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Whereupon

The Vice-President declared GEORGE WASHINGTON unanimously elected President of the United States for the period of four years to commence with the 4th of March next; and

JOHN ADAMS elected, by a plurality of votes, Vice-President of the United States for the same period, to commence with the 4th of March next.

February 14, 1793.

Mr. King, from the committee appointed the 6th instant, to join the committee on the part of the House of Representatives, to report a mode of notifying the person who should be elected President of the United States of his election, submitted the following resolve:

Resolved, That a committee be appointed, to join such committee as shall be appointed by the House of Representatives, to wait on the President and notify him of his unanimous re-election to the office of President of the United States.

And the report was adopted.

Ordered, That Messrs. King, Izard, and Strong be the committee on the part of the Senate. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, February 5, 1793.

On motion,

Resolved, That a committee be appointed, to join such committee as may be appointed by the Senate, to ascertain and report the mode of examining the votes for President and Vice-President, and of notifying the persons who shall be elected of their election, and to regulate the time, place, and manner of administering the oath of office to the President.

Ordered, That Mr. William Smith, Mr. Madison, and Mr. Laurance be of the said committee on the part of the House.

February 11, 1793.

Mr. William Smith, from the committee on the part of this House, jointly, with the committee appointed on the part of the Senate, to ascertain and report a mode of examining the votes for President and Vice-President of the United States, and for the other purposes expressed in the resolution of the fifth instant, made a report; which was twice read, and agreed to by the House, as followeth :

"That the two Houses shall assemble in the Senate Chamber on Wednesday next, at twelve o'clock; that two persons be appointed tellers on the part of this House, to make a list of the votes as they shall be declared; that the result shall be delivered to the President of the Senate, who shall announce the state of the vote, and the persons elected, to both Houses, assembled as aforesaid, which shall be deemed a declaration of the persons elected President and Vice-President, and, together with a list of the votes, be entered on the Journals of the two Houses."

Ordered, That Mr. William Smith and Mr. Laurance be appointed tellers on the part of this House, pursuant to the said report.

*

February 13, 1793.

A message from the Senate by Mr. Otis, their Secretary: Mr. SPEAKER: # I am also directed to inform the House that a President of the Senate is elected for the sole purpose of opening the certificates and counting the votes of the several States in the choice of a President and Vice-President of the United States; and that the Senate is now ready in the Senate Chamber, to attend with this House on that occasion.

Resolved, That Mr. Speaker, attended by the House, do now withdraw to the Senate Chamber, for the purpose expressed in the said message.

Mr. Speaker accordingly left the chair, and, attended by the House, withdrew to the Senate Chamber, and, after some time, returned to the House.

Mr. Speaker resumed the chair.

Mr. William Smith and Mr. Laurance then delivered in, at the Clerk's table, a list of the votes of the electors of the several States, in a choice of a President and Vice-President of the United States, as the same were declared by the President of the Senate, in the presence of the Senate and of this House; which was ordered to be entered on the Journal, and is as followeth :

[Here follows the table, which is an exact copy of the one appearing in the Senate proceedings, except there is a recapitulation of the votes.]

February 14, 1793.

A message from the Senate, by Mr. Otis, their Secretary: Mr. SPEAKER: * The Senate have also agreed to a resolution for the appointment of a committee, jointly, with a committee on the part of the House, to wait *This announcement of the Clerk is an err r, evidently copied from the form used at the first election of President. The journals of the Senate do not show any such election, and the Vice-President, John Adams, presided at the m-eting of the two houses, and announced the result, as appears above.

on the President, and notify him of his unanimous re-election to the office of President of the United States.

Mr. William Smith, from the committee appointed to join such committee as may be appointed on the part of the Senate, to ascertain and report the mode of examining the votes for President and Vice-President of the United States, and for the other purposes expressed in the resolution of the fifth instant, made a report; which was twice read and agreed to on the part of the House, as followeth :

Resolved, That a committee be appointed, to join such committee as may be appointed by the Senate, to wait on the President and to notify to him his unanimous re-election to the office of President of the United States.

