Year: 1877

tldl 'tlhl I4ctloTdl N'ullhltA'ts pre-
seuted in the Senate a bill prepared


by that committee for settling the


Presidential question, Of which the


following is synopsis:


Congress meets in the hall Of the


House of Representatives the first
Thursday of February next, the


President of the Senate presiding.
The Senate and House previously
appoint two tellers each, to whom
are to be delivered, as opened by
the President Of the Senate, all the


certificates and papers purporting
to be electoral votes said tellers
then read the same in the presence
and hearing of the two Houses, de-


livering the result to the President
of the Senate, who is then to an
nounce the state of the vote. Where
there is but one return from a State,


upon the reading of the same, as


aforesaid, the President of the SEN


ate calls for objections, if any.


Every objection must be in writing,


clear and concise, without argument,


and signed by one member from each


House. Each House then separating


considers such objection and no vote


or votes of any State having but one


return shall be rejected, except by


an affirmative vote of the two Houses.


In cases where the President Of the


Senate has received more than one


such return from any State, the ques-


tion as to which is the true and law


full electoral vote thereof is to be
submitted to a previously constitut-


ed committee of fifteen.


This tribunal is selected from the
highest Legislative and judicial bod
les of the nation, and each branch of
the Governments is fairly represented
in the newly-created court. There
are to be FIVE Senators chosen by
Republican Senate. FIVE members of
the lower House from a Democratic
Congress, four Judges, two of whom
are Democratic and two Republican,
holding their Offices for life, who are
to choose another judge, making FIVE
associate justices of the Supreme
Court Of the United States.


Any objection to a States vote
with such sets of returns, and all
papers connected therewith,ar to be
to such commission,
which, by majority of votes, decides
whether any and what are the law
full votes of such State, and how many
and what persons were duly appoint
ed electors in the State, which de-
cision, as to such vote or votes,
elector or electors, is to be final, un-
less the two Houses separately con
cur in reversing the same. During
the action of either House, upon any
of the matters above stated, where
it becomes their duty to act. Each
Senator and Representative may
speak to such objection or question
ten minutes, and not oftener than
once-all such debates to be limited
in each House to two hours, when a
vote is to be taken. Such Joint
meeting on the first Thursday in
February shall not be dissolved un-
til the count Of the electoral vote
shall be completed, and the result
declared. In case a question arises
in regard to the counting any such
votes, a recess may be had until the
next day at 10 A. NJ. Sundays ex-
cepted). Nothing in said act is to
impair or affect any legal right now
existing to question the right or title
of the person who shall be declared
elected, or who shall claim to be
President or Vice President of the
United States, if any such right ex-
lists.


The above bill will, in all proba-
bility, receive the sanction and sup
port of the two houses. 1t received
the signature Of every member of
the Joint Electoral Committee but
one. Generally the Democrats OF
the country, and the most of the Re-
publicans, think favorably of the
bill. The idea of a continuous de-
bate over the electoral vote until the
4th Of March, and of the President of
the Senate having anything to do
with the counting Of the votes (save
opening the envelopes containing
them), and of the conelusiveness of
the returns sentin by the returning