In the early years of the Republic of the United States, some of the States appointed their presidential electors by act of Legislature; some chose them by vote of the people; and other States combined the two methods. At present, all the States agree in choosing their electors by vote of the people.

Candidates for presidential electors are named by conventions of voters; and each man so nominated is expected to vote for the candidates for President and Vice-President who are the choice of the convention of voters which nominated the candidates for electors. But any presidential elector may lawfully vote for any candidate for President or Vice-President whom he chooses.

An Electoral College is the meeting of the presidential electors of a State, convened for the purpose of casting their votes for President and Vice-President.

When those votes have been cast, a certified list of the persons voted for, the titles of the places to be filled, and the number of votes cast in each case, is made out by the electors. Copies of this list are sent to the presiding officer of the United States Senate, by mail; to the same officer by messenger, and to the judge of the United States district court within

whose jurisdiction the Electoral College has

met.

The lists transmitted to the presiding officer of the United States Senate are opened in the presence of both branches of Congress, in joint convention, and, their contents being made known, tellers representing both houses of Congress are appointed to keep account thereof; and, when the result is ascertained, declaration of the same is made.

The persons having a majority of the votes cast for President and for Vice-President are declared elected. In case no person has a majority of the votes cast, then the House of Representatives is charged with the duty of choosing the President of the United States; the only candidates eligible under such circumstances are the three highest on the list of those who have been voted for by the presidential electors.

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CHAPTER IX.

THE TERRITORIES

ERRITORIES of the United States are under the exclusive control of Congress. They are formed from domains known as the public lands, and are governed under regulations prescribed by Congress, the power of appointing officers therein being vested in the executive branch of the United States Government.

Congress may pass an act to organize a Territory, or the first step in that direction may be taken by the people of a district of territory applying for an organic act. But in any case, Congress must provide the framework for such Territorial government, or that which is provided by the people of said district must be approved by Congress before it can become operative.

The Governor of a Territory is appointed for four years; he has power to pardon offences against the Territorial laws and to reprieve of

fences against United States laws until an appeal can be made to the President.

The Secretary of a Territory is appointed for four years, and it is his business to record all the official acts of the Governor and the Territorial Legislature and to transmit certified copies of the same to the President.

The Legislature is partly appointed by the President and partly elected by the people. Its acts must be in consonance with rules laid down in the act of Congress organizing the Territory. Congress retains the right to disapprove and annul any of the acts of a Territorial Legislature.

The judiciary of a Territory consists of a chief justice and two or more associate judges, appointed for four years. The courts are also provided with marshals, attorneys, and other needed officials.

Each Territory is entitled to send a Delegate to Congress, who is allowed all the privileges of a Representative from a State except that of voting.

The salaries of the Federal officials appointed to places in a Territorial government, and all the other expenses of a Territorial government, are paid out of the National treasury under authority of an act of Congress.

The name chosen for the title of a newly organized Territory is fixed in the act to organize said Territory; but when the people of a Territory accept an act to enable them to enter the Union as a State, they may change that name for any other that they may choose.

Local courts, under the jurisdiction of the Territorial courts that have been authorized by act of Congress, may be created by the Territorial Legislature; and the Legislature may provide ways and means for county, municipal, and other forms of local government.

When the constitution proposed for a new State has been approved by Congress and the President, and has been ratified by the people of the Territory to be admitted as a State, that community is thereby admitted to the Federal Union, due proclamation of said admission being made by the executive branch of the Government of the United States; and the new State is thereafter entitled to choose two members of the United States Senate, and at least one member of the House of Representatives; or more than one Representative, provided the State has sufficient population to present more than one unit of the basis of representation.

When once admitted to the Federal Union,