_Resolved_, That all letters and packets to JOHN ADAMS, now President of
the United States, after the expiration of his term of office, and
during his life, may be transmitted by post, free of postage.
_Ordered_, That a bill or bills be brought in pursuant to the said
resolution; and that Mr. OTIS, Mr. THATCHER, and Mr. SHEPARD, be
appointed a committee to prepare and bring in the same.
_Election of President._
On this day, being the day by law appointed for counting the votes of
the Electors of President and Vice President, there were present the
following Representatives, respectively, that is to say:
_From New Hampshire._--Abiel Foster, Jonathan Freeman,
James Sheafe, and Samuel Tenney.
_From Massachusetts._--Theodore Sedgwick (Speaker), John
Read, Joseph P. Varnum, William Shepard, Peleg Wadsworth,
Silas Lee, Lemuel Williams, George Thatcher, Bailey
Bartlett, Phanuel Bishop, Harrison G. Otis, Nathan Read,
Levi Lincoln, and Ebenezer Mattoon.
_From Connecticut._--John Davenport, Roger Griswold, Samuel
W. Dana, Chauncey Goodrich, Elizur Goodrich, William
Edmond, and John C. Smith.
_From Vermont._--Matthew Lyon, and Lewis R. Morris.
_From Rhode Island._--Christopher G. Champlin, and John
Brown.
_From New York._--John Smith, Philip Van Cortlandt, Jonas
Platt, Henry Glenn, John Thompson, Theodorus Bailey, John
Bird, William Cooper, Lucas Elmendorph, and Edward
Livingston.
_From New Jersey._--James Linn, Aaron Kitchell, John
Condit, James H. Imlay, and Franklin Davenport.
_From Pennsylvania._--Robert Brown, Albert Gallatin, Andrew
Gregg, John A. Hanna, Joseph Heister, John Wilkes Kittera,
Michael Leib, Peter Muhlenberg, John Smilie, John Stewart,
Richard Thomas, Robert Waln, and Henry Woods.
_From Delaware._--James A. Bayard.
_From Maryland._--John Chew Thomas, Samuel Smith, Gabriel
Christie, William Craik, Joseph H. Nicholson, George Dent,
George Baer, and John Dennis.
_From Virginia._--Samuel J. Cabell, Matthew Clay, John
Dawson, Joseph Eggleston, Thomas Evans, Samuel Goode, Edwin
Gray, David Holmes, George Jackson, Henry Lee, Anthony New,
John Nicholas, Robert Page, Josiah Parker, Leven Powell,
John Randolph, Abram Trigg, John Trigg, and Lyttleton W.
Tazewell.
_From North Carolina._--Willis Alston, Joseph Dickson,
William Barry Grove, Archibald Henderson, William H. Hill,
Nathaniel Macon, Richard Dobbs Spaight, Richard Stanford,
David Stone, and Robert Williams.
_From South Carolina._--Robert Goodloe Harper, Benjamin
Huger, Abraham Nott, Thomas Pinckney, and John Rutledge.
_From Georgia._--Benjamin Taliaferro.
_From Kentucky._--John Fowler, and Thomas T. Davis.
_From Tennessee._--William Charles Cole Claiborne.
Mr. SPEAKER, attended by the House, then went into the Senate Chamber,
and took seats therein, when both Houses being assembled, Mr. RUTLEDGE
and Mr. NICHOLAS, the tellers on the part of this House, together with
Mr. WELLS, the teller on the part of the Senate, took seats at a table
provided for them, in the front of the President of the Senate.
