New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-01-18
TIE CONlPROMISE.
AN AGREEMENT LATE AT N'GHT-PRACrICAL UNI
NiMiTY or THE JOINT CoMMIrrEE-TERMs o.
TUE COMPROMISE.

40 AGREEMENT LATE AT NIGHT-PRACrCAL UNh-
.,v,TY OF THE JOINT CoAMITTEE-TERMs OF
TIE COMPROMISE.
10y TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE
WASHINGTON, JAM 1.-THE joint commit
,es on counting electoral votes reached agree
ent this afternoon The report has not been signed as
the vote upon it taken at so late an hour that an
official copy could not be prepared for signatures The
,han which viii bc recommended to both houses to-mor-
row ia substantially similar to that reported in THE
TYIBuNE two 0r three days ago. The Senate recedes
from the position held by many OF its MEMBERS that ts
president has the right 10 act judciay IN connection
With the counting of the vote, and the House recedes
from IFS position that the votes OF any States can be re-
cted on the dmand OF either branch OF Congress The
certificates the States TO be opened by the vice
president IN the manner directed by the Constitution
and in accordance with the precedents from 1898 TO the
present time
Tho votes arc to be compiled by the tellers and the
tally reported by them TO the President OF the Senate
who is to the result When the votes rom any
Stale are unquestoned they TO be counted exactly as
received II the vote nom any state Ia objected 10 by
member OF either house the two houses are TO separate
and after brief discussion are to pass upon the recep
lion Of the votes No vote is TO rejected without the
concurrence of both houses IN all cases where TWO OF
more set OF returns have been received from any State
they are all TO be opened by the President OF tho
Senate and the houses, voting separately, are
10 determine which of them, II either snail
be counted. II both houses decide to count
any one Of these votes then they shall he compiled by
the teers both houses agree to reject ALL then no
vote from the state shall be compiled by the teers But
the houses disagree in their selection Of the return to
he received then all questions OF law connected with the
returns from that state be submitted TO board OF
arbitration consisting Of fifteen members and constituted
as follows: FIVE Senator's 10 be appointed by the Pres
dent OF the Senate five Representatives appointed Dy the
Speaker the House. and four Judges two of whom are
flo Don nh an1f pn
whose bearing supposed TO he toward the Democracy
They will be named the bill Tho Judges to select
a fifth Justice, whose appointment will complete the
board OF arbitration The decisions or recommendations
of this board be reported 10 both houses ana the
question TO be put in each whether they shall be sus
tanned or If both houses vote 10 reject the d. "sion
OF this board then is TO have no binding force But IN
all other cases the return which lie determined by the
board arbitration 10 be the legal one from the State IL
70 be compiled with the votes from other States,
The discussion during the last day two, is under
stood has been mainly in regard to the selection OF the
five judges Of the Supreme Court. Many different
propositions were made. Among them was one, which
has heretofore been mentioned for appointing the four
Judges oldest in the service and to select fifth by lot
Another was to place upon the board the five judges
Oldest In the services and still another the five judges
beginning with the Chief Justice, whose names stand
first upon list The plan finally agreed upon is be
heved by members of both committees to he abso
lutoy fair and impartial and to be less open to objection
than any other that was proposed
The report OF the committee win, il is believed nc
unanimous. Senator Morton was not present at the
meetings the committee during the greater part of the
day and his Republican colleagues in the Senate commit
tee lad authority cay that he would sign the re-
port The other six members OF the Senate committee,
namely, Messrs. Edmunds, Frelinghuysen, Conkling,
Bayard, Thurman, and Ransom, have agreed to atix
their signatures 10 it, In the House committee there
Will probably be no division, although member has
not given his absolute assent 10 the report The nature
Of the report though known TO few people in Washing
ton tonight has not been much discussed its details
were learned at late hour that few people knew OF
them in time TO make any comments upon them. The
bill win be reported TO both houses tomorrow, and each
house will make attempt TO proceed to its discussion
as early possible When tho bill has passed one house
twin OF course go to the other for its concurrence.