The morning times., 1896-10-26
oard as afterwards constituted stood eight

board as afterwards constituted stood eight
Republicans 10 seven Democrats.
TIE Commission sal from day 10 day, un'
til tue I'd of March, two days before the
date of inauguration, before finally de-
Gliding tue matter However its majority
may have been schem ed for by both parties,
it was tue opinion OF eminent jur,sts and
statesmen, regardless of politics, that the
action of tue commission confirmed be-
yond legal doubt or bubble the title of Mr..
Hayes 10 tue Presidency.
The decision in any national contest may
be known TO the people of the country on
the morning succeeding the day OF the
election, but it is not officially declared
until Congress is through with the re
turns
Both houses of that body "shall'' be in
Joint session on the second Wednesday in
February succeeding the meeting Of the
electors If tue results in the States has
been close there is much interest and no
little excitement until after tue second
Wednesday in February, or Until such time
as the choice is determined.
Should an clector die before the date
fixed for casting his vote the candidate in
Whose interest he was appointed will be
the loser Had one died succeeding the
election of 1876, there would have been a
tie vote in tie electoral college. Had two
died. Tilden would lave been President
The Senate meets with the Representa-
tiyes in the hall Of the House Mt the hour
of 1 O'Clock in tie afternoon of the second
Wednesday in February. Tie President of
the Senate presides and opens the sealed
packages cont aiming the electoral ccrtiii-
Gates TelIers, two from each house, re-
ceiye these certificates and all other papers
purpor;ipg 10 be such, the votes being
counted in tue alphabetical order of the
States. beginning with the letter A. The
announcement of the result by the PreSl-
dent of the Senate shall be accepted as
sufficient declaration of the persons, II
any elected President and Vice IreSi-
dent.
claration of the vote or any state, o.'
thew must be made in writing, and be
concise and clear in statement. 1t must
he signed by at least two persons, q Senator
and a member. and when all objections
shall be received, the houses separate
when Il vote is taken by each. ajority
| If one body is not sufficient to reject the
vote of q State, but the two houses con-
currently may reject it, when they agree
| tLat such vote or votes have not been
| regularly given by qualified electors.
The Joint meeting cannot lawfully be
| dissolved until the count shall be com
| pleted and the result declared, and no
| recess is admissible unless 4 question
| shall have arisen IN regard To the counting
or any votes, in which case either body
| may take n recess until the succeeding
| day at 10 O'Clock a. m, but if the result
| stall not have been completed before the
| fifth calendar day after the first meeting
| Of the two houses, no further recess shall
be taken.
| Contests are anticipated over the choice
/ Of electors in the law which defines theiI
4 duties and methods of procedure. The
act says that if any State shall have pro
| vided by laws passed prior to the day
fixed for the appointment of electors, FOL
its final determination Of any controvers,
| or contest concerning the appointment o
all or any of the electors Of such State, by
| judicial proceedings or otherwise, and il
| such determination shall have been mad,
at least six days before the time riXet
for the meeting Of the electors, 1t shal
be Conclusive, and shall govern in tn,
counting of the electoral vote.
Mention has been made of the close confess
If 1876, when tlci Republican was seatet
by one majority nf tt" electoral votes
Other elections were very much NOR,
one-sidcd, and the most noted instanc,