Year: 1877

ROCK ISLAND. D,.........'.AhLANO4S !


Wednesday. October a, 1877. {
How Shall the President be Elected7 4
It is determined now that strong effort
win be made by the present congress to so
amend the federal constitution as to avoid
in the future the dangers which assalled
the republic last winter A motion has
been made in the senate to appoint a
committee to devise and digest plan, and
Mr.. Spinger, of our own state, who, in the
last congress, was member Of the Nc
Creery Joint commission, which matured
the scheme which resulted in giving the
country the s by commission, and who,
as chairman Of subcommittee, proposed
an elaborate digest of the proceedings of
congress relative to the counting of the |
electoral vote from the establishment
of the republic to the last election of Gen.
Grant, has drafted resolution creating a
joint congressional committee Of fourteen
seven from each house-to consider con
stitutional amendments to be submitted
by him at the time the resolution is offered
concerning the election of the president
and vice president Mr.. Spinger's plan is
something like that suggested by Mr..
BuckaleW, last spring, and he is now only
awaiting a favorable opportunity to offer
the resolution and amendments, which
may, probably, be introduced into the
extra session which, it IS limited at, will
more than likely dovetail into the regular
session. The following is the text of
Spinger's amendments as they will be
presented to the house:


Joint resolution proposing an amendment
to the constitution in reference to the
election ofa President and Vice President
of the United States:-


Resolved by the Senate and House of
Representatives of the United States of
America in Congress assembled, That the
following articles be proposed to the Leg
islatures of the several States as amend
ments to the constitution of the United
States, which, when ratified by three.
fourths Of said Legislatures, shall be valid
as a part OF the constitution namely


ARTICLE XVI.


The first, second, third and fourth para
graphs Of section ! of article 2 and all of
article II of the constitution shall be
amended so as TO read as follows:-


The executive power shall be vested 10
a President of the United States of Amer
lea. He shall hold his Office during the
term of six years, and shall be ineligible tC
reelection for the next ensuing term
He aud the Vice President chosen for tue
same term shall be elected as follows


Each State shall be entitled to as many
votes in the election of a President and
Vice President Of the United States as
there are Senators and members Of the
House of REPRESENTATIVES from such state
except that States having but one member
of the House of Representatives shall be
entitled to but one vote, and States having
but TWO members of the House of Repre-
sentatives shall be entitled to but three
votes in the election of President and Vice
President


There shall be an election 10 each State
held in such manner as the Legislator,
thereof may direct. on the Tuesday mex
after the FIRST Monday in November, A. D
1880, and in every sixth year succeeding
every election Of President and Vic
President at which election the elector
qualified to vote for representatives IN tn
most numerous branch of the State Legs
iatute may vote for person for PreSiien
of the United States and also for perso
for Vice-President of the United State
who may be qualified for such office uDde
the constitution.


1t shall be the duty of the governors, th
secretary Of state and the chief justice q
Il. Il linko -. naha knkn
meet at the seat of government of th
state on the second Wednesday of Deceu
Der next after each presidential olectio
and canvass the votes cast in such stat
for president and vice president OF til
United States, but such canvassers sha
have only ministerial powers. They sha
aggregate all the votes cast for presidel
and vice president. They shall divide Il
aggregate popular vote by the number
the presidential votes to which such sta
is entitled, and the quotient shall be Il
ratio OF presidential vote 10 such sta
at said election. The whole number
votes received by each candidate for pre-
ident shall be divided by the PRESIDENT
ratio and the quotient shall represent q
number of votes to which said PRESIDENT
candidates shall be entitled in such state
The candidates having the largest Fraction
shall be entitled to the odd state vote
They shall make a similar disposition
the votes cast for vice president. Th
shall thereupon certify in triplicate Il
result Of their canvass of the votes cast
said state, and they shall transmit one COZ
20 the Judge of the district court of Il
United States in whose district the canva
is made, one copy to the president of Il
senate aud one copy to the speaker of {
house OF representatives of the Unit
States


The Senate and the House of Represe
tatives Of the United States shall meet
joint convention in the hall of the House
Representatives on the third Monday
January succeeding every election of
President and Vice President, aud t
President of the Senate shall be the pre-
ding officer unless he be one of the perso
who has received majority of the votes
any State for President or Vice Preside
at said election, in which case the Speak
Of the House of Representatives, unless
shall also have received a like vote,