Year: 1877

certificate OF paper as the certificates or
papers from such State shall 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 concisely, and
without argument, the ground thereof,
and shall be signed by at least one SEN
ator and one member of the House OF
Representatives 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 ac-
companying the same, together with such
objections, shall be forthwith submitted
to said commission, which shall proceed
to consider the same, with the same
powers, if any, now possessed for that
purpose by the two houses acting sepa-
rately or together. and 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, and how many and what persons
were duly appointed electors in such
State and may therein take into view
such petitions, dispositions, and other
papers, if any, as shall by the Constitu-
ton and now existing law be competent
and pertinent to 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 meet
and such decision shall be read
and entered in the journal of each
house. And the counting of the votes
shall proceed in conformity Herewith,
unless upon objection made thereto in
writing by at least five senators and five
members of the House of Represen-
tatives, the two houses shall separately
concur in ordering otherwise !; in which
case such concurrent order shall govern.
No votes or papers from any other State
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. That while the two houses
/ shall be in meeting as provided in this
act no debate shall be allowed and nc
question shall be put by the presiding
officer, except to either House ON mo.
/ ton 10 withdraw; and he shall have
! power to preserve order.


Sec. 4. That when the two houses
separate to decide upon an objection that
may have been made to the counting o.
any electoral vote or votes from any
State, or upon objection to report ot
said commission or other question
/ arising under this act, each senator an(
representative may speak to such obiec
! ton or question for ten minutes and no
oftener than once, but after such de
bate shall have lasted two hours it shal
be the duty Of each house to put the
main question without further debate.


Sec. 8. That at such joint meeting o
the two houses seats shall be provided
as follows: For the president of thu
Senate, the speakers chair for the
speaker, Immediately upon his left fol
the senators, in the body of the hall
upon the right of the presiding officer
for the representatives., in the body o
the hall not provided for the senators
for the tellers, secretary of the Senate
and clerk of the House of Representa-
tives. at the clerks desk for the othel
officers of the two houses, i'll front of th,
clerks desk and upon each side Of th'
speakers platform.


Such joint meeting shall not be dis
solved until the count Of electoral votei
shall be completed and the result de
clarsd and no recess shall be taken I'M
less a question shall have arisen i'll re
gard to the counting of any such votes o.
otherwise under this act, in which cast
it shall be competent for either house
acting separately in the manner herein
before provided, to direct recess o
such house, not beyond the next da,
Sunday excepted), at the hour of tel
o'clock in the forenoon. And while any
question is being considered by said com
mission either house may proceed will
it's Legislative or other business.


Sec. 6. That nothing in this act shal
be held to impair OF affect any right nov
existing under the Constitution and law
to question by proceeding in the judicia
courts of the United States the right o
title of the person who shall be declare,
elected or who shall claim to be Presi
dent or Vice-President of the Unite'
States, if any such right exists.


Sec. 7. That said commission shal
make it's own rules, keep record of it
proceedings, and shall have power t
employ. such persons as may be necessar
for the transaction of its business an


the execution of its powers.