River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-01-25


Senate Committee.
S. w. Payne,
EPPAs S. HINTON,
ABRAM S. HEWITT,
WIN. SPRINGER,
GEO. w. MCCRARY,
GEO. f. HoAR,
GEO. WILLARD,
House Committee.
Senator Morton was the only mem.
Der of the committee who did not sign
the report.
The Bill.
A bill to provide for and regulate the count
ing of votes for President and Vice Presi-
dent, and the decision OF question arising
thereon, for the term commencing March 4,
A. ID. 1877.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House OF
of the United States of Amer
Tea, in Congress assembled, That the Senate
and House of Representatives meet in the
hall of the Honse of Representatives at the
hour OF - O'Clock meridian, ON the first
Thursday of February, A. d. 1877, and the
President of the Senate shall be the presiding
officer. Two tellers shall be previously APP
pointed 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 Senate all the certificates
and papers purpOrting to be certificates OF the
electoral vote, which certificates and papers
shall be opened, presented and acted upon III
alphabetical order of the States, beginning
with GA" of said letters Having then read
the same, the tellers, in the presence and
hearing of the two houses, shall make list
of votes as they shall appear from the said
certificates, and the votes having been ascer-
taihed and counted, as in this act provided,
the result VI the same shall be delivered to
the President OF the Senate, who shall there
upon announce the state OF the vote, and the
names OF the persons, ii any elected, which
announcement shall be deemed sufficient
declaration of the persons elected President
and Vice President Of the United States, and
together with a list OF the votes, so entered on
the journals OF the two houses. Upon such
reading of any such certificates or papers,
when there shall be only one return from a
State, the President Of the Senate shall call
for objections. II any, every objection shall
be made in writing, and shall state clearly
and cOnclusively, 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 same
shall be received. When all objections so
made to any vote or paper from. the State
shall have been received and read, the
Senate shall thereupon withdraw, and
such objections shall be submitted to the
Senate for its decision, and the Speaker of the
House of Representatives shall in like man
ner submit such objection to the House
Representatives for its decision, and no cleo
tOral vote or votes from any State from which
but one return has been received shall be oh
iected to, except by affirmative vote OF the
two houses When the two houses have voted
thev shall Immediately again meet, and the
presiding officer shall then announce the de-
cision OF the questions submitted; that II
more than one return or paper purportlng TO
be returned from any State shall have been
received by the President OF the State, pur-
porting to be certificates OF the electoral votes
given at the last preceding election Tor Pres
ident and Vice President IN such State, then
these returns and papers shall be opened by
him in the presence of the two houses when
met as aforesaid, and read by the tellers, and
all such returns and papers shall thereupon be
submitted to the Judgment and decision as to
which is the true and lawful electoral vote OF
such State, OF a committee constituted as fol-
lOws-namely: During the session OF such
house, on the Tuesday next preceding the
first Thursday in February, 1877, each house
shall, by a viva vOce vote, appoint five OF its
members, who with five Ass ociate Justices OF
the Supreme Court of the United States, 70 be
ascertained as hereina Ter provided, shall con-
stitute a committee for the decision OF all
questions upon or in respect OF such double
returns named in this section. On the Tues
day next preceding the frs. Thursday in Feb
ruarY, A. ID. 1877, or as soon thereafter as
may be, the Associate Justices of the Supreme
Court of the United States, now assigned to
the first, third, eighth and ninth circuits,
shall select, in such manner az the majority OF
them shall deem fit, another OF the Associate
Justices OF said court, which five persons
shall be members OF said Commission, and
the person longest IN commission OF said five
Justices shall be President OF said Commission
The members of said Commission shall re-
spectlgely take and subscribe the following
oath: 81 do solemDly swear or affirm, as the
case may be, that | will iInpartially examine
ard consider all questions submitted to the
Commission OF which am member, and a
true Judgment give thereon, agreeably to the
constitution and laws, so help me GOd"-
which oath shall be filed with the Secretary
OF State
When it shall have been thus organized, il
shall not he in the power of either house to
dissolve the same, o. TO withdraw any OF its
members, but if any such Senator or member
shall die, or become physically unable to per-
form the duties required by this act, the fact
of such death or physical inability shall be by
said Commission, before it shall proceed fur
ther, communicated TO the Senate or House OF
Representatives, as the care may be, which
body shall Immediately, ahd without debate,
proceed by viva voce vote to fill the place
so vacated, and the person so appointed shall
take and subscribe the oath herein before pre-
scribed, and become a member o. said Conn.,
mission and in like manner iiany fsaid JUS
tees of the Supreme Court shall die or become
physically incapable of performing the duties
required by this act, the Others OF said Justices
memh.Ts o. said Combustion ballimmediate-
ly appoint another Justice OF said Court a
member OF said Commission, and in such APP
pointment regard shall be had to the impair
tlality and freedom from bias sought by the
original appointment to said Commission, who
shall thereupon Immediately take and sub.
scribe the oath herein before prescribed, and
becofne a member OF said Commission to fill
the vacancy occasiODed. All certificates and
papers purportingtO be certificates otthe elect
oral votes OF each State shall be opened in al
phabetical order of the States, as provided in
Sec. of this act, and when there shall be
more than one such certificate or paper, as
the certificate and Iapers from that state,
they shall be SO opened, excepting dupll-
Gates OF the return which shall be used by
the tellers, and thereupon the Secretary OF
the Senate shall call for objections. II
any, every objection shall be made In
writing, and shall state clearly and con-
cisely and without argument, the ground
thereof, and shall Ice signed by at least one
Senator and one member of the House OF Re-
representatives. before the same shall be re eeiy-
ed. When all such objections so made - any
certificate, vote or paper from State shall
have been received and read, ail such ceTti-
Gates, notes and papers objected, TO andall pa
pers accompanying the same, together with
such objections, shall be forthwith submitted
to said Commission, which, shall proceed to
consider the same with The same powers, if
any. now possessed for that purpose by the
Two houses acting separately or together, or
by a majority OF votes decide whether any
and what votes from such States are the
votes provided for by the constitution OF the
United States, how many and what persons
were duly appointed electors in such State,
s-.d may Terai,, "a l into view sreb ,e4i.fovs