The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1878-12-28
THE ELECTORAL BILL.
Full Text of the Bill as 1t Passed the
Senate.

BE ii enacted ty the senate and house o.
Representatives. OF the United States of A1aeri
co. an congress assembled. That the electors
of president and vice-president shall be an
| pointed IN each state on the first Tuesday
IN October III every fourth year succeeding
the election OF president and vice president
and on the same day in October, whenever
there shall be vacancy in both the offices
OF president and viee-president, declared
and certified as hereinafter provided. but nc
senator or representative or person holding
an office OF trust or profit under the United
States shall be appointed an elector.
Section :. Whenever there shall be 9
vacancy IN both the Offices of president ana
yIee-presldent, occurring more than two
months next preceding the first Tuesday in
any month OF October than that next pre-
cedlng the expiration of the term of office
tor which the president and vice-president
last in office were elected, the secretary OF
state shall forthwith cause notification
| thereof to be made to the executive of every
state, and shall also cause the same to be
publlshed IN at least one OF the newspapers
printed in each state. The notification
snail specify the electors of president and
| vice president of the United States shall be
appointed in the several states on the first
| tuesday in October the next ensuing,
Section g. The electors Of each state shall
|
Monday In January next following their
| appointment, at such place in each state as
| the Legislature Of such state shall direct
| section 4. Each state may provide bv
| law enacted prior TO the dav in this Act
named for the appointment OF the electors.
tor the trial and determination OF any con-
troVersy concerning the appointment of
| electors, before the time fixed for the meet.
| ing of the electors, in any manner If shall
/ deem pYnpHIpnt lo,,,
| made pursuant to such law so enacted be-
tore said day, and made prior to the said
time OF meeting of the electors, shall be con
elusive evidence of the lawful title of the
| electors who shall have been SO determined
to have been app Dinted, and shall govern
| IN the counting of the electoral votes, as
provided in the constitution, and as here
matter regulated.
Section 5. 1t shall be the duty OF the ex.
ecutlVe OF each state to cause three lists of
the names Of the electors of such state duly
ascertained to have been chosen to be made
and certified, and to be delivered to the
electors on or before the day on which they
are required by this act to meet
Section 6. Congress shall be in session on
the second Monday in February succeeding
every meeting of the electors The senate
and house of representatives shall meet In
the hall of the house of representatives at
he hour of one o'clock in ;he afternoon on
that day; and the president of the senate
shall be their presiding officer. Two tellers
shall be previously appoi tied on the part of
the senate, and two on th 3 part Of the hou
OF representatives, to whom shall be hand
ed as they are opened by the president oft the
senate, ali the certificates and papers pur-
porting TO be certificates of the electoral
votes, which certificates and papers sha
be opened, presented and acted upon in the
Alphabetical order OF the states, beginning
with the lettor 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
ascertaned and counted as in this act pro-
Vlded, the result of the same shall be deliv-
cred TO the president of the senate, who
shall thereupon announce the state of the
vote and the names of the persons, if any
elected, which announccm shall be dccnI-
ed sufficient declaration of the persons
elected president and yice-president of the
United States, and, together with a list of
the votes, be entered on the journals Of the
two houses. Upon such reading of any such
certificate or paper, 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
one member of the house of representatives
before the same shall be received. When
all objections so made to any vote or paper
from state shall have been received and
read, the senate shall thereupon withdraw.
and such objections shall be sub
mitted to the senate for its de
cision; and the speaker for the
house OF representatives shall in like man
ner submit such objections to the house of
nCn 1totH e. l. 4
electoral vote or votes from any state from
which but enc return has been received
shall be rejected except by the affirmative
votes OF both houses. If more than one re- |
turn, or papers purpOrting to be return |
from state shall have been received by the !
president of the senate, those votes, and |
those only, shall be counted which shall |
have been regularly given by the electors |
who are shown by the evidence mentioned |
in section OF this act to have been ap-
pointed; but in case there shall arise the |
question which of two or more of such state |
tribunals determining what electors have /
been appointed, as mentioned in section 4 !
OF this act, is the lawful tribunal of such !
state, the votes regularly given of those /
electors, and those only, from such state |
shall be counted whose title as electors the |
two houses, acting separately, shall concur
renuy decide is supported by the decision |
of the tribunal of such state so provided for |
by its legislature. And in such case of |
more than one return, or paper purporting |
TO be return, from state, it there shall |
have been no such determination of the |
question III the site as aforesaid, then |
those votes, and those only, shall be counted |
which the two houses, acting separately. |
shall concurrently decide to be the lawful |
votes of the legally appointed electors of |
such state. When the two houses have |
voted, they shall Immediately again meet. |
and the presiding officer shall then an.
1ounce the decision of the questions sub. !
nItted. No votes or papers from any other /
state shall be acted upon until the obiec- |
ions previously made to the votes or papers |
rom any state shall have been inaliy dis |
posed of.
Section 7. That while the two houses shall
BE in meeting, as provided in this act, no |
debate shall be allowed and no questions |
shall be put by the presiding officer, except |
10 either house on a motion to withdraw |
snd he shall have power to preserve order |
Section s. That when the two houses sepa- |
rate to decide upon an objection that may
nave been made to the counting of any |
electoral vote or votes from any state. or /
)ther question arising in the matter. each |
senator and representative may speak to /
uch objection or question five minutes, and /
lot oftener than once; but after such de- /
)ate snail nave lasted two hours, 1t shall be /
he duty of the presiding officer of each /
louse to put the main question without fur
her debate.
Section Q. That at such Joint meeting of
he two houses seats shall be provided as
ollows: For the president of the senate,
he speakers chair; for the speaker, imme-
lately upon his left; the senators in the
,ody of the hall upon the right of the pre-
iding officer; for the representatives., in the
ody of the hall not provided for the sena-
ors; for the tellers, secretary of the senate