The PRESIDENT of the Senate, in the presence of both Houses, proceeded
to open the certificates of the Electors of the several States,
beginning with the State of New Hampshire; and as the votes were read,
the tellers on the part of each House, counted and took lists of the
same, which being compared, were delivered to the President of the
Senate, and are as follows:
---------------+---------+---------+---------+----------+---------+
STATES. |Thomas | Aaron | John |Charles C.| John |
|Jefferson| Burr | Adams |Pinckney | Jay. |
---------------+---------+---------+---------+----------+---------+
New Hampshire | - | - | 6 | 6 | |
Massachusetts | - | - | 16 | 16 | |
Rhode Island | - | - | 4 | 3 | 1 |
Connecticut | - | - | 9 | 9 | |
Vermont | - | - | 4 | 4 | |
New York | 12 | 12 | | | |
New Jersey | - | - | 7 | 7 | |
Pennsylvania | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | |
Delaware | - | - | 3 | 3 | |
Maryland | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | |
Virginia | 21 | 21 | | | |
Kentucky | 4 | 4 | | | |
North Carolina | 8 | 8 | 4 | 4 | |
Tennessee | 3 | 3 | | | |
South Carolina | 8 | 8 | | | |
Georgia | 4 | 4 | | | |
| -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 73 | 73 | 65 | 64 | 1 |
---------------+---------+---------+---------+----------+---------+
_Recapitulation of the Votes of the Electors._
Thomas Jefferson, 73
Aaron Burr, 73
John Adams, 65
Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, 64
John Jay, 1
The PRESIDENT of the Senate, in pursuance of the duty enjoined upon him,
announced the state of the votes to both Houses, and declared that
THOMAS JEFFERSON of Virginia, and AARON BURR of New York, having the
greatest number, and a majority of the votes of all the Electors
appointed, and being equal, it remained for the House of Representatives
to determine the choice.
The two Houses then separated; and the House of Representatives being
returned to their Chamber, proceeded, in the manner prescribed by the
constitution, to the choice of a President of the United States, and the
following members were appointed tellers of the respective States, to
examine ballots of each State, pursuant to the sixth rule adopted by the
House on the ninth instant, to wit:
For the State of New Hampshire, Abiel Foster; Massachusetts, Harrison G.
Otis; Rhode Island, Christopher G. Champlin; Connecticut, Roger
Griswold; Vermont, Lewis R. Morris; New York, Theodorus Bailey; New
Jersey, James Linn; Pennsylvania, Albert Gallatin; Delaware, James A.
Bayard; Maryland, George Dent; Virginia, Lyttleton W. Tazewell; North
Carolina, Nathaniel Macon; South Carolina, Thomas Pinckney; Georgia,
Benjamin Taliaferro; Kentucky, John Fowler; Tennessee, William Charles
Cole Claiborne.
The members of the respective States then proceeded to ballot, in the
manner prescribed by the rule aforesaid, and the tellers appointed by
the States, respectively, having put duplicates of their votes into the
general ballot boxes prepared for the purpose, the votes contained
therein were taken out and counted, and the result being reported to the
SPEAKER, he declared to the House that the votes of eight States had
been given for THOMAS JEFFERSON, of Virginia; the votes of six States
for AARON BURR, of New York; and that the votes of two States were
divided.
The constitution of the United States requiring that the votes of nine
States should be necessary to constitute a choice of President of the
United States, a motion was made and seconded, that the ballot for the
President be repeated in one hour; and, the question being taken by
States, it passed in the negative.
The States then proceeded, in the manner aforesaid, to a second ballot;
and, upon examination of the ballot boxes, it appeared that the votes of
eight States had been given for THOMAS JEFFERSON, of Virginia; and the
votes of six States for AARON BURR, of New York; and that the votes of
two States were divided.
The States then proceeded in like manner to a third ballot; and, upon
examination thereof, the result was declared to be the same.
The States then proceeded in like manner to a fourth ballot; and, upon
examination thereof, the result was declared to be the same.
The States then proceeded in like manner to a fifth ballot; and, upon
examination thereof, the result was declared to be the same.
The States then proceeded in like manner to a sixth ballot; and, upon
examination thereof, the result was declared to be the same.
The States then proceeded in like manner to a seventh ballot; and, upon
examination thereof, the result was declared to be the same.
A motion was then made and seconded, that the States proceed again to
ballot in one hour; and, the question being taken thereupon, it was
resolved in the affirmative--the votes of the States being ayes 12, noes
4.
