The teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1876-1878, 1877-02-03


| pointed shall take and subscribe the oath
hereinbefore prescribed, and become a
member of said commission. And in like
manner, if any of said ju stices of the Su-
preme Court shall die or become physically
incapable of performing the duties required
by this act, the other o said justices, mem
bers Of said commission, shall Immediately
appoint another justice of said court, a
member OF such commission and n such
appointments regard shall be had to the
| impartlality and freedom from bias sought
by the original appointments to said COM
mission, who shall thereupon Immediately
! take and subscribe TO the oath hereinbetore
prescribed, and become member of said
commission to fill the vacancy so occasioned.
All the certificates and papers purporting
TO he certificates of electoral votes of each
| State, shall be oDened in alphabetical or
| der OF States as provided in section one Of
this act; and when there shall be more
than one such certificate or paper AS the
certlhcaes and papers from such State
shall so be opened, excepting duplicates of
the same return, they shall be read by the
tellers, and thereHpon the President of the
senate shall call tor objections, if any.
Objections shall be made in writing, and
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 such objections 90 made to any cer,if-
cate, vote or paper from State shall have
been received or read, all such certificates,
votes and papers so objected to, ahd all
papers ACCOMPANYING the same, together
with snch objections, shall be forthwith
submitted to said commission-whichs shall
proceed to consider the same with the same
powers, If any now possessed for that pur-
pose by the two Houses acting separately,
or together, and, by q majority o. votes,
decide whether any, and what votes from
snch States are the votes provided for by
the constitution Of the United States and
how many, and what persons were duly APP
pointed electors in such State, and may
therein taxa Into view snch petitions, depo-
slnons and other papers, if any. as sha by
the constitution and now existing law, be
competent and pertinent in such consdera-
ton, which decision shall be made in writ
lug, stating briefly the ground thereof, and
signed nv the members Of said commission
agreeing thereto. Thereupon the Houses
shall again meet, and such decision shall
be read and entered on the journals of each
House, and the counting of votes shall pro-
coed in conformity Herewith. unless upon
objections made thereto in writing by at
least five Senators and five members Of the
House of Representatives. the two Houses
shall separately concur ia ordering it other
wise, in which case such concurrent order
shall govern. No votes or papers from any
other State shall be acted upon until ohiec-
tions previously made to the votes or pap
ers from any State shall have been formerly
disposed Of.
SEC. 3. That while the two Houses shall
be in meeting as provided in this act, no
debate shall be allowed and no question
shall be put by the presiding officer except
to either House &? or motion withdrawn,
and he shall have power to preserve order
SEC. 4. That when the two Houses sep
"rato to decide upon any objection that
may have been made to the counting ofany
electoral vote or votes from any States, or
upon objection to the report of said COM
mission, or other question arising under
this act, each Senator and Representative
may speak to such objection or question
ten minutes, and not oftener than once;
but after such debate shall have lasted two
hours it shall be the duty Of each House to
put the main question without, further de-
bate. ''
SEC. 5. That at such joint meeting of
the two Houses, seats shall be provided as
follows: For the President of the Senate,
the Speakers chair for the Speaker, i'm
mediately upon his left for the Senators,
in the body of the hall on the right OF the
presiding officer; for the Representatives,
in the body of the hall not provided for the
Senators; for the Tellers, Secretary of the
Senate, and Clerk of the House of Repre-
sentatives, at the clerks desk. For other
officers of the two Houses, in front of the
clerks desk npon each side of the Speakers
platform. Such joint meeting shall not be
dissolved uutil the count of the electoral
votes shall be completed and the result
declared, and no recess shall be taken I'M
less a question shall have arisen in regard
TO counting any such votes or otherwise
under this act, in which casa it shall be