Wednesday, February 11.
On motion, it was
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 Jefferson | Aaron Burr | John Adams | Charles C. Pinckney | John 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.