164 



CONGRESS, UNITED STATES. 



meet cases which have not been contemplated in the 

 Constitution or laws of the country. 



The hill may not be perfect, and its provisions 

 may not be such as would be best applicable to all 

 future occasions ; but it is calculated to meet the 

 present condition of the question and of the coun- 

 try. 



The country is agitated. It needs and it desires 

 peace, and quiet, and harmony, between all parties 

 and all sections. Its industries are arrested, labor un- 

 employed, capital idle, and enterprise paralyzed, by 

 reason of the doubt and anxiety attending the un- 

 certainty of a double claim to the Chief Magistracy 

 of the nation. It wants to be assured that the result 

 of the election will be accepted without resistance 

 from the supporters of the disappointed candidate, 

 and that its highest officer shall not hold his place 

 with a questioned title of right. Believing that the 

 bill will secure these ends, I give it my signature. 

 U. S. GRANT. 



EXECUTIVE MANSION, January 29, 1877. 



Mr. Conkling said : " Mr. President, I move 

 that this important and wise message be print- 

 ed, and lie on the table." 



The motion was agreed to. 



In the Senate, on January 30th, on taking 

 and counting the votes, it appeared that the 

 following Senators were unanimously chosen 

 members of the Electoral Commission, namely : 

 Messrs. George F. Edmunds, Oliver P. Morton, 

 Frederick T. Frelinghuysen, Allen G. Thur- 

 man, and Thomas F. Bayard. On February 

 26th the place of Mr. Thurraan was filled by 

 Mr. Kernan, owing to the physical inability of 

 Mr. Thurman. 



The House, by a viva-voce vote, appointed 

 Messrs. Henry B. Payne, of Ohio, Eppa Hun- 

 ton, of Virginia, Josiah G. Abbott, of Massa- 

 chusetts, George F. Hoar, of Massachusetts, 

 and James A. Garfield, of Ohio, members of 

 the commission on the part of the House of 

 Eepresentatives. 



The following resolution was concurred in by 

 both Houses : 



Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 

 concurring), That, during the counting of the votes 

 for President and Vice-President, no persons, be- 

 sides those who now have the privilege of the floor 

 of the House of Representatives, shall be admitted 

 to the south wing of the Capitol extension, except 

 upon tickets to be issued by the President of the 

 Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representa- 

 tives ; to be issued to Senators and Representatives 

 and other's, and shall be distributed by the Ser- 

 geant-at-Arms of tho Senate and House of Repre- 

 sentatives. 



The following communication was also sent 

 to the House : 



To the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the 



United States: 



Pursuant to the provisions of the second section 

 of the act of Congress, entitled " An act to provide 

 for and regulate the counting of votes for President 

 and Vice -President, and the decision of questions 

 arisTngthereon, for the term commencing March 4, 

 A. D. 1877," approved January 29, 1877, the under- 

 signed, associate justices of the Supreme Court of 

 the United States assigned to the first, third, eighth, 

 and ninth circuits, respectively, have this day se- 

 lected Hon. Joseph P. Bradley, the associate justice 



assigned to the fifth circuit, to be a member of the 

 commission constituted by said act. 

 Respectfully submitted. 



NATHAN CLIFFORD, 

 SAM. J. MILLER. 

 STEPHEN J. FIELDS, 

 W. STRONG, 



Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the 

 United States, assigned respectively to the 

 First, Third, Eighth, and Ninth Circuits. 

 WASHINGTON, January 30, 1877. 



On January 31st the members of the Elec- 

 toral Commission assembled and organized. 



On motion of Mr. Commissioner Bradley, 

 the rules reported were considered seriatim, 

 and, after being amended, were adopted as fol- 

 lows, namely : 



RULE I. The commission shall appoint a secre- 

 tary, two assistant secretaries, a marshal, and two 

 deputy marshals, a stenographer, and such messen- 

 gers as shall be needful ; to hold during the pleasure 

 of the commission. 



RULE II. On any subject submitted to the com- 

 mission, a hearing shall be had, and counsel shall 

 be allowed to conduct the case on each side. 



RULE III. Counsel, not exceeding two in number 

 on each side, will be heard by the commission on 

 the merits of any case presented to it, not longer 

 than two hours being allowed to each side, unless a 

 longer time and additional counsel shall be specially 

 authorized by the commission. In the hearing of 

 interlocutory questions, but one counsel shall be 

 heard on each side, and he not longer than fifteen 

 minutesj unless the commission allow further time 

 and additional counsel; and printed arguments will 

 be received. 



RULE IV. The objectors to any certificate or vote 

 may select two of their number to support their ob- 

 jections in oral argument, and to advocate the va- 

 lidity of any certificate or vote the validity of which 

 they maintain ; and, in like manner, the objectors to 

 any other certificate may select two of their number 

 for a like purpose ; but, under this rule, not more 

 than four persons shall speak, and neither side shall 

 occupy more than two hours. 



RULE V. Applications for process to compel the 

 attendance of witnesses, or the production of written 

 or documentary testimony, may be made by counsel 

 on either side. And all process shall be served and 

 executed bv the marshal of the commission or his 

 deputies. Depositions hereafter taken for use be- 

 fore the commission shall be sufficiently authenti- 

 cated if taken before any commissioner of the Cir- 

 cuit Courts of the United States, or any clerk 01 

 deputy clerk of any court of the United States. 



RULE VI. Admission to the public sittings of the 

 commission shall be regulated in such manner as the 

 president of the commission shall direct. 



RULE VII. The commission will sit, unless other- 

 wise ordered, in the room of the Supreme Court of 

 the United States, and with open doors (excepting 

 when in consultation), unless otherwise directed. 



On February 1st the president of the com- 

 mission sent the following notice to Con- 

 gress: 



WASHINGTON, February 1, 1877. 



SIB : I have the honor to inform flie House of 

 Representatives that the commission constituted 

 under the act of Congress, approved January 29, 

 1877, entitled " An act to provide for and regulate 

 the counting of votes for President and Vice-Presi- 

 dent. and the decision of questions arising thereon, 

 for the term commencing March 4, A. D. 1877," has 

 met, and, tho members thereof having taken and 

 subscribed the oath prescribed by law, organized, 



