The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-01-15
COUNTING THE ELECTORAL
VOTE,
Method Proposed by the Senate
Committee.

NEW York, January 13.-A Washing.
ton special says: The proposition Of the
Senate Electoral Committee. which was
under consideration at the Joint meeting
oL the Senate and House committees yes.
terday, provides that the Senate shall, on
the day for the counting Of the vote, meet
with the House in the hall OF the latter
body. The Vice President shall open ali
the certificates, and the tellers appointed
for the purpose shall, as usual, read the
record and sum up the votes. But there
are to be counted, In the frst place, only
the returns TO which no objection IL made.
Where there Is one return only from q
State, and that Ia objected to, the two
Houset will determine whether II shall
be counted, but the concurrence Of both
Houses will be required TO reject any
vote. Where two returns are made from
one State, the dispute Is to be referred
to a commission composed Of nine
members Of the House and the four justi.
ces OF the Supreme Court longest in SER
vice. The nine members Of the House
and Senate are to be selected by the ap.
pOintment Of five Senator's and Eve Rep.
resentatives, and then dropping one Of
the ten by drawing Of lots. The justices
who wouldbecome members Of the com.
mission by the terms OF the proposition
would be Nathan Clifford, Of Maine,
Noah II. swayne, Of Ohio. Samuel F.
Miller, Of Iowa, and David Davis, Of
Illinois. This commission is to 10 all
thorized to determine all questions Of
dispute, their decision to be final. The
disputed votes having been counted in
the presence Of the House and Senate, in
accordance with the decision OF the com.
mission, aud the whole number Of elec.
toral votes having been summed up by
the tellers, the President of the Senate
will announce the result in the usual
form, which will determine who is 10 he
Preaident Of the United States.
now THE JUSTICES STAND, POLITICALLY.
Justice Clifford is Democrat. Jus.
tices Swayne and Miller are both Repub-
licans. Justice DavisWas also appointed
BY President Lincoln. He has been
known for several years Rs Liberal Be-
publican.
The bill asnOtthe unanimous APPROX
al OF the Senate committee.
HOW THE PROPOSITION Is RRcEIyED.
If reports may be believed, Senator's
Morton and Frelinghuysen gave very
reserved and reluctant consent 10 the
proposition. II has become clear, howev.
er. that no arrangement could be made
between the two houses which Wonld de.
termine positively In advance Of the
count who would be elected. There is no
middle ground Of compromise on which
the two houses can come together.
There can he no agreement, in
fact, unless the determination Of
the questions in dispute is sub.
mitted to some fair and able tribunal
outside of Congress whose action cannot
be absolutely foretold. The Senate pro.
position is based on bill passed by the
Senate in the year 1900, when all dis
putes concerning Presidential elections
were yet mere distractions. That bill
authorized the appointment OF six mem.
bers OF the Senate and six members Of
the House TO act with the Chief Justice
OF the Supreme Court, or, in case OF his
absence, the justice Of longest service who
might be in Washington. This was TO
constitute a grand committee to hear
and settle all disputea. The bill was lost
by disagreement between the two
houses. The House committee are said
to look upon the proposition with some
favor, r,though the prospect for final agree
ment cannot be estimated.