Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-02-10
THE GAZETTE: FORT WORTH TEXAS SUNDAY FEBRUARY 10


to the sergeant arms to carry, but
viii tuck the packets carefully under his
arm, not parting with them until he has
broken the seals and the vote is laid be-
fore the boIse After the appointment
of the electors Is made and certified TO
according 10 law, and their votes are
cast as they we're on the second Monday
in January, three, certificates of the vote
are made. One is placed in the hands of
the court in the state, one is sent TO the
presiding officer of the senate by mail +,
and one by special messenger. 1t is sup
posed not TO be likely that both the mes
senger and the mail viii fail III any one
case, and the two methods of tranSpOrta-
ton are adopted for security. Still, if
both should fan, new certificates could be
got from the state. The counting of the
electoral vote is an interesting ceremony.
A full quorum of each house may be de-
pended upon TO be present during the
count. The presiding officer o. the SEN
ate presides over the joint session.
HON THEY WILL SIT.
BY the solemn enactment of law it is
declared how the assemblage shall be
seated. Section of the act declares:
''That at such joint meeting of the two
houses seats shall be provided as follows:
For president of the senate, the speaker ;
chair; for the speaker, Immediately upon
his left; the senators, in the body of the
hall upon the right of the presiding Off
Ger; for the representatives, in the body
of the hall not provided for the senators;
for the tellers, 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 clerk 5
desk and upon each side of the speakers
platform -
There Is no law as to the exact attitude
in which the members shall sit, but If is
expected to be more dignified than that
usually adopted during the sessions of the
house.
1t is question whether the count
would be conducted legally if the seating
should be different from that provided
for. Ii the speaker should change his
seat, or the clerk of the house sit at the
sergeant-at-arm sdesk, it might make
the count irregular
The members of the house must sit close
to make room. The wives of senators
and members are often admitted to the
Hobbies and the space back Of the mem
bers seats. The galleries and corridors
are crowded with spectators. The cere-
mony is conducted with the solemnity
appropriate to such an important occasion
III the evolution of the peoples govern
ment. 1t is there declared who is to be
the head of the nation for four
years succeeding the 4th of March.
Usually, as in the present instance,
this is but the formal announcement of
what is already fact. but it might oc-
cur that objection would be made to GER
tain returns which would change the re-
suit. Then from merely perfunctory
ceremony the occasion would become one
of intense interest and suspense The
two houses would be called upon to de-
eide, perhaps, which of the two men had
been elected. The senators would with
draw TO their own end of the capitol and
the two houses would meet separately to
decideupon the merits of the objections
Should this count fail to show that any
man had u majority of the electoral
votes, the house would be called upon to
elect the president and vice president of
the United States, voting by states.
No such complications as these can
arise under the present circumstances
There Is no dispute As TO Gen Harrison
and Mr.. Morton s election The for
mality VIII be gone through with as pro-
vded for by the act of February 3, 1887,
without contingency Of objection or doubt
arising.
TIE ORDER OF PROCFFDING