The time agreed upon by the last-mentioned vote being expired, the
States proceeded, in manner aforesaid, to the eighth ballot; and, upon
examination thereof, the result was declared to be the same, to wit:
The votes of eight States for THOMAS JEFFERSON, of Virginia; the votes
of six States for AARON BURR, of New York; and the votes of two States
were divided.
The States then proceeded to a ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth,
thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth ballots; and, upon examination of
the ballots, respectively, the result was declared to be the same.
A motion was then made and seconded, that the States proceed again to
ballot at ten o'clock; and the question being taken thereupon, it passed
in the negative--the votes of the States being ayes 7, noes 9.
_Ordered_, That the next ballot be repeated at nine o'clock, and not
before.
The time agreed upon by the last-mentioned vote being expired, the
States proceeded in manner aforesaid to the sixteenth ballot; and, upon
examination thereof, the result was declared to be the same.
_Ordered_, That the ballot be repeated in one hour.
The time agreed upon by the last-mentioned vote being expired, the
States proceeded in manner aforesaid to the seventeenth ballot; and,
upon examination thereof, the result was declared to be the same.
_Ordered_, That the ballot be repeated at eleven o'clock.
The time agreed upon by the last-mentioned vote being expired, the
States proceeded in manner aforesaid to the eighteenth ballot; and upon
examination thereof, the result was declared to be the same.
A motion was then made and seconded, that the ballot be repeated
to-morrow at eleven o'clock and not before.
The question being taken thereupon, it passed in the negative.
_Ordered_, That the ballot be repeated at twelve o'clock.
The time agreed upon by the last-mentioned vote being expired, the
States proceeded in manner aforesaid to the nineteenth ballot; and, upon
examination thereof, the result was declared to be the same.
_Ordered_, That the ballot be repeated in one hour.
FEBRUARY 12, 1 o'clock, A.M.
The time agreed upon by the last-mentioned vote being expired, the
States proceeded in manner aforesaid to the twentieth ballot; and, upon
the examination thereof, the result was declared to be the same.
_Ordered_, That the ballot be repeated at two o'clock.
The time agreed upon by the last-mentioned vote being expired, the
States proceeded in manner aforesaid to the twenty-first ballot; and,
upon examination thereof, the result was declared to be the same.
_Ordered_, That the ballot be repeated at half after two o'clock.
The time agreed upon by the last-mentioned vote being expired, the
States proceeded in manner aforesaid to the twenty-second ballot; and,
upon examination thereof, the result was declared to be the same.
_Ordered_, That the ballot be repeated at four o'clock.
The time agreed upon by the last-mentioned vote being expired, the
States proceeded in manner aforesaid to the twenty-third ballot; and,
upon examination thereof, the result was declared to be the same.
_Ordered_, That the ballot be repeated at five o'clock.
The time agreed upon by the last-mentioned vote being expired, the
States proceeded in manner aforesaid to the twenty-fourth ballot; and,
upon examination thereof, the result was declared to be the same.
_Ordered_, That the ballot be repeated at six o'clock.
The time agreed upon by the last-mentioned vote being expired, the
States proceeded in manner aforesaid to the twenty-fifth ballot; and,
upon examination thereof, the result was declared to be the same.
_Ordered_, That the ballot be repeated at seven o'clock.
The time agreed upon by the last-mentioned vote being expired, the
States proceeded in manner aforesaid to the twenty-sixth ballot; and,
upon examination thereof, the result was declared to be the same.
_Ordered_, That the ballot be repeated at eight o'clock.
The time agreed upon by the last-mentioned vote being expired, the
States proceeded in manner aforesaid to the twenty-seventh ballot; and,
upon examination thereof, the result was declared to be the same.
_Ordered_, That the ballot be repeated at twelve o'clock, and not
before.
The time agreed upon by the last-mentioned vote being expired, the
States proceeded in manner aforesaid to the twenty-eighth ballot; and,
upon examination thereof, the result was declared to be the same.
_Ordered_, That the ballot be repeated to-morrow at eleven o'clock, and
not before.