Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1811-05-20

views. IN the last HrgH' an attempt IS
,nade 20 impose on the pubic an idea
that the Selectmcn ct this town have
conducted in a very improper manner
"a rrsDrts the regulation oi the m,e-
,;no. for the choice OF representatives.
I.rta rgain statement Of FACTS, show
how far they have merittd il. Previous
n the governor meeting list 81 voters
was male and published according 70
law, and public notice given of the lime
and place OF the Board Of Selectmen's
being Il, session for the purpose q pla-
cling on the list the names 81 those per-
sons who were qualified 10 vote, WhitA
were unknown to them. This was
done. At the April meeting The names
of the electors were not checked as
they voted, Of course 1t could not be
known 90 the Seleclmen but that every
electors name was on The list.
Before the Representative meeting
the Selectmen corrected the list, not by
strlckinr out the names OF those Whom
they had the strongest reasons 70 bS-
lieve were not qualified to vote or even
had residence in, or were Inhabitants
Of the town, but by placing q dot or
mark against their names. On tie
morning Of the day Of meeting they
were in session, ready 10 add new
names, if any person had applied; bur
none came and 10 new names were adj
ded. When the meeting was opened
they gave notice that If any peison SO
marked should appear TO vote, Il would
be expected that he should give salts
factory evidence of his being qualified,
and that such evidence would bereCeiV-
ed of the votes-which were generally
given in. This meeting was holdeu Oh
the 9th instant-the ballot was taken
no choice was made and an adjourn
ment to the 18th, took place. ln tic
mean time applications were made III
both parties To the Selectmen, To place
names upon the list /; but it being Ill
adjournment ofthe same meeting, the
Selectment did not consider il legal 10
do it. This course the law compelled
them to adopt. When the Inhabitants
met upon the Adjournment, the Select
men gave like notice as before, and Ia
the course of giving in their votes any
person, so noted, who appeared to vote,
was desired to step aside until the votes
were generally given in--they were
then desired to come forward and the
chief OF those who appeared, having sat-
isfed the Selectmen, they were allow
ed 10 vote but the most Of those who
were SO marked, did not appear at the
meeting.
Surely no candid man will say that
the Selectmen were governed by par
tial OF party motives in this case. The
rule operated upon federalisls and de-
mocrats alike. Had the Selectmsn
have pursued different mode OF con-
duct and permitted names to be put up
on the list, il would not have materially
effected the result. But it is lnsinuated
that the names of federalists were pu-
upon the list, t!@b is totally false. Lst
any one say this in plain terms, and the
Selectmen viii take proper notice Off.
X ~ not denied but that q few votes
were rejected who would have had Y
legal right to vote provided they had
have applied Il proper time To have
their names placed upon the list-bul
even these were not confined III Tie
democrats.
Itis.said So votes were rejected, but
no one viii pretend TO soy that 50 leg-l
votes were rejected. It's not true and
those who make The assertion do noc
believe itthymselyes, nor does the VII
ter Of this beieive that haIfthat number.
including those whose names were not
upon the list were decisively rejected /,
but Of those who were upon the list
and noted as above, il Is believed there
were not more than Eve. III comes
with an III grace from those who senr
and took out of the Jlns. House man
10 put IN democratic vote, 10 find
fault wiki the Selectmen for receiving
II, OF 70 say any thing against thos=
who have received Some little assistance
al an Indictment season Of the wear,
Though be had reaI estate sufficient 10
quality him) being Permitted 10 vote.
tie must be and enemy to The Consti-
tuition and tyrant at heart, who would
deny man his right of voting who has
the legal qualifications, on account OF
his colour. Nor is it known why man