CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE - 1876 - MESSAGE FROM THE HOUSE

Oct 16, 2026

Congressional Record—Senate text dated December 5, 1876, including Senate and House proceedings and official communications. It records the reading of a joint resolution proposing a constitutional amendment for electing the President and Vice-President by direct vote of the people, committee nominations related to election investigation in South Carolina, and the House message to the Senate about a quorum, selection of the Speaker, and plans to confer with a presidential committee. It also includes executive communications and petitions and bills introduced.

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CategoryResearch & Report

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Pages24

Reading Time1 h 0 min

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MESSAGE FROM THE HOUSE

EXECUTIYE CoMMUNICATION.

PETITIOXS AND MEMORIALS.

BILLS INTRODUCED.

POPULAR VOTE FOR PRESIDENT.

# CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE. 1876. 17 The joint resolntion(S.R.No.28)proposing an amendment to theConstitution of the United States,so as to elect the President andVice-President by the direct vote of the people,was read at length,as follows: ELECTION IN SOUTH CAROLINA. The SPEAKER.Before putting the motion to adjourn,the Chairwill annonnce as the select committee authorized by the resolutionthis day adopted to investigate the late election in "Sonth Carolina,Mr.SAYLER,of Ohio;Mr.ABBOTT,of Massachnsetts;Mr.STENGER,of Pennsylvania;Mr.EDEN,of Illinois;Mr.JONES,of Kentncky;Mr.PHILLIPS,of Missouri;Mr.BANKs,of Massachusetts;Mr.HALE,of Maine,and Mr.LAWREXCE,of Ohio. Resolned by the Senate and House of Representatines of the United States of Amer-ica in Congres848sembled,(taoo-thirda of each Hou8e concurring therein.)That thefollowing article is hereby proposed as an amendment to the Constitation of theUnited States,and,when ratified by the Legislatures of thres-fourths of the sev.eral States,shall be valid,to all intents and purposes,as a part of the Constitution,to wit: Mr.HOAR.Mr.HALE,of Maine,as I am informed,is not in thiscity._Putting him on that committee will deprive the republicans ofthis House of one of their nnmber. The SPEAKER.That is not the wish of the Chair,who will ap-point Mr.WILIARD,of Michigan. Mr.CONGER.Iwish there might be arepublican appointedin placeof Mr.HALE. Mr.SPRINGER.Is not Mr.WILLARD a republican?Mr.CONGER.He voted with the other side. Mr.WILLARD.I am already on an important committee,whichwill employ all my time during this entire month.I therefore askto be exeused. The SPEAKER.Then the Chair willappoint Mr.LAPHAM,of NewYork. The motion of Mr.HOLMANwas then agreed to;and accordingly(at seven o'clock and thirty minutes p.m.)the House adjourned tilltwelve m.to-morrow. IN SENATE. FUESDAY,December 5,1876. Prayer by the Chaplain,Rev.BYRON SUNDERLAND,D.D. JAMES L.ALCORN from the State of Mississippi,GEORGE GOLD-THWAITE from the Stateof Alabama,TIMOTHY O.HowE fromthe Stateof Wisconsin,JoHN W.JoHNSTON from the State of Virginia,JoHNP.JONES from the State of Nevada,SAMUEL J.R.McMILLAN fromthe State of Minnesota,and RICHARD J.OGLESBY from the State ofIllinois,appeared in their seats to-day. The Journal of yesterday's proceedings was read and approved. ## MESSAGE FROM THE HOUSE. A message was received from the House of Representatives,by MrGEORGE M.ADAMs,its Clerk,as follows: Mr.President,I am directed by the House of Representatives to in-form the Senate that a quorum of the House of Representatives hasassembled,and that SAMUELJ.RANDALL,one of the Representativesfrom the State of Pennsylvania,has been chosen Speaker,and thatthe House is now ready to proceed to business. Also that a committee of three on the part of the House has beenappointed,to join such committee as may be appointed on the part ofthe Senate,to wait on the President of the United States and informhim that a quorum of each Honse has assembled and that Congressis ready to receive any communication which he may be pleased tomake,and that the Spenker has appointed Mr.FEBNANDO WooD ofNew York,Mr.HEISTER CLYAER of Pennsylvania,and Mr.GEORGE F.HOAR of Massachusetts the said committee on the part of the House. ## EXECUTIYE CoMMUNICATION. The PRESIDENT pro tempore laid before the Senate a report of theSecretary of the Interior,communicating,in obedience to Iaw,an in-ventory of the property belonging to the United States in the buildingsand groands in the District of Columbia under the charge of the In-terior Department;which was ordered to lie on the table and beprinted. PETITIOXS AND MEMORIALS. Mr.WRIGHT presented a resolution of the board of supervisorsof Woodbury County,Iowa,in favor of dividing the State of Iowainto two judicial districts,to be known as the northern and southerndistricts,and fixing Sioux City as one of the places at which sessionsof the United States courts shall be held in the nor

FAQs

What constitutional amendment was proposed in the Senate proceedings?

A joint resolution proposed an amendment to elect the President and Vice-President by the direct vote of the people, using district voting and presidential vote allocation.

What did the House message inform the Senate about?

The House reported that a quorum had assembled, the Speaker had been chosen, and committees had been appointed to inform the President that Congress was ready to receive communications.

What topics were included beyond the House message?

The document includes an executive communication from the Interior Department, petitions and memorials to be referred to committees, and bills introduced for consideration.

Oct 16, 2026

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