1877 Senate Pamphlet Counting of Electoral Vote Wallace on 1876 Election Crisis For Sale

Original 1877 United States Senate speech pamphlet titled “Counting of Electoral Vote.”, delivered by Hon. William A. Wallace, U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania, on January 8, 1877, during the unfolding constitutional crisis following the contested 1876 presidential election.

This pamphlet addresses one of the central unresolved questions of the Hayes–Tilden dispute: who holds the constitutional authority to count electoral votes, and under what conditions those votes may be examined or rejected. Wallace presents a detailed legal and constitutional argument concerning the role of Congress in the counting process, the authority of the President of the Senate, and whether Congress may look beyond electoral certificates when fraud or illegality is alleged.

The speech is closely connected to the Louisiana returning board controversy and the broader debate that ultimately led to the creation of the Electoral Commission of 1877. Unlike campaign literature, this is a procedural and constitutional tract produced while the outcome of the presidency remained undecided.

Details:
Date: 1877
Title: Counting of Electoral Vote
Format: Original printed Senate speech pamphlet
Speaker: Hon. William A. Wallace (Pennsylvania)
Place: United States Senate, Washington
Subject: Electoral College, vote counting authority, 1876–77 election crisis

Condition:
Original paper with noticeable age wear, including edge wear, chipping with small losses, and heavy wear along the spine fold, which is partially detached. General toning and handling wear throughout. Text remains complete and legible. No modern repairs. Please review images carefully for full condition details.

A scarce and important piece of Reconstruction-era American political and constitutional history relating to the disputed 1876 presidential election and the development of federal election procedure.

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