, 1877-01-27
The Congressional Compromise.
WASHINGTON, January Is, 1871,


EImuds, from the special joint electoral commit
tee, reported in writing, accompanying the report
with a sll expressing gritI alton that all the men,
bers O. 10th committees had signed the rePirt, with
one exception The c-mmItIee would desire % take
the b.il up by S=tuntay, Monday At fsrthest, BE-
buj measure of Justice in aid of constitutional gov
erument winch wOuli command respect and which
Surrendered nohOiy right
Following Is TIE bill presented by EiInunfS:
A till to provide for and regulate the counting of
the vo e. for President and VIo- President ana BE
csiOn of lestiOns arising thereon for the term
menuing March 4, 1871.
Be II enTcfed, sic-, Inat fhe Senate and House o:
Representatives shall meet IN the hall Of the House
OF Representativr at the hoar OF 10 O'Clock, post
merriam, on the first THURSDAY in February, 1871
and the President OF the Senate shall be he prssEl-
ing officer. Two telefs shall t. previously appoint
ell on the part or the S+Eate and the pant o.
the House OF Reprt sentatives, 10 wEom shall be
hInied as they are opened by the President of the
Senate, all the eerth itrs and papers purpOrtiug
he certificates OF electoral votes which certificates
and papers shall be opened, presented and acted
upon Ia alp ab-tIc,i OIieT of the States beginning
with \, and SAID telleTs having then Te,t tnr same
IN the presence ani hearing Cf the Two houses all
certificates and the wees having been opened and
counted the net provided the result Of the same
shall be delivered 10 the President of the Senate wlo
shall thrreupOn announce the state OF the vote AMI
tie names OF persons, If any elected, winch
nOunoemetit sh-il - deemed -uCICnJ declaration
o! the persons elected President l-d Vice President
of the United States, Hnl together with the list of
votes shall he entered on the Journals of the two
houses. Upon such TettlBg Of any such Certificate
or paper where there shall br only one return fOm
State, the President SenaIe shall c4u iof OBJ
je'tIons If any Every objection shall lie made in
writInJ. and shall siate clearly and oorciseIy and
without argument, the ground th-IeOi anu shall De
signed by at least one Senator and one member OF
the House of Representatives before the same shall
be rrceIve!. When all ohiectinas 80 made t. aI.y
certificate paper shall have her, receive. AMI rrt :
The Sen ,te s!.tl thereul1u withdraw ard such oh
lecrOns SLaI be >ula..tt- TO the senate t0 IL, h.
cSiOl and the Speaker OF the Hou~r of Representa-
tveS shtl. IL like bInIt such Objections to
the House OF Representatives. Tor its DECISION ami no
electoral vote votes from any State from winch
but one return has been rrcrIvei shall BE- rejected
except by an thsm'ttive vote OF th- two houses
hen TIT two houses i.iVe VO,ct they shall l.uue-
;.la;yy asJln Tleer, AMI the presiding OH sail
then announce the decision OF the question sub
m4ttel.
see. >. That If more than return, or paper pur-
porting 10 he - return, from state, shIli have Detn
received by tie President n tie Salt pur OstIuss
be ceTtd aIr Oi eleiori! votes gwen Jh last pre-
cehpS e.-c,iun Tor President aHd ! cr President IN
suCh State, unl.ss thy shall be duplicates Of the
same return, all such returns Hui papers all be
opened ly LIin In the presence oi the two houses
when met aforesaid .nI read by the JelrrS, ami
all such returns AMI papls snal tAeTeuFOn be sub
mItted % the judgment ami teci-i b Will h =
the true and lwgul eiee oral vote OF state OF
commission constituted as follows, ntneiy DurIns
tine =essIOn oi such House On the Tuesday next p q
Cetiug the first Thursday IN February, 1871, each
House shall by rtca rOcs vote apprInT fyr II IJs
Inerners who, with five associate Jusric,s Of the
supreme Court OF the CnItei states tO De ascertain
et hereinafter pTuY!ei shall cOnstItutea COum
son tor th dvclSlon oi all questions uIon or III re-
Spegt Of such don lie returns HIWei t:- -rrtlJD-
On TUESDAY next preceding the frst Thurs lay IN
February, 1877. on thereafter may b. the
justices III The supreme Court OF te United
States H1W assigned 10 TIE first, tLirl eighth AM
I'll
MAORI OF them Su1il deem fl, another rrIIJs
jnStIr. of the Sii oDnrt, winch iva parsons >.l. re
u.stuberS OF the said clnT-Issuu, and tue person
i.uest -. e5-.sii--ysl Of -t- Zee .s-s=ea s.'L tc
oi ,..- 81 csT.ui.-sOa- Ihe members Of
sal cfuIusiar. shall re~-.y.y take sJf. --~lJe
10 the following ottn: ' sltnDj 10 soinuly swear
,or atam, "a, the cas- may b. ;ntu Viii impsrti-
ally uXimne and consider all questions submitted
To the commission OF winch aIn a EelGueT, a-.d IA
true judgment given thereon, areeIbIe 10 the con-
SttUii N and LAWS - AlJ nr tIp which oath snail
I- flied with he secretary OI the Senate. When the
commission shall have been tlus organized It shall
.~ la the pow Of eitli-r House to dissolve tie
to withdraw amy OF ITS members but If
auy such Senator membrr shall die, or become
pl ySically unable TeriOIm the duties required 10y
tl> act the fact Of death physical inability Shal b,
10y sad commISSion bstnre II shall proceed further,
communicated TO the -enatt House OF Representa-
tIveS, rs the may he, which hOty stall mmeEitely
a. d without drhltr prOcrrl 10y i riCI UOCC yDt- To
fill the pac So vacated and the person appointed
rhtil take ai4l SulrC.lbt the Odt ItTcnbt!Olt PIE
scrIhel, and become 4 Eber Oi sad commission.
