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

i All the certificates and papers pur-
porting to be certificates of the electo-
raj votes of each state shall be opened
in the alphabetical order of the state,
as provided in section ! of this act. and
when there shall be more than one GER
I tificate or paper, all the certificates
and papers from such state shall so be
opened excepting duplicates of the
same return). They shall be read by
the tellers, and thereupon the president
of the Senate shall call 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 received.
| When all such objections SO made to
any certificate, vote or paper from a
state shall have been received and read,
all such certificates, votes and papers
so objected to and all papers accom-
panying the same, together with such
objections, shall be forthwith submit
ted to said commission, which shall
proceed TO consider the same with the
same powers, if any, now possessed for
that purpose by the two houses acting
separately or together, and by a major
ity of votes decide whether any and
what votes from such state are the
votes provided for by the constitution
of the United States, and how many
and what persons were duly appointed
electors in such state; and may therein
take into view such petitions, deposit
tons and other papers, if any, as shall
by the constitution and now existing
law, be competent and pertinent in
such consideration, which decision shall
be made in writing, stating briefly the
ground thereof and signed by the mem
bers OF said commission agreeing there
in, whereupOn the two houses shall
again meet, and such decision shall be
read and entered on the journal of each
house, and the counting of votes shall
proceed in conformity Herewith, I'M
less, upon objection made thereto in
writing by at least five senators and
five members of the House of Repre-
sentatives, the two houses shall separ-
ately concur 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 objections previously made to the
votes or papers from any state shall
have been previously disposed Of
Section 3-That, while the two
houses shall be in meeting as provided
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
baUa nnwar n nraSarva np1ar
Section THAT, when the two houses
separate to decide upon any objection
that may have been made to the count
ing of any electoral vote or votes from
any state, or upon an objection to re-
port of said commission or other oues-
ton arising under this act, each senator
and representative may speak to such
objection or question 10 minutes, and
not Oftener than once; but, after such
debate shall have lasted two hours, it
shall be the duty of each house to put
the main question without further de-
bate.
Section 5-That at such Joint meet
ing of the two houses seats shall be
provided as follows: For the presi-
dent of the Senate, the speakers chair
for the speaker, Immediately upon his |
left; the senators in the body of the |
hall upon the right of the presiding
officer for the representatives, in the |
body of the hall not provided for sena-
tors; for the tellers, the secretary of
the Senate and clerk of the House of
Representatives at the clerks desk
for the Other officers of the two houses,
in front of the clerks desk and upon
each side of the speakers platform
Such joint meeting shall not be dis
solved until the count of the electoral
votes shall be completed and the result
declared, and no recess shall be taken,
unless a question shall have arisen in
regard to counting any such votes or
otherwise under this act, in which case
it shall be competent for either house,
acting separately in the manner herein
before provided, to direct a recess of
such house, not beyond the next day,
o'clock in the forenoon, and, while any
question is being considered by said
either house may proceed
with its legislative or other business.
Section 6-That nothing in this act
shall be held to impair or affect any
light now existing under the constitu-
ion and laws to question, by proceed
ng in the judicial courts of the United
States, the right or title of the person
who shall be declared elected or who
hall claim to be president or vice
president of the United States, if any
uch right exists.
Section THAT said commission
hall make its own rules, keep record
If the proceedings, and shall have pow
II to employ such persons as may be {
necessary for the transaction of its :
business and the execution of its pow
rs.