Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 19.djvu/255

 FORTY-FOURTH CONGRESS. Sess. II. GH. 37. 1877. 229 · the same shall be received. When all such objections so made to amy certificate, vote, or paper item an State shall have been received and ‘ read, all such certificates, votes, and papers so objected to, and all pa.- Cmm¤¤m,ec¤., pers accompanying the same, together with such objections, shall be *0 b° §¤P¤¤“>*¤d W forthwith submitted to said commission, which shu,11 proceed to consider °°mm"”'°°‘ the same, with the same powers, if any, new possessed for that purpose by the two Houses uoting separately or together, and, by a. majority of PQWGYS of Wmvotes, decide whether any emd what votes Hom such State are the votes ““S“‘°“‘ 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, depositions, and other papers, if any, as shall, by the Constitution and now existing mw, be competent and pertinent in such consideration; which decision shall be made in Decision, Ii ow writing, stating brieily the ground thereof, aud signed by the members ’“‘“*°· of said commission agreeing therein; whereupon the two houses shall Pyqceediugsuiter again meet, and such decision shall be read and entered in the journal of d*¤°*¤*°¤- each House, and the counting of tho votes shall proceed in conformity th erewith, unless, upon olgecbiou made thereto in writing by at least tive Senators und five members of the House of Representatives, the two Houses shall separately concur in ordering otherwise, in which oa,se‘suoh coueurreub order shall govern. N 0 votes or papers from amy other State Counbnotio proshall be acted upon until the objections previously made be the votes wid umu mm] U0- or papers from any State shall have been iiuully disposed of'. QQ2f; °“ °l’J °°' SEG 3. Thut while the two Houses shall be in meeting, as provided 0¤i0rO,·],,.0c,,0d_ in this act, no debate shall be allowed and no question shall be put: by ipgs in joint sesthe presiding officer, except to either House on an motion to withdraw; Smand he shall have power to preserve order. SEG 4. That when the two Houses separate to decide upon un objeo- Debate in men tion that may have been made to the counting of amy electoral vote or H 0 ¤¤_<> 9** <>bJ<>¤· votes from any State, or upon objection to a. report of said commission, °‘°““ 1‘m‘°°‘l‘ or other question arising under this uct, each Senator and Representautive may speak to such objection O1` question ten minutes, and not oftener than once; but; after such debate shall have lasted two hours, it shall be the duty of ouch House to pub the main question without further debate. Smo 5. That my such joint meeting of the two Houses, seats slmll be Joint meeting; provided as follows: For che President of the Senate, the Speakevs wrrungcmeut of chair; for the Speaker, immediately upon his loft; che Senators in the “°““’· body of the hall upon the right of the presiding oiioer; for the - Representatives, in the body of the hull not; provided for the Senators; for the tellers, Secretary of the Senate, and Clerk of the House of Representatives, at the Clork’s desk; for the other ofucors of the two Houses, in front of the Clerlds desk und upon each side of the Spea,ker’s platform. Such joint meeting shall nots NOW? b° d*SS°"’· be dissolved until the count of electoral votes shall be completed and g{1aQ;'f‘f‘1 °°“““ d°` the result declared; and no recess shall be mkeu unless a, question shall RWM_ have arisen in regard to counting any such votes, or otherwise under this uct, in which ouse it shall be competent for either House, acting separately, in the manner hereiubotbre provided, to direct a. recess of such House not beyond the next day, Sunday excepted, at the hour of ten o’clock in the forenoon. And while any question is being considered Legislative busiby said commission, either House may proceed with its legislative or ¤0¤¤· other business. _ SEG 6. That nothing in thi  act shall be held to impair or affect: any Rigby of legal right now existing under the Constitution and laws to question, by pro- p¤”<>¢¤_<> dll ¤ 2 S **0* ceeding in the judicial courts of the United States, the right: or title of ‘“’P“‘"" the person who shall be declared elected, or who shall claim to be President 01- Vice—]?residem; of the United States, if any such right exists. SEO 7. That said commission shall make its own rules, keep Eb record Commission m of its proceedings, and shall have power to employ such persons as may ¤¤¤k<> ¤‘¤T<·>¤»<>¤=· be necessary for the transaction of its business and the execution of its Boaz, p. 371. powers. Approved, J enuary 29, 1877.