St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-01-26

Circuit, anu 10 CTedUc dppTcHcnslODS III
the minds of the people that disturb the
peaceful tenor of their ways and happi-
ness. 1t does far more,-it tends to
bring republican institutions into dis
credit and to create doubts of the sue
cess of our form of government and OF
the perpetuity of the republic. All
considerations of interest, of patriotism
and of justice unite in demanding OF
the law-making power measure that
will bring peace and prosperity to the
country, and show that our republican
institutions are equal to any emergen-
cy. Aud in this connection we cannot
refrain from an expression of our salts
faction that your committees, composed
of equal numbers of opposing parties,
have fortunately been able to do what
has been attempted in vain heretofore
almost unanimously agree upon plan
considered by them all to be just, wise
and efficient. We accordingly RECON-
mend the proposed act to the patriotic
and just judgement of Congress.
GEORGE f. EDMUNDs, FREDERICK T.
FRELINGHUYsEN, Roscoe CoNKLING.
A. G. THURMAN, t. F. BAYARD, NJ. w.
Ransom, Senate committee; H. B.
PAYNE, EPPA HUNToN, ABRAM S.
HEWITT, WILLIAM NJ. SPRINGER, GEO.
w. MCCRARY, GEORGE F. HoAR,
GEORGE WILLARD, House committee.
FULL TEXT OF THE BILL.
A bill to provide for and regulate the
counting of the votes for president and
vice-president, and the decision of
questions arising therein for the terms
commencing March 4, 1877.
Be it enacted: That the Senate and
House of Representatives shall meet in
the hall of the House of Representa-
tives at the hour of l O'Clock post meri-
diem, on the first Thursday in Febru-
airy, A. ID. 1877, and the president of
the Senate shall be their presiding Off
Ger. Two tellers shall be previously
appointed on the part OF the Senate
and two on the part of the House of
Representatives, to whom shall he
handed as they are opened by the
president of the Senate all the certifi-
Gates and papers purporting to be GER
titicates of electoral votes, which GER
titicates and papers shall be opened.
presented and acted upon in the alpha
betical order of the states, beginning
with the letter A; and said tellers,
having then read the same in the
presence and hearing of the two houses,
shall make list of the votes as they
shall appear from the said certificates
and, the votes having been ascertained
and counted as in this act provided.
the result of the same shall be deliver
ed to the president of the Senate, who
shall thereupon announce the state of
4 A 70 ha 90
if any, elected, which announcement
shall be deemed sufficient declaration
of the persons elected president and
vlce-president of the United States,
and together with list of the votes be
entered on the journals of the two
houses.
Upon such reading of any such GER
tlhcate or paper, when there shall be
only one return from state, the presi-
dent of the Senate shall call for object
ions, 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 aud one mem
Der of the House of Representatives
before the same shall be read. When |
all the objections so made to any vote
or paper from a state shall have been
received and read, the Senate shall
thereupon withdraw, and such object
ions shall be submitted to the Senate |
for its decision, and the speaker of the |
House of Representatives shall in like
manner submit such objections to the
House of Representative for it's decis-
ion. And no electoral vote or votes
FFn f.1ts Il. IL,
turn has been received shall be reject
ed, except by the affirmative vote of
The two houses. When the two houses
have voted, they shall immediately
again meet, and the presiding officer
shall then announce the decision of the
question submitted.
Section 2 That, if more than one
'eturn OF paper purpOrting to be a re-
urn from il state shall have been re-
;elved by the president of the Senate
to be the certificates of
electoral votes given at the last pre-
;eding election for president and vice
president in such state (unless they
hall be duplicates of the same return),
I'll such returns and papers shall be
opened by him in the presence of the
wo houses, when met as aforesaid.
md read by the tellers, and all such
eturns and papers shall thereupon be
admitted to the Judgment and decis-
on as to which is the true and lawful
Electoral vote of such state, of a COM
mission constituted as follows, namely:
During the session of each house on
he Tuesday next preceding the first
thursday in February, 1877, each
Ouse shall by viva vOce vote appoint ,
we of its members, who, with the five ,
ssOciate justices of the supreme court !
t the United States, to be ascertained ,
S hereinafter provided, shall consti-
ute a commission for the decision of
II questions upon or in respect of such
Ouble returns named in this section. $
On the Tuesday next preceding the
rst Thursday in February, A. d. 1877,
+ as soon thereafter as may be, the as +
Dciate justices of the supreme court of {
ne United States now assigned to the !
rst, third, eighth and ninth circuits =
hall select, in such manner as major .
y of them shall deem fit, another of e
he associate justices of said court. :
hich five persons shall he members of =
lid commission, and the person long =
st in commission of said five justices +
iall be the president of said commits -
on. The members of said commits =
on shall, respectively, take and sub n
,ribe the following oath: -
l., do solemnly swear Tor affirm, =
) the case may be, that will impair q
ally examine and consider all ques- i
ons submitted to the commission of :
hich am a member, and a true .judg- n
tent give thereon, agreeably to the h
and laws. So help me ,
cd.
Which oath shall be filed with the =
ecretary of the Senate. y