The New York herald., 1877-02-28
MR.. FIELDS BILL.

REPRESENTATIVE FIELD INTRODUCES BILL
FOB THE ELECTION OF PRESIDENT AND VICE
PREs1DENT--PAssED TO A THIRD READING
By A MAJORITY OF TwENrY-N1NE.
WASHINGTON Feb. %, 1877.
In the House Of Representatives, before any action
was taken on the bill, Mr. FIELD, Of New York. IRON
the Committee on Privileges, reported tho bill amend
ting tho Revised Statutes Of the United States
10 provide for the Of removal, death,
resignation or inability Of both President and
Vice President, or for the OF vacancy In those
Offices arising from the failure OF two houses OF
Congress to ascertain and declare election before
the OF the term Of Office In respect
which tho electoral votes cast, or tho of
vacancy arising from any other cause. II provides
that tho President OF the Senate IL there be nonc
then tho Speaker OF tho House Of Representatives
tho time beng, or there be such Speaker, then
tho Secretary OF State Office when tho vacancy hap.
pens shaii President until tho disability Is re.
moved or u President elected.
Mr.. BuRcmARD. irep.) OF ILL.,, raised the point OF
order that the Committee on Privileges had author.
i.y to report by bill. and the further point that tho
subject mater OF the bill had never been referred TO
that committee.
Tho SPEAKER overruled the point Of ORDER holding
that this question OF the highest constitutional
privilege and saying that he would have recognized
any member Introducing such a bill AMI demanding
I'M mediate action.
bill. the Speaker put tho question under one OF tho
rules, Shall the bill be rcJectedg" 1t was decided
Tho bill was then read second timc
Mr.. FIELDS REMARKs
Mr. FIELD then proceeded TO explain ana advocate
the BILL He said that tho existing law provided only for
case OF removal death, resignation or inability ofth0
incumbenls OF these oices but made provision for
a OF there being incumbcnis. This bill Tor
the purpose OF supplying that defect which ought
have been supplied long ago. II II had been In the law
ut The beginning tho present session great deal Of
he com
muny would have been avoided Tho people oil the
country thought that II the Two houses disagreed
In the electoral count an anarchy would follow whereas
II Congress had provided by law as hc now asked It
to provide the office OF President the great Presi
Dental powers would glide easily and hnrmessy
the hands OF tho custodian OF the powers Tor the no
being.
1t was not merely the present exigency which this
bill was Intended TO provide tor In case OF invasion
civil count the electoral votes
mt the time required by law might be pre-
vented. In that case, AS tho law now stood,
there was no officer whatever 10 exercise the
Presidential on;e dd interim IT, after the declaration
OF the President and VICE President both should die
# tomorrow the President ana Woo President eject
should be both IN the same railroad train and should
lcse their lives by railroad accidcn--therc
possibility under existing law, OF providing Tor the
vacancy. Were the members wiilin. To leave the law
IN thai conditiony IL was not only the right uudcr
the constitution, but the duty OF Congress, as the
guardian or the pubic tranquility, TO provide Tor the
exgency In that spirit he had reported the BILL 1t
was not u partisan measure Hc was sure thorc
desire to do otherwise than faithfully ABIDE by the
law as 1t now stood. Tho law was made but few
taking advantage Of the which suggested the
need OF this amendment, and for that reason ho had
presented IT.
THE BILL UNCONSTITUTIONAL
Mr. kAssoN. (rep) Of Iowa, sald that there wcro two
objections IN his mind to the bill. The lrst and most
important objection was that tho bili was unconsti-
toDal The constitution provided that Congress
should provide Tor the SUCCESSION TO the Presidential
chair IN should DO made vacant through of
iOur causes-viz, dcaIh, resignation, removal
ability 10 sct--and lie very much doubted II Congress
could pass law creating another cause without Il
4 n
that the bill provided not only that the President
Of the Senate should succeed IN case Of ailurc to
elect but that he should succeed II there was failure
10 declare the result OF the election. That would leave
1t IN the power OF either house OF Congress, by refusing
to unite III declaration of the result TO defeat tho
popular election and keep In Office an administration
winch might have been rejected by the people.
A DANGEROUS POWER.
Mr. LAWRENCE, rep.) vi ohio, had little doubts about
the constiiuionality of the measure, but there was
one objection TO 1t which. in hls mind, was insur.
mountablc, aud that was. that Il made II the IN crcst
OF the President OF the Senate delay the count;
postpone IL, IN order that he himself might become
President OF the United States IL would be danger
Gus power to put into that ofcer's hunds--a power
which be could wicd for evil, and evil only. Oil,
therefore, which was ifaught with so much evil ana
danger ought not 10 pass.
DEMOCRATIC DIRECTOR
MI NEAL tden. OF ONO, opposed the bill II only
showed the point TO which his democratic colleagues
had been driven IN their madness under The leadership
OF the dis inguished republican from the state OF New
for. (Mr Ficldt tLgughtcr) HIS nrst objection To
tho bill was that itdd not moet the casc AZ hand.
bill 10 provide for the present contingency
DO held withip sixty days from the 4ih
OF March, ana that IN the mcanwha the duties of
The Presidential Office should be performed by tue
Secretary OF State His next objection TO was that
II proposed to Keep Of the Presidency the present
Governor OF OHIO and to install IN his place some re-
publican senator. He warned his democratic col
leagues that II this bill became a law they would bo
AGAIN deceived, and that the result would be TO put
l. the Prcsidcntnl Office onvcr p Morton, OF Indiana,
! and he, one, would prefer To see Rutherford b.
Hayes that olce for four years than 10 see Oycr H.
Morton In 1t Tor four months, or iour days even.
daughter and appausc.l
\ AHEAD.
Mr. SgELyE, (rep.J OF Mass, opposed the bill Much
greater evil he said, could como from basy lcgisla
than from legislation. StilI he supposed that
there would ue "a unanimous assent TO the pending
measure II tho clause 10 which tho gentleman IRON
Iowa ,Mr. Kasson had objected were omitted That
clause offered premium 10 Congress Tor dong
duty and t offered possibility 10 Tho Senate 10 SECURE