The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-05-25
nov no COUNT THE ELEoroRaL yorE



WASHINGTON, May A-The following are
the material provisions Of the bill reported to
the Senate to-day by Mr. Edmunds from the &C.
lect committee appointed to take into consider
alton the state OF the law in regard to ascertain
ing and declaring the result OF Presidential
eections
1t provides that electors for President and
yicc-president shall be appointed in each State
on the first Tuesday In October in
every fourth year succeeding tho election
OF President and Vice-President and
on tho same day In October. whenever there
shall be a vacancy In both the offices of Presi-
dent and Vice President but no Senator or
Representative. or person holding an Office OF
trust or profit under the United States shall be
appointed an elector.
Section provides that the electors OF each
State shall meet and give their votes upon the
second Monday in January next following their
appointment at such place In each State as the
Legislature OF such State shall direct
sKc. 4 Each state may provide by law enacted prior
t9 The day in this act named for the appointment Of the
trovery concerning the appointment OF electors before
the time Ned for the meeting q the electors in any
made pursuan, to Reh law so enssted before .ad d"y
and made prior TO the said time Of NEE tiny q the electors
who shall have been 50 determined have been ap
votes as provided IN the CONSTITUTION and as hereinafter
regulated.
Section Ave requires the Executive Of each
State to make and certify three lists Of the
electors thus ascerlalned to have been chosen.
and deliver the same TO the electors on or be-
fore the day above prescribed for their meeting
The bin next provides that Congress shall be
in session on the second Monday in February
succeeding every meeting Of the elcctors Tho
SENATE and House shall meet in the Hall of
Representatives. and the President of the SEN
ate shall be the presiding officer There shall
be appointed two tellers on the part Of the SEN
at and two telcrs on the part OF tho House. TO
whom shall be handed, rs they are opened 10y
the President Of the Senate. ali the certificates
OF the electoral votes. which certificates and pa
upon in the alphabeticaf order Of stntes.
beginning at "A" and said tellcrs. having
then read the same in the, presence Of and hear
ing Of the two Houses. shall make n list OF tho
votes ms they appear from said certificates. and
the votes having been ascertained ana counted
as in this act provided tho result OF the same
shall be delivered TO the President Of the SEN
ate. who shall thereupon announce the state Of
ne vote and the names OF persons pS II any elect,
sufficient declarntion OF the persons elected
President and Nicc-President Of the United
Upon the reading Of each certificate or paper
the President OF the senate shall inquire II OBJ
jcctions are made, All objections must be in
one member before the same shall be received
Objections shall be submitted 70 The
House for. its decision separately and
no electoral vote or votes from any State
from Nll'fl nut one return mas beFn received
shah be reiccted except 10y the affirmation votes
of both Houses. II moro than one return. or
paper purporting To- be return. from Stnte
shall have been received by the President Of the
senate. those votes only shall be counted which
have been given by the electors who are shown
by the evidence mentioned in section Of
this act to have been appointcl but in
ease there shall arise the question which Of
determining what electors have been appointed
n mentioned in section Of this act is the law
iul tribunal OF such state. the votes regularly
given Of those electors and those only from
such state. shall be counted whose title as elcc.
tors the two Houses, acting separately. shall
concurrently decide is supported by the de-
cision II tho lawful tribunal Of such State so
provided Tor by is Legislature. And in such
case of more than one return, or paper
purportlng 10 be return, from state,
II there shall have been no such dptermi nation
'Nose otcs. a.rl Ia o. only shall bc 'nuntDd
winch the Two Houses, acting separately. shall
legally appointed electors ~ su III State. When
ih0 two I! lus . have voted they shall immedi-
ut'ly again meet, and tho presiding on 'er shall
then ANNOUNCE IN" decision ~ tho questions
suNnnued No votes or papers from any 0th"r
state shall be acted upon until tho objections
previously made to tn" votes or papers from any
stat shall hay" been finally disposed ~.
The remaining sections Of the hll provide
that while the two Houses are together no de-
bate shall be allowed and no question shall he
put hy the presiding oll,er eNceIt to eitEer
Houseon motion 20 withdraw limit debate in
either House tOtwo hours UPON any one disputed
question. and further provide that the joint
meeting shall not he dissolved until the count u
electoral votes shall be completed and the re-
excepted at 10 \. II. And If tho counting Il
the electoral votes and the declaration Of tho
result shall not have been completed before the
OF tho two Houses. no further or other recess
shall be taken by either House