Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1807-04-24
PENNSYLVANIA LEGISLATURE.
ADril 6

On Monday DR.. Lieb, chairman of the
committee of enquiry, made the following
report, Will, was made the order of the
day for Thursday yesterday
REPORT.
The committee to whom was referred
several petitions from a number of citizens
of the city and county of Philadelphia,
praying an enquiry into the official conduct
of Thomas NJ 'kean, governor of this COM
monwcalth, and a resolution to report whe-
Their the said Thomas M'Kean hath so act
ed in his executive capacity, as to require
the interposition of this house submit the
following report
That notwithstanding the shortness OF the
time allowed them and the consequent mar
row range of enquiry, they have been en-
ablCd 4 ascertain the following facts, viz.
l. That the governor did premeditatcdty
wantonly, unjustly, and contrary to the true
intent and meaning of the constitution, rem
der void the late election of q sheriff i'll the
City and county of Philadelphia.
In having refused, through the secrc-
tary of the commonwealth, to permit
Judge Wolbert, the candidate highest on
the return, to come into his presence,
when he arrived at Lancaster, to tender
his bond and that Of his sureties with the
certificate of the judges
In having issued commission with r
blank for the names Of the commission
ers, to his son Joseph 3. Mkean, who in
serted the names of commissioners, who
were to take the testimony, and after
wards appeared as counsel for VIM L.
Donaldson, the adverse candidate
In having rendered void the election,
when there was an actual majority of
forty-nine Uotes IN favor of Judge VOL
bert, after deducting from his poll all the
illegal votes.
In having deducted from Judge VOL
bert's poll, four votes given, to w. T.
! Donaldson
In having declared twenty-six free
men and citizens to be unqualified vo-
tiers who were duly qualified, and hav-
ing subtracted their votes from the poll
of judge Wolbert
In having deducted eleven votes from
! Judge WoibcrJ's poll without any evI-
dence of the voters having voted for She
riff.
In having declared eight doubtful votes
to be lilcga', and having subtracted them
from judge Wclbcrt's poll.
In having declared seven votes to have
been Illegally rejected, when only three
d. legal votes had been refused and IN hav-
poll Of Judge Wolbert.
| H. having in Certa n cases declared votes
to be illegal, VIII Oh had been given by
the SOUS Of qualified citizens, betwe, "
the age If twenty -one and twcntv-two
| years, whose fathers had died mo e than
! two years before The election and i'm
| another case having decided ;nat a vote
OF the same character which mad been
| offered for w. Z. Donaldson and had
| been refused, TO be legal vote, and hav-
ing subtracted it from the poll Of Judge
| Wolbert
J Second. That he the said Thomas NJ.
Kean usurped judicial authority in issu.
ing warrant FOR the arrest and imprison-
ment of Joseph Cabrera and interfered
in favor of convict for forgery in defiance
of the law and contrary to the wholesome
regulations of the prison in Philadelphia
and the safety Of the citizens.
BY sending for the keeper of the pr.
son, and directing him to permit any vic.
tualS. bedding or clothes, that might be
sent to this convict to be given to him, al
though he had been sentenced to two
years Imprisonment at hard labor, anC
to be fed and clothed as the law directs
Third. That contrary to the true inten
and meaning of the constitution, and in d
rect violation Of it, he did appoint DIR Geo
Buchanan, Lazaretto physician of the por
of Philadelphia.
BY granting him a commission as al
officer within the county OF Delaware
three or four days before his arriva. il
this state, although he had been citi
zen of Maryland about seventeen years
Immediately preceding his appointment
FOHrth. That under a precedent aC
knowiedged to have been derived from tn,
king Of Great Britain, and contrary to tn,
express letter of the constitution, did h,
suffer his name to be stamped upoi
blank patents for lands, warrants on tn,
Treasury, and other public official papers
and that roo out Of his presence.
rim. That contrary TO law he did su
percede DR.. James Reynolds as a membe
of the board of health.
BY the appointment OF DR.. Js Hutch
inson be ore the expiration Of the yea
designated III the law as the tenure c
his comm ssion, and which was so g.
pressed in the commission itself
Sirh. That contrary TO the obligation
Of duty and the iniuuctions of the CONSTITUTE
on, did he offer and authorize overtures {
be made TO discontinue two actions of ia
commonwealth against William Duane an
his surety, for an alledged forfeiture Of tw
recOgnizances of one thousand dollars eacl
J on condition shat William Duane woul
discontinue civil actions against his son J,
seph b. M'Kean aud others, Tor damag,
| for a muTdcrCus assault committed by j,