Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1884-11-14
NJ Measiires In Congress for Settling the
COunting of Electoral Votes.

Counting of Electoral Votes.
There are pending in Congress two bills hav-
ing in tisw the settlement of controversies con-
cerning the counting of electoral votes, either
Of which Is in position to be t,ken up early
in December and passed in time to apply to the
counting of the electoral votes in Congress next
February. The first is known the lIoar bill,
which wa: passed unanimously by the Sen tie
early last session. Its pivotal feature is found
in section =, aud is as oiow.: That each
Stale NAV, pursuant to its lt"s existing on the
day fixed for the appointment of the electors,
try and determine at lest six days before the
time fixed for the meelinr of the electors any
controversy concerning their appointment of
any of them. Every such determination made
pursuant to such law SO existing on said day,
and made at least six dars prior to the said
time of meeting of the electors, shall ne concln-
sire evidence of the lawful title to office of the
electors ho shall have been so determined to
have been appointed, and shall govern in The
counting OF the electoral votes as provided in
the constitution and as hereinafter regulated !"
The bill further provides that the vote of IL
State from which but one return has been re-
crved shall not be rejected except upon the af
hrmstlve votes of both houses, and whrs more
than one return or purported return HIS been
received from State those votes only shall lie
hy the electors who are shown by the evidence
mentioned in section , Of this act to have been
appointed -
In case. OF failure on The part of States to de-
termine thrirown controversy then those votes
and those only sh,l be counted which tn two
houses acting separately sh III concurrrntiy de-
eide 10 he The lawful votes -
TsiS Till WAS referred hv thu II ,usr to -
special committee, of which DR.. M,ron W. The
Ia, 80,
amendment known us The k,ston substitute. II
provides that III more than one return or paper
Psrportlng to he n return Of II State shall have
been received bv the president of the S~nate
then and ia that ease the pr,,iiing officer Of
the iolnt convention shall submit To the mem
herS thereof the determi nation AS to which is
the proper return and three hours shall hr
allowed for debate, and the j,int convention
shall then proceed to vote per capita. commence
ing with the State Of AlabAmt sud these votes
shall lie counted and added TO the list of votes
already ascertained which mi 'rity of the
joint convention shall deter mine To haze been
contained in the proper and egal return
The substitute WAS adopted by the House
md the smeud'd measure Wa; sent 10 con
terence committee, from which no formal re-
ports have been made 10 the two houses.
Th- consideration of this sutj-ct in Congress
began during the first regular sesSto. OF the
Forty With Congress the electoral controversy
Of 1876 AelRG then fresh in the public mind
The Senate was then republican ard the House
democratic. 4 hill WAS introduced hy Senator
EdmundS providing in su anCe that States
might by their own tribunals determine their
own controversies, aud Congress should lie
guided N its action hy such determination
This measure, after tull ii-Cu<ston, Vas passed
by the Senate, Senators B'yArd and Mrrg.n
supporting the measure and voting with the re
PuolIoaps for il. |, died in the House.
The next Congress wss democratic in hoih
branches. Daring the hr,t session Senator
Morgan reported concurrent resolution EN-
nodying joint rue which PROVIDED in SUB.
stance that IN cases Of CONTROVERSY. here only
one list Of votes had Tern received from - -, ate
Ihe vote should be counted ua'e.s bpih houses
concurei in its rejection Where there as
more than one list OF votes from any State ad
II appeared That the tSo houses have no.
concurrri IN receiving either OF ,ai lists As
the au'hentIc and Lawful i>r th~v shall -, h
he declared by the President Of The Senate in
the presen { Of the Senate aud House OF Repre-
scnih'lves, u. being rejected and no list Of
votes Of electors so rejected shall he afirrxsr!-
re-d IN the presence OF ihe iso houses except
for information
l"Is resolution US ,s>et hy Nh S-uate aud
persisleai attempts wrT- m ale Ia ~r-u vote
opposed to it. and succe s'u : re<ortsd ~ a.
Clustering. Daring is pend-ncy in the House
me election OF 1880 took pltre and, the rrsult
"eIog gnq sesiiOushle the saij-Ct CstSed 10 be
one Of immediate inporane~
% 'h- FIRST OF Frbrurry. 1881 S-n,ior l0gall.
ntEod Icei . resolution winch ne n amended
vas passed hy both houses. sni und,r iis pro-
visions the last electoral voi- Wa counted on
he q Of Feeruars, 1881. Il was ,s tcl-.D. +;
Ih&t the iSo houses OF tJnEr-ss shall A.
semh.e IN the hal Of the iouss % z .pr-.-ai,-
tive. on wednesday. the 9ih Of Fchrg,rv. 1881
Al l. o clock " pursu.ul to The req rem n $
OF the constitution AMI laws r-Iarn. t. lh.
election Of Presiirn, aud Eic- President OF the
United States, and the President uf ih= Sen,,e
shall be the prrsidins officer; that tao persons
shall he appointed tciirrs % ;hr part of the
senate and iwo on the p,rt of the House Of
Representatives. o make list OF the votes a.
hey shall he declared that the re.ult shall be
delivered 10 The President OF the Senate, who
'a.t announce the stale Of the vote and the
person. elected 10 The two hons. assembled as
Aforesaid which sh all lie dc-ni-l \ declaration
OF the persons ei-rt-! President sni HIc--Prr-i-
dent uf the Cnj,ri St.'-s, anl together with =
ilst Of votes be entered on tn 'arnAls OF ihe
two houses
That il ii sh,ll appear thl, sDr votes Of
electors for President or Vice President, Of the
| nitei States haze been gwen on DAY other
Than th't fixed for casting such votes nr act Of
Congress, IN pursuance Of the constitution OF
the InIted States. If the courting or omitriGg
10 count such votes shsl! no, essentially chang
the result Of the election. they sh al he reported
by the President Of The Senate in he tilowIn Z
maLneI Were the votes Of electors cast on
the - dAy OF -, 1850. 10 he rount-d the
result would be for A 81 for P,esid-nt OF the
[ nIied States - votes. and for &C. ID Tor
President Of the United States - votes if
not counted he result would be for \ B. for
President of the [ Unired States - votes .ad
for &c ~ Tor President OF the United States
- votes but in either event - is elected
President Of the United States. And in the
same manner tor Vice President.
The Forty seventh Congress VS. under re-
publican control in both branches The Iioar
bill, already mentioned now pending in the
House, Was then first introduced and. after
amendment in the Senate Committee on privi-
leges and elections was unanimously reported
and unanimously passed by The S-ut'e.
1t was referred BY the ll,use to its committee
on election of President, from which "A suh.ri-
tote was reported back. This was elaboraielv
discussed, but was recommit,ed aud Was never
further acted upon by that Congress.