tttles+I3Hs!
Not the senato Or House Ut Representatives.,
hocasisa 10 aet q duty u m Affirmative c!,ara-
ter Ia assfgned to either Ia councctima with tho
ceremony of counting thc votes. II there has
been u failure to elect, tlcn upon cacll duty Ut
such character does tIeyolye Int liot until then.
It must have occurred to tho franers of tho
Constitution that In View Ut the iu,portaf,t duty
that might, In Il certain contingency, dcsolvc
upon either House ot Congress, the 'ncnlbers
thereof should nut have lern mixed up IN the
work assIgncd TO thu President ot tho Srnate,
but, like Court, bu frre ind untrumtnccd.
As tho power to decide the questions tllYt may
nrisu III connection with rolntins tic VOTES,
some spurious aud necessarily to t,u Disregard
cd, has beesl somewhere vested, wo m1niuln
thAt It has been Bo vested III thu President uf
the Senate. lie IL tho only person on wllots. any
labor or duty VI u positive ar Affirmative char
actcr has hcrn conferred, md lsu pclson who,
as the rcgular Nicc-tEcstticnt. would he no
lnoro tlan BinIpty tho President Of the Senate,
having no vGicu IN tbs election To- sutryetl fail
except to preside, md IN rsse VI t[u would urol
aGty llhSc the TlE!lt to give tho clstllls rotr+
W. could imagine i. e,.4e In which 5,,e ii the
Houses q Congress should rcfuso to bo III scs'
aton Gil tile scr0nd Wednesday III February, or,
being ln &csxtUu, should refuBc to attcllu a!ll