Year: 1877

phabetical order of states, as provided


in section / Of this act, and when


there shall be more than one such cer-


tificate or paper, all certificates and


papers from such state, shall so


be opened excepting duplicates OF


the same return--they shall be


read by the tellers and thereupon the


President of the Senate shall call for


objections, if any. Every objection


shall be made in writing and shall


state clearly and conciscly and with


out argument the ground thereof and


shall be signed by at least one Senator
and one member of the House OF


Representative before the same shall


be received. When all such objections
SO made to any certificate, vote or
paper, from State, shall have been


received and read, ,all such certificates,


votes and papers SO objected to and
all papers accompanying the same


together with such objections shall be


forthwith submitted to said Commits


sion, which shall proceed to consider
the same with the same power,if any,
possessed for that purpose, by
the two Houses acting separately or
together, and by majority of votes
decide whether any and what votes
from such State are the votes provid-
ed for by the Constitution of the
United States, and how many and
what persons were duly appointed
electors in such State, and may there
in take into view such petitions, dep
Ositions and other papers, if any, as
shall by the Constitution and now
existing law be competent and peril
nent in such consideration, which
decision shall be made in writing.
stating briefly the ground thereof, and
be signed by the members of said
Commission agreeing therein, where
upon the two Houses shall again
meet and such decision shall be read
and entered in the journal Of each
House, and the counting of the vote
shall proceed in conformity there
with, unless upon objection made
thereto in writing by at least five
Senators and five members of the
House of Representatives, the two
Houses shall separately concur in
ordering otherwise, in which case
such concurrent order shall govern.
No votes or papers from any other
States shall be acted upon until the
objections previously made to the
votes or papers from any State shall
have been finally disposed of.


SEC. 3. When the two Houses shall
be in meeting as provided in this Act
no debate shall be allowed and no
question shall be put by the presiding
officer, except to either House, or a
motion to withdraw, and he shall
have power to preserve order.


SEC. 4 And when the two Houses
separate to decide upon an objection
that has been made to the counting of
any electoral vote or votes from any
State, or upon an objection to the
report Of said Commission, or other
question arising under this Act, each
Senator or Representatives may speak
to such objection or question ten
minutes, and not oftencr than once,
but after such debate shall have last
ed two hours it shall be the duty of
each House to put the main question
without further debate.


SEC. 5. That at such joint meeting
of the two Houses seats shall be
provided as follows: For the Prcsi-
dent of the Senate the Speakers
chair, for the Speaker Immediately
upon his left; the Senators. the hall
upon the right of the presiding
officer; the Representative 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, the clerks desk for
other officers of the two Houses, in
front of the clerks desk, and upon
each side of the Speakers platform.
Such joint meeting shall not be dis
solved until the count of the electoral
votes shall be completed and the re-
suit declared, and no recess shall be
taken unless question shall have
arisen in regard TO counting any such
votes or otherwise under this Act, in
which case it shall be competent for
either House, acting separately, i'm the
manner hcreinbefore provided, to
direct recess Of such house not be-
yond the next day, Sunday excepted,
at the hour of ten O'Clock in the fore
noon; and while any question is be-
ing considered by sand Commission,
either House may proceed with its
legislative or other business.


SEC. 6. That nothing in this Act
shall be held to impair or affect any
right existing under the Con-
stitntion and the laws to question by
proceeding the judicial courts Of
the United States, the right OF title
of the person who shall be declar-
ed elected, or who shall claim to be
President or Vice President of the
United States, if any such right ex-
ist.


SEC. Z. That said Commission shall
make its own rules, keep record of
its proceedings, and shall have power
to employ a clerk.