The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-01-26
The Plan of Settlement.
FULL, TEXT OF THE BILL ADOPTED By THE
JOINT ELECTORAL COMMITTEE.

r
JOINT ELECTORAL COMMITTEE.
Following is the full text Of the bill to
provide for aud regulate the counting OF
the votes for President and Vice-President
and the decision of questions arising there
on, for the term commencing March 4, A,
ID. 1877:
Re il enacted bu The Senate and House of Re-
personalities of tie United States ~ = perica i
Congress assembled That the senate and HOuse
of Representatives shall meet IN the bail OF tse
House of Representatives at the hour of
O'Clock p. NJ. on the first Thursday in February,
A. ID. 1871, and the President OF the Senate
shall ne their presiding officer. Two reilers
shall be previously appointed on the part OF
the House of Representatives, to whom shah
be handed they are opened by the President
of the Senate ali the certificates and papers
purportiug to be certificates OF electoral votes,
which certificates and papers shall be opened.
presented and acted upon in the Alphabetical
order of the States, beginning with the letter
A. and said teiiers having then read the same
u the presence and hearing of the two houses
sheil make list of the votes they shall APP
pear from the said certificates and the votes
having been ascertained and counted as in tbs
act provided. the result o: the same shall be
delivered 10 the President OF the Senate, who
shall thereupon announce the STATE of the Note
aud the names of the persons, If any, elected,
cient declaration OF the persons elected Presi-
dent and Vice-President OF the United states,
and together with list OF the votes shall be
entered on the Journals of the two houses.
Upon such reading of any such certificate or
I from a state, the President of the Senate shall
cali for objections, if any. Every objection
shall be made in writing, and shall state clearly
and concisely 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
ceived. When all objections so made any
vote or paper from STATE shal! have been re-
ceived and read, the Senate shall theTeupon
wit hdraw and such objections shall be submit
Speaker OF the House of Representatives shall
in like manner submit such objections to the
House of Representativ 3, FOR its decision, AMI
no electoral vote or votes from any State from
/ which tut one return has been received stan
! the two houses When the two houscs have
voted they shall Immediately again meet, and
! the presiding officer shall then announce the
decision OF the question submitted.
SEC. .. That if more tha n one return. or paper
| have been receiycd by the President of the Sem
| ate, purpoTtihS to be the certificates of elec-
! for Presicen: and Vice President in such State
unless hey shall he duplicates of the same re-
turn. all-such returns and papers stall he open
! ed by iIm ia the presence OF the TWO houses
! " hen met as aforesaid. and read by the telters.
ana a. sucH returns ana papers shaH there
/ upon oe submitted TO the Judgment ana de-
! cision, as to which is the true and lawful elec-
/ tO-ai vote OF such State. of a commission con-
! stitutcd as follows, namely: During the ses-
J SION OF eacu house the Tuesday next pre-
cedlnst"e htet thursday in February, 1877, each
house snail by viva voce vote appoint i've of its
! meTIbers, who, with the five Associate J Justices
| OF the supreme Court Of the United States, TO
! ne ascerthintd as hereinafter PROVIDED. shal
! constitute commission for tife decision of all
| questions upou or i'm respect of such double re-
I turns named in this section. On the Tuesday
next preceding he first Thursday in February.
! a. d. 1871, or soon thereafter as may be. the
J Associuie justices OF the supreme Court OF the
! United States pow assigned to the First Third,
! Eighth and Ninth circuits shall select, IN such
! manner as majority of them shall deem flt,
I another of the associate justices or said court,
/ which five persons shall be members of the
| said commission, and the person longest in
! commission OF said five justices shall the
! President of said commission. The members
| OF said commission shall. respectively, take
/ and subscribe the following oatn:
! -. do solemnly swear (or affirm as the
case may be) that viii impartiaiIy examine and
consider all questions submitted to the commission
/ Of which am member and "A true Judgment
give thereon agreeably to the Constitution ami
. the laws. SO help me God.
