The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-01-19

act to the patriotic and just judgment Of
Congress.
Signed II, i. PAYNE,
l&rMA IluNToN,
AnRAM S. HEWITT,
W. NJ. SPRINGER,
GEO. W. MCCRARY,
Gro. +. IlOAR,
Gro. WILLARD,
House Committee
GEO. r. EDMuNps,
+. FRELNGnuYsES,
RosCoE CONKLIEG,
A. q. THuRMAN,
L. i. BAYARD,
NJ. W. RANSOM,
SeaGtc Committee.
Senator Morton was the only member
who did not sign the report.
The House resumed consideration Of
the resolutions reported by the Committee
on Privileges and was addressed by Mr..
Bnrchard, Of Illinois, in favor Of the
minority report.
At the close ol his speech the resolution
went over without action, and the House
adjourned. ..f. .EH'.#
'... SENATE.
REPORT OF TmE'srECIAL COMMITTEE ON
COUNTING THE ELECTORAL VOTE.
Mr.. Edmunds from the special COM
mittee appointed to devise means for
counting the electoral vote, submitted a
report in writing, accompanied bya bill.
lie said the report, he was happy to say,
was signed by all the members Of both
committees with one exception. The
committee would desire TO take up the
bill and report At the earliest possible
day, probably Saturday, but certainly on
Monday next, and would press it TO a
final consideration. The committee was
Of the opinion that the measure they
recommended was not what Could be
called a compromise, but it was meas
urc OF justice in aid OF constitutional
government. No one would have right
TO say that anybOdy's views had been sur.
rendered IN any respect.
The following is the text Of the bill
accompanying the report submitted by
Mr.. Elmunds:
A bill TO provide for and regulate the
counting Of the votes for President and
Vice President, the decision Of questions,
arising therelrom, for the term com.
mencing March lth, ammo domini 1877.
BE it enacted by the Senate and House
Of Representatives OF the United States Of
America, in Congress assembled, that the
Senate and House of Representatives
shall meet in the hall Of the House Of
Representatives at the hour OF 10 post
meridian, on the first Thursday IN Feb.
ruary, A. d. 1877, and the President OF
the Senate shall be the presiding officer.
Two telIers shall be previously appointed
on the part Of the Senate and two on the
part Of the House Of Representatives, TO
whom there shall be handed IA they are
opened by the President Of the Senate, all
the certificates and papers purporting to
be certificates Of the electoral vote,
which certificates and papers shall be
opened, presented and acted upon
in the alphabetical order Of the
States, beginning with the letter A, and
said tellers, having read the same in the
presence and hearing of the two houses,
shall make n list OF the votes as they
shall appear from said certificates, and
the votes having been ascerLaincd and
counted as in this act provided, the result
Of the same shall BE- delivered to the
President OF the Senate, who shall there
upon announce the state OF the vote and
the names Of the persons, il any, elected,
which announcement shall be deemed a
sufficient declaration OF the persons elect
cd President and Vice President OF the
United States, and the same, together
with n list Of the votes, shall be entered
on the journals Of the two houses.
Upon such reading Of any such Ger.
tilicate or paper when there shall be only
one return from state, the President
Of the Senate shall call for objections. Ii
any are made, every objection shall be
in writing and state clearly and concise.
ly, and without argument the ground
thereof, and shall be signed by at least
one Senator and one member ofthc House
Of Representatives, before the same shall
he read. When all objections so
made to any vote or paper from any
state, shall have been received and read,
the Senate shall thcrcupon Withdraw,
aud such objections shall be submitted 10
the Senate for its decision, and the
Speaker Of the House Of Representatives
shall in like manner submit such Obiec.
tioTS to the House OF Representatives ior
its decision, and no electoral vote or vote
from any state from which but one re.
turn has been received, shall be objected
to, except by the affirmative vote ol the
two Houses. When the two Houses
have voted, they shall Immediately again
meet, and the presiding officer shall then
announce the decision OF the questions
submitted.
SEC. .. That il more than one return
or paper purpOrting to be the return
from State shall have been received by
the President Of the Senate, purporting
to be certificates Of the electoral vote
given at the last preceding election for
President and Vice President in such
State, unless they shall be duplicates OF
the same return, all such returns and
papers shalt be opened by him III the
presence Of the two Houses when met as
aforesaid and read by tclIcrs, and all such
returns and papers shall there
upon be submitted TO the iulg-
mcnt and decision, as TO which
is the true and lawful electoral
vote Of such State, OF commission con.
stitutcd a. follows, namely: During the
session OF each House on the Tuesday
next preceding the first Thursday in
February, 1877, each House shall by u
rir,i roce vote appoint five Of its members
who, with five Associate Justices Of the
Supreme Court OF the United States, to