Ordered, That Mr. William Smith, Mr. Madison, and Mr. Laurance be of the said committee on the part of this House.

February 15, 1793.

Mr. William Smith, from the committee appointed on the part of the Senate to wait on the President and to notify to him his unanimous re-election to the office of President of the United States, reported that the committee had, according to order, performed that duty.

ELECTION FOR THE THIRD TERM-1797.

JOHN ADAMS, President.

THOMAS JEFFERSON, Vice-President.

IN SENATE, January 31, 1797.

Resolved, That Messrs. Sedgwick, Laurance, and Read be a joint committee on the part of the Senate, with such committee as may be appointed by the House of Representatives, to ascertain and report a mode of examining the votes for President and VicePresident, and notifying the persons elected of their election, and for regulating the time, place, and manner of administering the oath of office to the President.

Ordered, That the Secretary carry this resolution to the House of Representatives, and desire their concurrence.

February 2, 1797.

Mr. Sedgwick, from the joint committee, reported that, in their opinion, the following resolution ought to be adopted, viz:

"That the two Houses shall assemble in the Chamber of the House of Representatives on Wednesday next, at twelve o'clock; that one person be appointed a teller, on the part of the Senate, to make a list of the votes as they shall be declared; that the result shall be delivered to the President of the Senate, who shall announce the state of the vote, and the persons elected, to the two Houses, assembled as aforesaid, which shall be deemed a declaration of the persons elected President and Vice-President, and, together with a list of votes, be entered on the Journals of the two Houses."

On motion,

It was agreed to adopt the report, and that Mr. Sedgwick be the teller of the votes on the part of the Senate.

February 8, 1797.

A message from the House of Representatives, by Mr. Beckley, its Clerk: Mr. PRESIDENT: The House of Representatives are ready to meet the Senate in the Chamber of that House, agreeable to the report of the joint committee, to attend the opening and examining the votes of the electors for President and Vice-President of the United States, as the Constitution provides.

The two Houses of Congress accordingly assembled in the Representatives' Chamber, and the certificates of the electors of sixteen States were, by the Vice-President, opened and delivered to the tellers appointed for the purpose, who, having examined and ascertained the number of votes, presented a list thereof to the Vice-President; which was read, as follows:

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Whereupon the Vice-President addressed the two Houses of Congress as follows: "In obedience to the Constitution and law of the United States and to the commands of both Houses of Congress, expressed in their resolution passed in the present session, I now declare that

"JOHN ADAMS is elected President of the United States for four years, to commence with the 4th day of March next; and that

"THOMAS JEFFERSON is elected Vice-President of the United States for four years, to commence with the 4th day of March next;

And may the Sovereign of the universe, the Ordainer of civil government on earth for the preservation of liberty, justice, and peace among men, enable both to discharge the duties of these offices conformably to the Constitution of the United States with conscientious diligence, punctuality, and perseverance."

The Vice-President then delivered the votes of the electors to the Secretary of the Senate, the two Houses of Congress separated, and the Senate returned to their own Chamber.

IN SENATE, February 9, 1797.

Mr. Sedgwick, from the joint committee, to whom it was referred to join such committee as might be appointed by the House of Representatives, to ascertain and report a mode of examining the votes for President and Vice-President of the United States, and notifying the persons elected of their election, reported that, having further conferred with the committee appointed by the House of Representatives, in their opinion, the following resolution ought to be adopted by the Senate:

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate be directed to give, by letter, to the VicePresident-elect a notification of his election.

On motion, it was agreed to reconsider the resolution, and to recommit the report from the joint committee.

On motion.

