Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1877-01-24

mittee, after giving weeks Of careful
consideration to the subject, have
agreed upon report and submitted
a bill for the organization Of tribu-
nal to whom shall be referred all dis
puted questions. The report is
signed by thirteen OF the fourteen
members of the committee, Senator
Morton alone dissenting. The fol-
lowing is the full text of
| THE BILL.
A BILL to provide for and regulate the counting
OF the votes for President and Vice. President,
and the decision of the questions arising there
ON, for the term commencing March 4, 1877.
Be Il enacted, That the Senate and
House of Representatives shall meet
In the hall of the House of Represen-
tatives at the hour of 10 o'clock, ante
meridian, on the first Thursday in
February, A. d. 1877, and that the
President of the Senate shall be the
presiding officer. Two tellers shall
be previously appointed on the part
of the Senate and two on the part of
the House of Representatives, to
whom shall be handed, as they are
opened by the President of the Sem
ate, all certificates and papers pur-
porting to be certificates of the elec-
toral vote, which certificates and
papers shall be opened and presented
and acted upon In alphabetical order
of the States, beginning with A, and
said tellers, having then read the
same In the hearing Of the two hous-
es, shall make a list of the votes as
they shall appear from said certifi.
Gates, and the votes having been as
ccrtained and counted as in this act
provided, the result of the same shall
be delivered to the President of the
Senate, who shall thereupon an
nounce the state of the vote and the
names OF the persons, ifany, elected;
which announcement shall be DEEM
ed q sufficient declaration Of the per-
sons elected President and Vice Pres
ident of the United States, and,
together with list Of the votes, be
entered on the Journals of the two
Houses. Upon such reading of any
such certificate or paper when there
shall be only one return from State,
the President of tho Senate shall call
for objections, If any. Every objec-
tion shall be made In writing, and
shall state clearly and concisely, and
without argument, the ground there
OF, and shall be signed by at least one
Senator and one member OF the House
of Representative before the came
shall DO received. When oil objec-
tions so made 10 any vote or paper
from State shall have been re-
ceived and read, the Senate shall
thereupon withdraw, and such OBJ
jections shall thereupon be presented
to the Senate for its decision; and the
Speaker Of tho House of Representa-
tives shall, In like manner, submit
such objections TO the House OF Rep.
resentatives for its decision; and no
electoral vote or votes from any
State from which but one return has
been received shall be rejected except
by the affirmative vote OF 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
question submitted.
SEC. 2. That If more than one re-
turn or paper purporting to be a re-
turn from State shall have been
received by the President OF the SEN
ate, purporting 10 be the certificates
OF electoral votes 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
shall be opened by him In the pres.
ence Of the two Houses when met as
aforesaid and read by the tellers, and
all such returns ana papers shall
thereupon be submitted to tho judg-
menment and decision, as TO which
Is the true and lawful electoral vote
ofsuch State, OF a commission COM
posed as follows, namely:
During the session OF each House
on the Tuesday next preceding the
first Thursday In February, 1877,
each House shall, by viUa Uoce vote,
appoint five Of Its members, who,
with the five associate Justices of the
Supreme Court OF the United States,
to be ascertaiued as hereinafter pro-
vided, shall constitute commission
for the decision Of all questions upon
or In respect OF such double returns
named In this section.
On the Tuesday next preceding tho
first Thursday in February, A. ID.
1877, or as soon thereafter a. may be,
the associate Justices OF the Supreme
Court OF the United States now as
signed TO the first, third, eighth, and
ninth circuits shall select, In such
manner as majority OF them shall
deem fit, another OF the associate
Justices OF said court, which five per-
sons shall be members Of said COM
mission; and the person longest In
commission Of said five justices shall
be the president OF said commission.
The members OF said commission
shall respectively take and subscribe
the following oath:
II, , do solemnly swear Tor
affirm, as the case may be) that will
impartially examine and consider all