Jefferson was the presiding officer; having opened the package of a State, he handed it to the tellers.
On opening the package endorsed Georgia votes, the tellers discovered it to be tottally totally irregular. Mr. Wells, a teller on the part of the Senate, declared "that the envelope was blank; that the return of the votes was not authenticated by the signatures of the electors, or any of them, either on the outside or the inside of the envelope, or in any other manner; that it merely stated on the inside that the votes of Georgia were, for Thomas Jefferson four, and for Aaron Burr four, without the signature of any person whatsoever.
"Mr. Wells added that he was very undecided as to the proper course to be pursued by the tellers. It was, however, suggested by one of them that the paper be handed to the presiding officer, without any statement from the tellers, except that the return was informal; that he consented to this arrangement under the firm conviction that Mr. Jefferson would announce the nature of the informality from the chair; but, to his utmost surprise, he (Mr. Jefferson) rapidly declared that the votes of Georgia were four for Thomas Jefferson and four for Aaron Burr, without noticing their informality, and in a hurried manner put them aside, and then broke the seals and handed to the tellers the package from the next State.
"Mr. Wells observed that as soon as Mr. Jefferson looked at the paper purporting to contain a statement of the electoral vote of the State of Georgia, his countenance changed, but that the decision and promptitude which he acted on that occasion convinced him of that which he (a federalist) and his party had always doubted, that is to say Mr. Jefferson's decision of character, at least were his own interest was at hazard. Mr. Wells further stated, that if the votes of Georgia had not thus been counted, as it would have brought all the candidates into the house, Mr. Pinckney among the number, Mr. Jefferson could not have been elected president."
John Nicholas, who was also one of the tellers, made the same statement respecting the conduct of Jefferson. He was a warm personal and political friend of Jefferson, and declared that he never felt so astounded in his life as when he discovered the irregularity.
Thomas Jefferson was finally President of the United States, and Aaron Burr Vice President.
About this time Burr was charged, by his rancorous enemies, with having intrigued with the Federalists or Tories in order to supplant Thomas Jefferson and get the office of President for himself.
Burr treated all these charges with contempt, never stooping to defend himself when attacked by slanderous reports. But the individuals with whom Burr was said to have intrigued came out openly and denied the charge.
