The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-01-21
PROSPECTS OF Il PEACEFUL COUNT OIL
THE ELECTORAL TOTE.
THE HOUSE AND SENATE COMMITTEES AGREE
on A PLAN.

OS a PLAN.
Last Thursday, Mr.. Edmurds (Rep0 in tb
Senate and Mr.. Payne (Dem.) in the House, il
behalf of the committees appointed to devise
some satisfactory method of counting the cleo
toral vote, reported bill which had received
the full approval of all the members of tn.
committees excepting that of the vindictiv,
Morton. In presenting the bill both gentle
men stated that they had been instructed to
say that the committees would press for imme
date action by the two houses.
Synopsis OF THE BILL.
It provides, first, that the two houses shall
meet in the House of Represen tatives at
O'clock on Thursday, February LIST; that the
President of the Senate shall preside; that he
shall open the certificates In alphabetical ord Ell
and hand them to the tellers, who shall read
and make q list of the votes as they hall ap.
pear from the certificates, and the votes having
been ascertained, as in the act provided. the
result shall be delivered to the President of the
Senate, who shall thereupon announce the
state of the vote, and the names of the persons
if any, elected, which announcement shall be
deemed sufficient declaration of the persons
elected President and Vice President Of the
United States, and together with q e. of the
votes emf cred on the journals of the two houses
Upon such reading of any such certificate or
paper, when there shall be only one return
from q State the President of the Senate sha,
call for objections, if any every objection
shall be made in writing, and shall state
clearly end concisely, and without argument
the ground thereof, and shall be signed by st
least Senator and one member of the
Honse before the same shall be received.
When all objections SO made to any vote from
q State shall have been received and read the
Senate shall withdraw, and such objections
shall be submitted TO the Senate for its deci.
sion and the Speaker of the House shall 50 b..
NIT such objections to the House for it's decI-
sion and no electoral vote votes from any
State from which but one reLnrn has been re.
ceived, shall be rejected except by the 8firma
tive vote of the two houses
SEQ. provides that if more than enc paper
purportIng to be q return from u State shall
have been received by the President of the
Senate, all such papers shall be opened by him
in the presence of the two houses, when met
as aforesaid, and read by the Gellers, and shall
thereupon be submitted to the Judgment and
decision as to which is the true and IL wful cleo
toral vote of such State ofa commission consti-
ted as follows: namely, during the session of
each House of the Tuesday next preceding the
first Thursday in February, 1877. Each. house
shall, by rira roce vote, appoint We of its men,
bers who, with five Associate Justices of the
Supreme Court, shall constitute a commission
for the decision of all questions upon, or in re
spect of, such double returns, on the Tuesday
next preceding the first Thursday in February
A. u. 1877, soon thereafter as NAV 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 as o majority of them shall
deem fit, another CT the Associated Judges of
the said court, which five persons shall be
mem bers of said commission, and the person
IongesG In commission of the said five justices
hall be the President of the said commission
When the commission shall have been Or
gained 1t shall not be in the power of either
house to dissolve the same, or withdraw anv of
ts mem ers. All the papers and certifcStes
hall be opened in the alphabetical order of the
States, and when there shall be more than one
uch paper, as the certificates and papers from |
uch State shall so be opened, they shall be |
cad by the tellers, and the President shall call
or objections, If any. When all objections shall |
AVE been made as provided in SEQ. 1, ell pa.
'ers, etc., shall be forthwith submitted to the
commission, which shall proceed to consider the
anne with the Same powers, if any, now DOS
essed for that purpose by the two houses, acting
eParately or together, and by 9 majority of
otes decide whether any and what votes from
uch States are the votes provided for by the
Onstitution of the United States, and how
many and what persons were thus appointed
lectors in such State, and may therein take
nto view such persons, dispositions and other
apers, as shall by the constitution and exist
ny laws be competent, and pertinent in such
which decision shall be made in
Triting, stating briefly the ground thereof, and
lgned by the members of the said commission
greeting therein. WhereupOn the two houses
hall again meet and such decision shall be
cad and entered in the journal of each house,
nd the counting of the votes shall proceed in
Herewith; unless upon objection
lRde thereto, in writing, by ut least five Sena-
Dts and five members of the House of Repre-
the two houses shall separately
9ncur in ordering otherwise, in which case
1ch concurrent order shall govern. No votes I
r papers from any other State ohall be acted I
pom until the objections previously made to I
ne votes or papers from any State shall have l
cen finally disposed of.
Sec. 3. That while the two houses shsll be |
meeting, as provided in this act, no debate
hall be allowed, aud NO question shall be put {
y the presiding officer, except to either house {
q motion TO withdraw. L
SEQ 4. That when the two houses aoparste