| which oath shall he flied with tho Secretary
! of the Senate. when the commission shnti
/ power ot either house 10 dissolve the same or
| to withdraw any OF its members, bur il any
| such Senator member shall die become
| physlcaty unable to perform the duties reqrtir-
| ed hy this Ct. the fact OF such death or physi-
! cal Inability shall be by said commission. before
I u snail prOcted fiIrther, communicated to the
/ Senate or House OF RepreScntatiV es as the
| case may he, which bo"y shall immediat teiy ami
| Without debate proceed by viva voce vote so
/ fili rbe place so vacated. and rhe person ap-
pointed shalt take and subscribe the onth here
! lnheIore prescribed and become member OF
( said couInlSsion- And in like manner IL any
| OF the said Justices of the Supreme Court shalt
die or become physicill, incapable of perform
| ing the duties required by this act, the other
of the said Justices, members Of the said com
! MISSION, ShaiI Iuihedlattiy appoint another
| Justice oI sai Court u member OF said commits
| sion, and in such appointments regard shall be
| had to the iupnrt 'tilty ana freedom from bias
! sought by the original appointments 80 said
comm uission, who shall tliereupon Immediately
take and subsc rihc TO tNe Oath hercinhe
! prescribed and become n.",nbcr of said COM
! mission to fiil the Vacancy ST. "ccasioned. All
! thc cPIuhcates aud papers pui?ortIng 10 he
certificates of the electoral votes o. zach State
I shul! be opened in the alphabetical order of
/ the States "a provided in section OF this act,
| and when there shall be more than one such
! certificate Orpaper as the certificates or papers
/ from such State shall so be opened. excepting
! duplicates or the same return. they shall be.
read by the telers. and tlIereupon the Presi-
! dent of the Senate shall cail for objections, If
any. Every objection shalt be made in w riti iq
| ami shall state clearly ant. cuncisely. and with
| out argument, the ground thereof, aui shall
bc signed by at least Senator and one tn,.r;-
Der of the House of Representatives before
! the same shall he received. When all such OBJ
| jcctions so made To any certificate, vote or pa
! per from n tate shall have been received and
rc;,d. all such certificates, votes and papers So
! objected to- and ali papers uccompau yiug the
/ same, together with such objections, shnil be
! forthwith submitted to stiu commission, which
/ shall proceed to consider the same, with the,
! same powers. If any, now possessed for that
| ptlrEose by the two houses acting separately or
/ to5etH.r, aud nv u majority of votes decide
] whether an, aud what votes from such state
arc the votes provided for hy the Constitution
| of the e nited states. and now many and what
! persons were duly appointed electors III such
| State. and may therein TIA ke into view such ne
| titions, dispositions and other papers, ii any
| a shall by the Constitution aud now existing
! law be competent and pertinent in such con.
I sidcratiou, which decision shall be made i'm
writing, stating briefly the ground thereof "A nd
be signed by the fncmuers OF said commission
/ agreeing therein: whercupun the two houses
| shall again meet, and slch decision shall be
| read and entered in the journal OF esch house,
and the counting of the vote shall proceed in
| conformity Herewith, unless. upon Objection
] made thereto in writing by at least tVt. Seua-
tors ana tive members OF the House OF Repre-
| sentative cs, the TWO houses shall separately con
cur in ordering otherwise, in which case such
concurrent order shall govern. No votes or
! papers from any other State shall be acted
upon until the objection previously made
TO the votes or papers from any State shall
have been finally disposed nf.
SEC. 3. That while the TWO houses shall be in
| meeting, PROV ided in this act, no debate
shall be allowed and no question shall be put
by the presiding officer except To either house
! on a motion to Withdraw, and he Shall have
| power to preserve Ortier.
SEC. T. That when the two houses separate tn
! decide upon objection that may have been
| made to the counting OF any electoral vote or
! votes from any state, or upon objection to a
| report of said commission, other question
! arising under this act, each Senator or Repre-
sentative fuuy speak to such objrct ion or mes
tiun ten minutes, and not oftener than once
= L.. Sia:ll ..i.