Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-07-08
Political Contingency.
Mem Orleans Picdultne.


1t happens, through want of sufficient
foresight on the part of our Legislators,
that the succession to the Presidency or
the United States is at the present su-
preme moment vested in but one man,
Chester A. Arthur. Usually there are
three persons entitled to succeed in the
event of the title falling to any one OF
them. The Constitution of the United
States (article H., section g. provides
that "in case of the removal of the Presi-
dent from Office, or of his death, Tesigna-
ton or inability to discharge the powers
and duties of the said Office, the same
shall devolve on the Vice President, and
| Congress may by law provide for the
case of removal, death, resignation or in
ability, both of the President and Vice
President, declaring what officer shall
then act as President, and such officer
shall act accordingly until the disability
be removed, or a President be elected. p"
In accordance with the authority
above specified. Congress has enacted,
in the 9th section of the act of March /,
| 1892. that Gin case of removal, death,
resignation, or inability of both of the
President and Vice President of the
United States, the President of the Sem
ate pro tempOre and in case there shall
be no President of the Senate, then the
| Speaker of the House of Representatives,
for the time being, shall act as President
of the United States until the disability
be removed or a President shall be
elected"
Now it happens that at this moment
| there is no President pro temp0Te of the
| hn a mo q
traordinary session and organized by the
| appointment of committees, for the rea
son that at every session of the executive
session the Vice President of the United
| States was present and presided, and
President pro temp0Te is never elected
| but in his absence.
1t also happens that there is no Speak
er of the House Of Representatives, fol
| the reason that the Forty sixth Congress
expired at noon March 4, 1881, together
with every function thereof, and the
House of Representatives of the Forty
seventh Congress has not yet convened,
and will not convene until the first Mon
day in December. unless previously con
voked by executive authority.
Therefore the Vice President of the
United States is now the only person
legally entitled to assume the duties Oi
President of the United States IN GnS
contingency aohGteUer.
II is true that the tenth section of the
act of 1899 makes provision for ordering
an election of President of the United
States whenever the offices of President
and Vice President shall both become
vacant, but it does not authorize any
provision to be made in advance of actua
vacancy. The words of the section are
as follows:
Whenever the offices OF President anC
| Vice President shall both become vacant
the Secretary of State shall forthwith
cause notification thereof to be made
to the Executive of every State, anC
shall also cause the same to be published
in at least one of the newspapers printed
in each State, specifying that electors Oi
the President of the United States shal
be appointed or chosen in the severa
States within thirty-four days preceding
the first Wednesday in December then
next ensuing: Provided, There shall be
the space of two months between the
date of such notification and the sale
first Wednesday in December; but il
there shall not be the space Of
two months between the date
of such notification and the
first Wednesday in December, and if the
term for which the President and Vice
President last in office were elected shall
not expire on the third day of March
next ensuing, then the Secretary of State
shall specify in the notification that the
electors shall be appointed or choser
within thirty four days preceding the
first Wednesday in December IN the veal
next ensuing, within which time the
electors shall accordingly be appointed
or chosen, and the electors shall mee
and give their votes on the said frst
Wednesday in December, and the pro
ceedings and duties of the said electors
and others shall be pursuant to the direc
tions prescribed in this act.
The most obvious inference from the
wording of this section, which certainly
might be improved and made less OBJ
scure, is that it was designed to limit the
time during which President pro tenn
pore of the Senate or Speaker of the
House of Representatives should eXer
else the prerogatives and powers oi
President of the United States, in case
of the same falling to either of such leg
islative officers by reason of the death
removal, resignation or disability of bett
President and Vice President. In the
latter contingency, therefore, and failing
both President pro teD1pOre of the Senate
and Speaker of the House of Representa-
tives, there is no person authorized By
law to assume the duties of Chief Elk
ecutive.