Berkeley and Jefferson intelligencer. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va.) 1802-1810, 1804-04-27

4 kEE = zzs = = = ~
scent, or marriage may vote immediate-
" onthe acquisition oftihe; aPurchaser
may vote after six months possession and
IS not required to record his deed for
any purpose under eight months,
and his right of voting would continue If
the title should never be recoded; afres-
holder BY lease has also right to vote,
Of course there Is. a numerous class Of
voters whose right will never appear by
the land list. A document which must
necessarily be SO imperfect ought not in
any case to be a criterionby which alone,
the right Of suffrage shall be denied to
those whose names do not appear on it.
But it is in proof that the land list of the 4
county OF Greenbrier is peculiarly mac
curate and imperfect. Itis new eoun-
ty and vast tracts ofland have been locat-
ed and patented within few years, the
tides Of which do not appear on this list.
The deposition Of nine persons, includ-
ing the Sheriff, Surveyor, the late and
present commissioners, with others Sc
lected as men best acquainted with the
circumstancrso of this list, has been read.
Those men on their oaths declare that
this list is Of their own knowledge.
unusually inaccnrate--that il does not
contain half the land in the county-that
the returns have not been regularly made
to the commissioner and that no returns
of patents have been made from the Re.
gister's Office since the year 1881. That
the inaceuraey became SO apparent as to
induce the Legislature to attempt a re-
vision in 1895. That SO many difficult
ties occurred in the execution Of this
law, thai, it was repealed in 1899 and the
list has never been revised and in their
opinion is no criterion whereby to test
the right Of suffrage. 1t further appears
by their deposition that, SO far as they
Jointly or severally know the persons OBJ
jected to because not on the list; they
are in possession Of real estate and in
their opinion are legal votes. Such Is
the evidence respecting the land list of
this county, coming from Witnesses sum
moned on the part ofthe petitioner. Yet
it is commended and your committee by
their report have sanctioned the princi-
pie, that this Imperfect list, though un-
supported even by the affidavit of belief,
and those whose names do not appear on
it., are unqualified, shall turn the proof
Of the legality of nearly half the votes Of
the county spon the sitting member
And this too without ever furnishing
him with a list Of oil jectionable votes, till
The moment of examination. Thus not
less than ! IS voters out of 35ea are depriy.
cd of the right Of suffrage, without OPP
portunity Of defence. - ;, ! ~.
If this mode Of taking proof without
previous notice of the points to, which it
is to apply, shall be sanctioned by the
House. IF the land list however imper-
feet is to be the criterion OF. the quali6ca-
tion Of voters. If the neglect Of thepe-
titioner to take his proof in proper time
is to be disregarded. .1fthe privilege Of
the House and the rights Of the member
must yield to the humour Of the petition
CT, surely the House viii not suffer the.
member to be entrapped, while in disc
charge OF his duties, by notice merely
constructive, where the actual presencs
Of the party is so essentially necessary to
rebut the presumpsions arising from such
negative proof. + y - s. ~:e.t. .
As he was clearly Of opinion that the
notice given would not sanction the evi.
dence, and that this land list was not ..
criterion whereby to test the right of
suffrage, he hoped the House would not
agree to the report. = - =