Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-01-25

| ence and hearing of the two Houses. shall
| from the said certificates. and the votes having
| been ascertained and counted. as in this act
provided the result Of the same shall be delivered
10 the President OF the Senate who shall thereup
/ on announce the state of the vote and the names
OF the persons (if any elected. which announce.
! ment shall be deemed sufficient declaration OF
/ persons elected President and Nlce-President OF
the United States and, together with list of the
votes, De entered on the journal 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 the Senate shall
cal cain for objections. If any Every objection
| clearly and concisely, and without argu-
ment, 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 objections so made TO any
vote or paper from any State shall have been re-
ceived niread. the Senate shall thereupon with
| draw, and such objections shall be submitted to
| The Senate for its decision, and the Speaker of
the House of Representatives shall IN like manner
submit such objections TO the House OF Repre-
sentatlYes for its decision. and no Electoral vote
or votes from any State from which but one re-
| turn has been received, shall De objected eX-
| cept by the affirmative vote of the two houses
| " hen the two houses have voted, they shall i'm
medlatey again meet and the presiding officer
shall then announce the decision OF the question
Section two provides that in case more than one
return or paper purporting to be the return from
any state shall have been received by the Presi-
Dent OF the Senate, unless they shall be duplicates
OF the same returns. all such returns and papers
shall be opened by him in the pre- ence of tue two
houses, and read by the tellers and all such re-
turns and papers shall thereupon BIZ submitted TO
the Judgment and decision, TO which is the true
| and lawful Electoral vote of such State, of COM
! mission constituted as follows, namely: During
| the session OF such House on the Tuesday next
| preceding the first Thursday in February, 1877,
| each House shall by UirG 0oce vote appoint five
| of its members, who, with five Associate Justices
| of the Supreme Court of the United States, to be
ascertained as hereinafter provided, shall consti-
tute commission for the decision OF all questions
| n
| in this section. On the Tuesday next preceding
the first Thursday in February, A D. 1877, or US
soon thereafter as may be, the Associate Justices
| of the Supreme Court Of the United States now
| signed to the First Third, Eighth and Ninth Dis
tricts shall select, in such manner as majority OF
them shall deem fit, another of the Associate JUS
| tees OF said Court, which five persons shall be
members OF said commission, and the person long
est in commission of the said Justices shall be Pres
ident OF said commission. The members of said
| commission shall respectively take and subscribe
| to the following oath: II (blank) do solemnly
impartially examine and consider all questions
| submitted to the commission of which | am
member; and true Judgment give thereon, agree
!. able to the Constitution and laws, so help me
God which oath shall be filed with the Secretary
| of the Senate. When the commission shall have
been thus organized, it shall not be in the power
| of either House to dissolve the same or to with
! draw any of its members. provision is here
made for the fill ing of any vacancy which may
be caused by death or inability the part of any
member of the commission to act.) All the GER
tlfcates and papers purporting to be- the certif-
| Gates of the Electoral votes of each state shall
| be opened in alphabetical order of the States,
| as provided in Sec. I, and when there shall
be more than one such certificate or paper from
such States. they shall so be opened. and, except
| ing the duplicates of the same returning, they
| shall be read by the telers, and thereDpon the
President of the Senate shall call for objections
| if any. Every objection shall be made in writing,
and shall state clearly and concisely and without
| argument the ground thereof. and shall be signed
by at least one Senator and one member of the
House of Representatives before the shall
| be received. When all such objections so made
| to any certificate, VOTE or paper from a State
shall have been received and read, all such
| certificates, votes and papers so objected to
and all papers accompanying the same to-
gether with such objections, shall be forthwith
proceedto consider the same with the same pow
ers, If any now possess ed for that purpose by the
two houses acting separately or together. and by
| O majority of votes decide whether any and what
votes from such States are the votes provided for
by the Constitution of the United States. and how
many and what persons were duly appointed Elec
tors in such State and may therein take into view
such petitions, dispositions, and other papers,
if any, as shall by the Constitution and
now existing law be competent. and, peril
| nent in such consideration, which decision
shall be made in writing, stating briefly the
ground thereof, and signed by the members of
said commission agreeing therein, whereupon the
two houses shall again meet and such decision
shall be read and entered in the journal of each
house, and the counting of the votes shall proceed
in conformity herewith, unless, upon objection
made thereto in writing by at least five Senators
and five members of the House of Representatives
the two houses shall separately concur in order
ing otherwise, in which such concurrent order
shall govern. No votes or papers from any other
State shall be acted upon until the objections
previously made to the votes papers from one
State shall have been finally disposed of.
Section three provides that while the two houses
shall be in meeting, no debate shall be allowed
| and no question shall be put by the presiding Of
fcer, except to either house, or a motion to with
draw and he shall have power to preserve order.
Section four is to the effect that when the two
houses separate to decide upon objection or
other question arising under this act each Senate
and Representative may speak to such objection
or question ten minutes, and not Ofteuer than
once, but after such debate shall have lasted two
main question without further debate.
Section five provides that the joint meeting shall
not be dissolved until the count Of the Electoral
votes shall be completed and the result declared
and no recess shall be taken except question
shall have arisen in regard to counting any such
votes, or otherwise, in which case it shall be com
petent for either house. acting separately, to d
rect recess of such house not beyond the next
day Sunday eXcepted) at the hour of ten O'Clock
in the forenoon, and while any question is being
| considered by said commission either house may
pro eed with its legislative other business.
Section six provides that nothing in this act shall
be held to impair or affect any right now existing
| under the Constitution and laws TO question. by
proceedings in the Judicial Courts of the United
States, the right title of the person who shall he
declared elected, or who shall claim to be Presi-
dent or Vice president of the United States if any
such right exists,