Resolved, That the Senate disagree to the report of the joint committee on the mode of notifying the Vice-President-elect of his election, and that a committee be appointed on the part of the Senate to confer with such committee as may be appointed on the part of the House of Representatives, on the report of the joint committee above mentioned, and that Messrs. Sedgwick, Laurance, and Read be the managers at the conference on the part of the Senate.

On motion, that it be

Resolved, That the Secretary be directed, and he is hereby directed, to lay before the President of the United States a copy of the Journal of yesterday, relative to the opening and counting the votes for President and Vice-President of the United States, and the declaration of the President of the Senate consequent thereon. Ordered, That the motion lie until to-morrow for consideration.

February 10, 1797.

The Senate resumed the consideration of the motion made yesterday, that the Secretary of the Senate wait upon the President of the United States, and notify him of the election of President and Vice-President of the United States, to commence with the 4th of March next.

And the motion, being amended, was adopted, as follows:

Ordered, That the Secretary of the Senate lay before the President of the United States a copy of the Journal of the 8th instant, relative to the opening and counting the votes for President and Vice-President of the United States, and the declaration of the President of the Senate consequent thereon.

Mr. Sedgwick, from the committee of conference above mentioned, reported that the following resolution should be adopted by the House of Representatives:

Resolved, That the notification of the election of the Vice-President-elect be made by such person and in such manner as the Senate may direct.

On motion, that it be

Resolved, That the President of the United States be requested to communicate (in such manner as he shall judge most proper) to the person elected Vice-President of the United States, for the term of four years, to commence with the 4th day of March next, information of his said election.

It passed in the negative.

On motion.

Ordered, That the resolution this day agreed to by the House of Representatives, relative to the notification of the election of the Vice-President-elect, be referred to Messrs. Mason, Hillhouse and Sedgwick, to consider and report thereon to the Senate. Mr. Mason reported from the committee appointed, and the report being read was amended and adopted as follows:

Resolved, That the President of the United States be requested to cause to be transmitted to THOMAS JEFFERSON esq., of Virginia, Vice-President-elect of the United States, notification of his election to that office, and that the President of the Senate do make out and sign a cerificate in the words following:

"Be it known, That the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, being convened in the city of Philadelphia, on the second Wednesday of February, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven, the underwritten, Vice-President of the United States and President of the Senate did, in presence of the said Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates and count all the votes of the electors for a President and for a Vice-President; by which it appears that THOMAS JEFFERSON, esq., was duly elected, agreeable to the Constitution, Vice-President of the United States of America.

"In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 10th day of February 1797."

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATVES, February 1, 1797.

The House proceeded to consider so much of the message of yesterday, from the Senate, as relates to the appointment of a joint committee of the two Houses, to ascertain and report a mode of examining the votes for President and Vice-President, and of notifying the persons elected of their election; and to regulate the time, place, and manner of administering the oath of office to the President,

Whereupon,

Resolved, That Mr. Sitgreaves, Mr. Parker, and Mr. Jeremiah Smith be appointed of the said committee, on the part of this House.

February 3, 1797.

Mr. Sitgreaves, from the committee named above, made a report, in part; which was twice read and agreed to by the House, as follows:

"That the two Houses shall assemble in the chamber of the House of Representatives, at Wednesday next, at twelve o'clock. That two persons be appointed tellers on the part of the House, to make a list of the votes, as they shall be declared. That the result shall be delivered to the President of the Senate, who shall announce the state of the vote and the persons elected to the two Houses assembled as aforesaid; which shall be deemed a declaration of the persons elected President and Vice-President, and, together with a list of votes, be entered on the Journals of the two Houses.” Resolved, That Mr. Sitgreaves and Mr. Parker be appointed tellers on the part of the House, pursuant to the said report.

February 8, 1797.

Ordered, That a message be sent to the Senate to inform them that this House is now ready to attend them in opening the certificates and counting the votes of the electors of the several States in a choice of a President and Vice-President of the United States, in pursuance of the resolutions of the two Houses of the 2d and 3d instant.

