There is a good deal of reason, also, for claiming
that if Congress declare that the officer shall act as President,
he must discharge the duties of his office and the duties
of the President at the same time, a burden which would be
very hard for one man to support. Accordingly I drew and
introduced the existing law, which reads as follows:
_"Be it enacted, etc.,_ That in case of removal, death, resignation
or inability of both the President and Vice-President of the
United States, the Secretary of State, or if there be none,
or in case of his removal, death, resignation or inability,
then the Secretary of the Treasury, or if there be none, or
in the case of his removal, death, resignation or inability,
then the Secretary of War, or if there be none, or in case
of his removal, death, resignation or inability, then the
Attorney-General, or if there be none, or in case of his
removal, death, resignation or inability, then the Secretary of
the Interior, shall act as President until the disability of the
President or Vice-President is removed or a President shall
be elected:
"_Provided,_ That whenever the powers and duties of the office
of President of the United States shall devolve upon any of
the person named herein, if Congress be not then in session,
or if it would not meet in accordance with law within twenty
days thereafter, it shall be the duty of the person upon whom
said powers and duties shall devolve to issue a proclamation
convening Congress in extraordinary session, giving twenty
days' notice of time of meeting.
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