nj Ia like manner !; any Of said I>tces Of supreme
Court shall die or become physically incapable OF per-
forming tue uties required 10y tus act the 0u-r Ct
sai Iustic, members OF sad 'uu,asIOn, siri! IN
meilaiey spp mt another justice or sad court, a
member Of such com lSSlDn, and III such appoint
m-nts regard slaIl be had % the Importantly and
freedom from bias sought by th- original appoint
meHts TO stIi cJInm>sI1n, who shall theTeuYOn ln-
medlatey take and subscribe the oath here nbeiore
prs ribed, and become member of sad commission
10 iii the vacancy 50 JecaSonet.
All the certificates AMI papers purp0r'iug TO be
certificates Of electoral votes Of each State shall b.
opened al Iht! teal order OF states UrOvtet IN
section al ,hIs and when there shall D. more
than one such certificate paper the certh.At
AMI pap'rs frGIa such state shall 80 be openei, e
cePtIUg dup Istes OF the return, they shall be
read 10y the teler-, and thrrrupOn the President OF
tue Serate shall call for ohjectious If any. Ohlse-
tious shall be uaic III writing AMI shall state clear
ly and conclselv, without argument, the gronnt
thereof and shall De signed by at least one senator
and one member of the House OF RrpTesen atlyes he
fore the same shall be received. When all such OBJ
Iectlons made to any certificate, vote paper from
state shall have been received and read al such
certificates, votes lna .PTs 80 objected TO- and al
papers accompanying TIE same, together with sCcn
otj ctons shall Le forthwith submitted to said
mIs>Ion-whIch shall proved TO consider tie same
with the same powers, II any nov pOsesSei Tor that
purpose by the JVO houses acting separately, or to-
grther, aEt, by majority Of votes drcile whether
any and what votes .r IN such States the votes
prpvie Tor by the constitution OF the intel states,
and how many, and what prisons were duly appoint
ed electors IN such STATE and may therein take INTO
view such petitions depos:tIuus and other papers, I
any, as sha 10y tie constitution, and NOW existing
law, be ooulpe ent and prtiTs- MT IN such cOIsieT-
ton. which decision shall made IN writing stating
bri,fy the ground thereof, AMI s.gnel by the neIa
bers OF sud commission agreeing thereto Ihere-
upon be two houses shall aSi'n meet, AM surh de-
cisnn shall be read and entered IN tie journals OF
each House, and the counting Of the votes =ha pro
ee@i IN conformity thereWtD, unles upon objection
made thereto IN writing by az e 5. five senators aud
Ave members of the HOu c OF representative, the
two houses shall separately concur In ordering It
Oihsrwiss, IN which cse such concurrent order siEti
govern. No yotfs or pap-rs from any other State
shall be acted upon unt objections previously made
10 the votes pIp.rs from any STATE shall have been
formally disposed oi.
Sec. s. That whe the two houses shall be in meet
ing prOyilrd IL this acf debate shall be allowed,
and no question shall he put 10y the prssiing officer
except to either house % motion withdrawn, and
hr shall have power 10 p eserve urier-
Sec. l. That when the TWO houses separate 70 de-
eide upln Objse1iOn that may have been made 20
the counting ot any electoral vote vo-es from any
States upon objection 70 tue re OF said
mission, or other question arising under this act,
each senator aud Representative may -p-k 70 sUe.l
O5Ieril1n question ten minutes, ani not otteuar
than once; bat after sueh debate 7ltn haye lasted
two hRrs it shall b. tie duty Of each House 10 put
the main question wi huut further debate
See J. That at such JOINT meeting of the two
Pr=dent OF the senate, tie Speakers ca II f0T the
Speaker immediately upOn hs lef: fnr the senators.
the bOt; OF the hall upoa the night If the IGeId
iIy officer; Tor the Representative in the toly Of
the hall not prov le1 Tor the Senator's Tor teers.
secretary OF the senate and exc. OF the House OF
Representatives, at the clerk desk. For other Of
fesTs Of the two house IN front Of the clerks desk
upon each i OF the speak rs platform such J1Int
meeting shall not be dls-oiv=i until the of the
electoral vuts shall b. completed and the result de-
elaFsi and shall b= taken unrss question
shall have arisen IL reEIrd 10 oCuutl-g any such
VUreS Orh-TWse under THIS act, II Which case II
shall be competent for er House, artiny septrate-
y IN the manner hersIutof0re pTUy.ed, % direct
reezss Of such House ut beyond the neNt Gay Sur
day rxeapteil az the hour 10 clock IN the fore
nom, and while any question : being considered by
sia commission, either HJUse may proe=el with Its
legislative and other business
See D. That nothing tins act shall De held TO in
pair affect any right exist undzr the Con-
stutiOn AMI laws % question. by Proceeding IN the
Judicial courts the Unitej Staus the right title
Of th- person who shall be declared elected or who
shall claim TO b. President Vice President of the
United States, Il any such right exis5s.
Sec J. That sad oOumis-lGn shall make its own
Esle. Keep record OF proceedings, and shzll have
power to employ such persons may be usce-sIry
Of