The Clerk accordingly waited upon the Senate, and the President and members of the Senate soon after entered and took their seats; the President on the right hand of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the members of the Senate on the same side of the chamber, when the President of the Senate, Mr. Adams, thus addressed the two Houses:

Gentlemen of the Senate and of the House of Representatives: The purpose for which we are assembled is expressed in the following resolution. [Mr. Adams here read the resolutions which had been adopted by the two Houses relative to the subject.] I have

received packets containing the certificates of the votes of the electors for President and Vice-President of the United States from all the sixteen States of the Union. I have also received duplicates of the returns by post from fifteen of the States. No duplicate from the State of Kentucky is yet come to hand.

It has been the practice heretofore, on similar occasions, to begin with the returns from the State at one end of the United States and to proceed to the other; I shall therefore do the same at this time.

Mr. Adams then took up the packet from the State of Tennessee, and after having read the superscription, broke the seal and read the certificate of the election of the electors. He then gave it to the clerk of the Senate, requesting him to read the report of the electors, which he accordingly did. All the papers were then handed to the tellers, and when they had noted the contents, the President of the Senate proceeded with the other States.

[Here follows the table which is a copy of the one appearing in the Senate proceedings, except that the States follow in a different order, and there is a recapitulation of the votes.]

All the returns having been gone through, Mr. Sedgwick reported that, according to order, the tellers appointed by the two Houses had performed the business assigned them, and reported the result to be as above stated.

The President of the Senate thus addressed the two Houses:

Gentlemen of the Senate and House of Representatives: By the report which has been made to me by the tellers appointed by the two Houses to examine the votes, there are 71 votes for JOHN ADAMS; 68 for THOMAS JEFFERSON; 59 for THOMAS PINCKNEY; 30 for AARON BURR; 15 for SAMUEL ADAMS; 11 for OLIVER ELLSWORTH; 7 for GEORGE CLINTON; 5 for JOHN JAY; 3 for JAMES IREDELL; 2 for GEORGE WASHINGTON; 2 for JOHN HENRY; 2 for SAMUEL JOHNSTON; and 1 for CHARLES C. PINCKNEY. The whole number of votes are 138; 70 votes therefore make a majority; so that the person who has 71 votes, which is the highest number, is elected President, and the person who has 68 votes, which is the next highest number, is elected Vice-President.

The President of the Senate then sat down for a moment, and rising again thus addressed the two Houses:

"In obedience to the Constitution and law of the United States, and to the commands of both Houses of Congress, expressed in their resolution passed in the present session, I declare that—

"JOHN ADAMS is elected President of the United States for four years, to commence with the 4th day of March next; and that

"THOMAS JEFFERSON is elected Vice-President of the United States for four years, to commence on the 4th day of March next. And may the Sovereign of the Universe, the Ordainer of civil government on earth, for the preservation of liberty, justice, and peace among men, enable both to discharge the duties of these offices conformably to the Constitution of the United States with conscientious diligence, punctuality, and perseverance."

The President and members of the Senate then retired, and the House came to order, when Mr. Sitgreaves make a report on the business; which was read and ordered to be entered on the Journal.

February 9, 1797.

Mr. Sitgreaves, from the joint committee appointed to confer with a committee of the Senate on the subject of the election of a President and Vice-President, made a further report; which was twice read, and agreed to by the House, as followeth : Resolved, That the Clerk of this House be directed to give, by letter, to the VicePresident-elect a notification of his election.

This resolution was rescinded, and a committee of conference appointed to meet a like committee on the part of the Senate. Mr. Sitgreaves, Mr. Parker, and Mr. Jeremiah Smith were appointed on said committee.

February 10, 1797.

Mr. Sitgreaves, from the above committee, made a report; which was adopted, as followeth :

Resolved, That the notification of the election of the Vice-President-elect be made by such person and in such manner as the Senate may direct.

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