Show presidential succession one of the most important and so far one odthe of the most perplex perplexing im questions that have come bea before ore the present CoD congress gress and which ought b to be definitely settled before the close of the present sess session ignis is the presidential succession in the event odthe of the death or disability of both the president and iad vicc vice ice pr predent i ident the subject t is s on one of greater reater importance i in and h has elicit elicited d more inquiries than would a I be sup IP I P F wised it would id dor int nas a ready been discussed at some length in iii the senate among those who took part in the debate on this important matter were senators maxcy anthony beck beek jones of florida and others other but bu t none of them agreed in their views of the law wr or the provisions of the constitution on the subject in the investigation odthe of the subject of inability so many questions arc are suggested and each one seems to suggest another so that the inquiries are almost interminable according to the present laws the president pro teni tent of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives may be ineligible for forthe the office of president of the united states either by reason of not having baving the required age or not having been born in this country it is true that the constitution says article II 11 that congress may way by ty law provide for the case of removal death re resignation Agnation or inability of both the president or vice president and that they shall also declare what officer shall then act as president and that he lie shall act antu un I the disability is is remove removed or but t the ta i constitution con tit does doe s not define dei presidential inability nor docs does 41 it say anything in relation to temporary inability of which there has b as been considerable said by other parties we however do not indorse indor e senator jones views on this subject during the debate in the senate ho he asserted that there is no such thing as temporary inability he declares that when once the vice president entered the presidents office in case of such a grave inability as to justify that step he held hold it irrevocably for the balance of the term although the constitution docs does not speak pointedly of temporary inability it certainly implies that just such a contingency may arise and makes provision for it and such officer shall act accordingly the disability be removed whether the period of the incapacity be long or short or even until another president shall be elected now a president may through an accident or other cause be rendered incapable for a week or a month or several months to discharge the duties ef of chief magistrate during which time those functions would be exercised by the vice president but when the chief magistrate fag istrate had bad fully recovered the disability would be removed an and d the duties of that office would naturally again devolve upon him but in the event of the death of the president the duties and powers of the vice president are clear and un unquestionable questionable there is another feature of tho the subject which lias has provoked many questions but they have received no satisfactory replies among the queries alluded 41 to are the following does the president pro tempore while discharging the duties of president vacate his seat as senator or does the speaker while so acting cease to be a representative in such a way as to permit a state or district to elect a new senator or member after cither either of these gentlemen ceases to be acting president docs does he lie resume his seat in the branch of congress congre s from which he came while act acting ng as president does he or doc does he e not continue continue to be President pro tempore or speaker as the case maybe may be can either continue to act as president after his term as senator or speaker has ceased A great number ot of persons are interested te in these questions but butmore more especially in correct answers being given to them the views of law who have debated the quest lans are widely divergent from each other and the subject remain remains unsettled another important question to be considered and which ought to be disposed of at an early day is the right of counting the votes and declaring who has been elected in the case of a disputed election of president of the united states themire the wire workings of the politicians and voracious office hunters at lit the presidential election of 1870 1876 came well nigh precipitating the country into civil war the fearful results of which would have been incalculable wise counsels counsel prevailed and the billows of passion sion which raged like a tempest and for some time excited th the multitude almost to draw the deadly lea X ay iy steel in fratricidal strife were stilled the eight to seven vote of the commission which gave the presidency to rutherford B hayes is still green in the memories of the people and it i a serious question whether they would again bo be willing ing under like circumstances to submit a question of such grave im importance to that body of men or one like unto it we hope that all these questions will be definitely settled before long and the matter set at rest as an exchange a carefully prepared statute perfectly clear in its terms and fixing k the succession and counting the votes in such a way as to cover all possible contingencies |