Year: 1877




shall he SO opened, excepting duplicates Of
the return, which shall be used by the tellers,
and thereupon the Secretary OF the
Senate shall call tor objections. If any,
every objection shall be made in writ
and :nd shall t,n state cessy +hs and a,%S
thereof, and shall be signed by at least one
Senator and one member Of the House Of Re-
preventative before the same shall he receiv.
ed. When all such objections SO made to
any certificate, vote or paper from State
shall have been received and read, all OF such
certificates. notes and papers objected to, and
all papers accompanying the same, togethe:
mitted to said Commission, which shall pro-
coed to consider the same, with the same
powers, it any, now possessed for that pur-
pose by the two houses acting separately or
together, or by a majority OF votes decide
whether any and what votes from such State
are the votes provided for by the constitution
OF the United States, how many and what
persons were duly appointed electors in such
State, and may therein take into view such
petitions, depositions and other papers, it
any, as shall by the constitution aud now ex-
isting law he competent and pertinent i'll such
consideration, which decision shall be made
in writing,, briefly stating the grounds
mission agreeing therein, whereupon the two
houses shall again meet, and snch decision
shall be read and entered in the journal OF
each house and the counting OF the votes
shall proceed in conformity Herewith, un-
less upon objection made thereto in writing
by at least five Senators and five members OF
the House OF Representatives, the two houses
in which case such concurrent order
shall govern. No votes or papers
from any other State shall be acted upon un-
til the objections previously made to the votes
Or papers from any State shall have been
finally disposed Of ;that while the two houses
snail be in meeting, as provided i'll this act,
no debate shall be allowed and no question
shall be put by the presiding officer, except
to either house, or to motion to withdraw;
and he shall have power to preserve order
that when the two houses separate to decide
upon all objection that may have been made
to the counting Of any electoral vote or votes
from any State, or upon objection to report
under this act, each Senator and Representa-
tive may speak to such objection or question
ten minutes, and not ettener than once; but
after such debate shall have lasted two hours
| it shall he the duty Of each House to put the
main question without further debate; that
at such joint meeting Of the two houses seats
shall be provided as follows: For the Presi-
dent ofthe Senate; the Speakers chair io1
the Speaker, Immediately upon his left; the
Senators in the body of the hail upon the
right OF the presiding officers: for the Repre-
sentatives in the body OF the hall not provided
for the Senators for the Tellers, Secretary OF
the Senate and Clerk of the House of Repre-
sentatives, and clerks desks, for the other OF.
ticers of the two houses, in front Of the Clerks
desk, and upon each side Of the Speakers
platform.


Such joint meeting shall not lie dissolved
until TIE count OF the electoral votes shall be
completed and the result declared, and no re.
cess shall be taken unless a question shall
have arisen in regard to the counting OF any
such votes, or otherwise under this act, iii
| which case it shall be competent for either
House, acting separately, in the manner here
inbetore prescribed, to order a recess OF suck
House not beyond the next day, Sunday ex.
| cepted, at the hour Of 10 o'clock in the fore.
noon and while any question is being con.
| sidcred by said Commission either House
may proceed with its legislative or other bus:
| mess that nothing in this act shal be held
to impair or effect any right now existing ull'
der the Constitution or laws to question l.y
| proceeding in the judicial courts Of the United
States the right or title ot the person who
| shall be declared elected, or who shall claim
| to be President or Vice President OF tho
Uniaed States, ii any such right exist; thai
such committee shall make its own rules
keep q record OF its proceeding, and shal
have power to employ such as may be neces
sary tor the transaction OF its business and tl,'
| execution Of its power