, 1877-01-06


ntcly fo!low, to my orcr nr body other than or
different firm, the one already i,nmcst, md to
whom they have expressly given The right to
,wctttl Herewith.
The nat,trc Of the duty Imposed 1y t1'c COM
manl TO count tho rotr prcel,,,les any inference
or Implication that 1t wis intended to be dc.
volvrsl uron nnr otl,cr tlan him who Is charged
with the duty Of opening the returns Tho In
junction Il tf1as " Tie yuc sl,:.!l t1cn be count.
ct1." That means the cnt!ru vote, not II part Of
II. No direction Is given to count rurt mud re-
y Sst @ @e.e nS f. nn be y as yea .c
y nnl ncrt,ratc1y l,y ulc na hy ti,nny,-hy the
President Of The Sei,atc rs BY The tSp llonsrsnf
Congress. Hence thr ahsrutc Of my necessity
~ the contrary. that not upon tlis Two lfh,ssc*,
Int urou lin wl,u Is charged with tile receiving
nlt opcnlf.r OF lie rctrs, Is rynlytu the llIfn"
i*ttrIa duty Of counting the votes,
But II all this he true, What trccs*Iy cS!sts
FIR the presence Of the sruate and 1loase Of
Representatives. DOES NIT the tart that the
opening Of tho returns n.ll the counting of tho
role shall he inatIn in their rtcscntc misc tho
conclusive implication Of rowcr tn them 70 !Ee.
clare What votes shall 6e counted and what
cxclultsli
4 sufficient an'l powerful rcaann exists for
their presence other than the e1crctsc OF the
,@ n aSsF9s s peMer spR9ssh d th
th'tltinI Of the vote arc purely ministerial md
clerical fHnetiaIns, Jet, In view of Ito tnomens-
ous Consequences possible to result from error
emo Of Tic two lioiiacs to witness aud attest
their nlgurlcyis VI the very Er1ycst Importance.
But It by no ,ucans folluws IRON, the co,istitu-
ttonal command to oc present and bear witness
to the accurate auu faithful performance OF Ills
duty by the President Of tile Scnatc, that they
nrc thereby ciothell With power to rcsttnin or
eupcrse!ie him III tho performance Of that duty
ny requiring bin to omit or r:eet SUNG paft q
the votrs which tlsv Constitution declares shall
then be counted. The duty Imposed Is to count
the vote, not to reject It. The epreaence nt the
two lLn,iscs Is to heAr witness u nnd Insure tho
performance Of this duty, not prevent i.
Reasoning becomes irrcslst!b}e. Neither the
two Houses, nur either of them, nor my officers
thereof, run rtGhtfnl'y exercise my lh'wer nut
delegated either expressly ur hy necessary i'm
llicatlon. M clalsc slGlegatcs auy N,wcr To-
nnr 1cynlves any uuty whatever, 1tpt,il either
House or officers thascuf III regard to the tf'l1't~
In: OF tue Electoral vote excerpt the clal1sc I'M.
der consideration. : But Ral aid The 0n1y plwcr
delegated Or duty euloscd by this clause |. to
count tho yote-tot to t1,Ityass II, counting part
mn! rctegtt1sg tile re*t!itc- IL, tlcrtlt,re. tic
Hholc power 50 delegated WIS exclusively vest-
cl In tic two unuscs. ur eilher Of tliein,
instcaiE uf the President of tho Senate,
they would bc clothed with authority 10
tlO no THnrc, hu less, than what the
tanst tuition conman.'s shall he done, namely,
that thu whole votr, mt part az IT, hilall then
bc counted. Whence It tUl!uws shat' Whit they
could not do or omit II exclusively vested will,
The Enwer 1T making tic enltllt they cannot
compel the PRESIDENT q the Senate to ao r
omit when clothed with tho sa1t1u ami no other
or greater power. ,,-.
Let mo nov suggest 6onIc Of tho cNlEhrThss-
rncllts that you'll rralllt trum voncc.lfng to tho
Scf1Ast Aht HOUSE, ul representatives the ftlhc-
tions vi n Canyasslng Boan', with power tocount
or reject NJ plea*urn:
]. TIC two Houses arc separate, uiattnet, nnl
independent organizations, coc4uAi in uElltys
puthurlty, and sovereignty. Neither run be
subordlaated to the power nur merged in tile cx.
fstcnct OF The 0tilor.
=. THIS tsiVestituro with joint power TO count
Or reject implies the rght, to e. determine t!o
cause 1s'r md tic ocrastoh u It's cSeryise. As
the CONSTITUTION nom!lera Indicates the catsca
which sliail tntlurnce tlcn In the exercise OF tl1o
power, they n'ust be clothed Will, uncontrolled
discretion to reject for any CAUSE. OF upon my
What rule shal obtain gu Tho l'ypoth,;sts that
thu power Ia joint, anti tunut bc liadc fHcctuni
without tho concurrence ~ both l1oueesf Shall
tisa1reetncnt In resard to my vote rcqu!Fo
tiat IL s!lall be cuhtel, or sha!! sslc ulaaGree-
mtnt relAiro TINT u bc rc]cctris
II tho former rule oetAns, t'eh either House,
fayorinE nll tue votes East Tor majority candl-
date, cat' compcl then! to oc eouttcd. nnd ITS
favored eailiiate IcclaTcti 10 ~ certet In deli
nilee Of tue opposition anu protest OF tho otlicr
ilouFe. ....... ....
X TIC Inter rule nbtain, Thea tt1e n0!-cnnCr-
1c1,ce ol cither tiotise ~ tlc cotlitiug ~ any
ho III the power 0t tIthrr ilGise, by dissenting
70 sufficient number u vDtes eust for the l1la.
Iortty cahuksate, 10 uS1cat Tug election OF
lTe.ll1ent by tho Colleges Whenever political
or other motives might prompt tho exercise OF
suct. discretion.
Again, II either House, by ynoil-conritrringin
rote fur any caHsu or upon nny prctext whatever,
could work 1tA rejection, II run be rentlt!y COLI
]cetireA, IN easE af disagreement or tontest he-
tween the t'Su Houses, lAat cael might nrb'fta'
| rily nn4 obstll'ateIy chl'e 10 concur With tho
| olnGr III tllc counting Of any vote, n'hl thus
work the exclusion OF ulE ot either might tie.
ett.c III Unite with thu other, mid pSeSot hr de-
fcat eount hlt"gtfhsr.
| Let liz Bnp2nse either contingency to arise,
would IT. nut altnyrtilcr .!cfeAt tho election. ul
render ti!e constitutional rloslng Df President
i!npts tshiGs Itlht instrument declares tiIat t!l:
President ot tlia senate h!lall n}ien thu ccrii-
Gates, an'l tlia votes Fl'all thtn hc e1untct:.
"Tlle prrsnn having the Ergntcst number nf
yotea 10r President t!mll bc the President, II
bnclL nutnt'cr bc u lnnlnrity III the wliulc nnn-
bcr u EirrtnrB appointed; p1nl II 10 person
have sllcE majority lheA ffstnI the person eIay-
Ing thu h!ylrst ,IuibrrS, nut exceeding tlirE0
! nn Tic. list. VI tllnsc voted for III Pre+l.
,ic.it, the llouHo of Representatives shall
esiouse immediately, lty ballot thu President" "
1t Is perfectly upparcnt tiLut n vnnt OF
tle vote Il 4 cul!fitpn prccedcnt to tht clMhco
I 4