The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-01-19

OF President by the people. Nor could
respect for the Constitution remain
after this assumption by Congress OF
power to set it aside.
Full Text of the Bill that Solves
the Problem.
National Associated Press to the Star
WASHINGTON, Jan. 19-The report Of
the Joint Committee to devise plan
for counting the Electoral vote, agreed
to by every member except Senator
Morton, was presented by Senator Ed
munds, who accompanied il with the fol-
lowing bill:
A bill to provide for and regulate the
counting OF votes for President and
Vice President, and the decision ofques-
.tions arising thereon, for the term COM
mencing March A, AID. 1877.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House
of Representatives of the United States
OF America in Congress assembled,
That the Senate and House Of Repre-
santatives shall meet In the Hall of the
House of Representatives at the hour Of
10 O'Clock, post-meridian, on the trst
Thursday in February, A. D. 1877, and
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 they
shall be handed, as they are opened by
the President of the Senate, all the GER
t ficates and papers Durporting to be GER
tiicates OF Electoral votes, which GER
tificates and papers Shall be opened,
presented and acted upon in the alpha
betical order of the States, beginning
with the letter A. And said Tellers hay-
ing then read the same in the presence
and hearing OF the two Houses,
shall make a list OF Votes
AS they shall appear from
said certificates, and the votes having
been ascertaiued and counted as in this
act provided, the result OF the same
shall be delivered to Tie President ol
the Senate. who shall, thereupon, an
nounce the state OF The vote and the
names of the persons, If auy, elected
which announcement shall be deemed q
sufficient declaration Of persons elected
President and Vice President OF the
United States, and, together with llsi
ot the votes, shall 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
a State, the President of the Senate
shall call for objections, il any. Every
objection shall be made in writing, ano
shaIl state clearly and conclusively, anC
without argument, the ground thereof
and shall be signed by at least one Sen
ator and one member of the House o
| REPRESENTATIVES, before the same shall
be received.
When all objections so made to any
vote OF paper from the Senate shall have
been received and read, the Senate
shall, thereupOn, Withdraw, and suct
objections shall be submitted to the
Senate tor its decision, and the Speaker
of the House of Representatives snail, il
| like manner, submit such objections u
the House OF Representatives ior its de
cision, and NO Electoral vote, ol
! votes, from any State from which bu
one return has been receive, shall bt
objected to, except by the affirmatlyt
vote OF the two Houses.
when the two Houses have voted
they shall immediately again meet and
the presiding officer shall then an
nouuce the decision ol the question sub
mitted.
SEC. 2. That il more than one return
or paper, purporting 10 be return'fron
| n State shall nave been received by th
| President OF the Senate, purportiug t.
be certificates Of the Electoral vote
viyen at the last preceding election 70
| President and Vice President in sue
| state, unless they shall be duplicates o
| the same return, all such returns an
Dapers shall be opened by him Ii th
nresence Of the two Houses, when me
as aforesaid, and read by the Tellers
and all such returns and papers shai
thereupon be submitted TO the judgmen
and decision, as to which is the tru
and lawful Electoral vote of such State
of Commission, constituted as follows
namely: During the session of eac
House, on the tuesday next precedin
the first Thursday in February, 1877
each House shall, by viva voce vot'
appoint five Of It's members, who, wit
five Associate Justices of the Suprem
Court OF the United States, to be ascel
jtained as hereinafter provided, sha
constitute Commission for the dec
sion OF all questions upon or In respeC
lot such sdouble returns named In thi
Isectiou. On the Tuesday next proceed
ing the first Thursday in February, !
D. 1877, or as soon thereafter as may bt
the Associate Justices of the Suprem
Court OF the United States now asslgne
to the First, Third, Eighth and Mint
Circuits, shall select, in such manner a
the majority of them shall deem Il
another Of che Associated Justices
SAID Court, which five persons shall b
members OF SAID Commission, and til
person longest in Commission
said five Justices shall be Presidel
of said Commission. Members
said Commission shall respectlvel
take and subscribe to the follow
ing oath: 81, -, do solemnly swes
or affirm, as the case may be, that 1 vii
limpartially examine and consider a
questions submitted to the Commissio
OF which i am member, and a tru
Judgment give thereon, agreeably to th
lConstitutiOn and laws, SO help me God.
Which oath shall be flied with the Se
retary of the Senate. When the Con
mission shall have been thus organize
it shall not be in the power OF eitns
House to dissolve the sauna or to will