The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826, 1813-07-02

comhutee are OF opinion, that the petit
toner has not supported his petition.
ABOVE we have given the report of the
committee OF elections on the petition of
John Taliaterro In this case the commit
nittce OF elections have undertaken to say
mat II Is nor necessary for freebooter to
20 DC 81" months in the possession of his
ianu ny ME and that the OCCUPANCY for six
months, provided the title should be made
previous to the election, would make the
purchaser on that day Legitimate freehold
or thus destroying the vefy intention of
me law, which was to prevent the hastv
creation OF irecholders to serve particular
purposes. If this construction of the com
mittee should receive the sanction Of the
mouse OF representatives it will be prece.
uoh' ia'ai TO the hu'Tty of elections. 1t
VIII only then be necessary for the cahdi.
date to conciliatc the laree landbo,der who
Oh the aay 81 election, will be able to bring
oHe all MS tenants, who have resided on his
'''a ior SIX months and make (recholders
VI '"em Oh the day and unmake them again
at the close The poll But ON this no;n,
the law itself is altogether conclusive.
winch we extract from the revised code of
1902 Alter speaking of zvAat is necessarv
to constitute voter it goes on to give the
time ofpossession.
Havins In such land an estate Of free
=" mold at the least, and, unless the ,i,,e
snaii nave come to him by descent de-
s'se' marriage or marriage settlement
hav.hg beeu so possessed six months
a'ia no other person shall be qualified IN
= vote Tor delegates TO serve in general &C.
" sembly.'
Nothing can be more plain tLo, ,,;s
Unless the Htle shall have come by descent
de''Sc,marriage sc. the person voting INNS,
be so Possessed" SIC. s. to wha, has mi.
" SO possessed" reference? why certainly
'"fc' Ii this construction had bee,
given which the strict letter seems n -,,ar
'anf the committee say that the ret;
''ohcr would have majority OF four votes
over the sitting member. We canno. see
now committee or any other person could
nave DOUBT as to the real intent and mean
ing OF this law by those who passed il. and
what 1t would seem to imply. II itreou;res
strict construction of this law of 1888. to
make out the position of the petitioner. i,
Will be found necessary to give tia very
loose one to justify the report which the
honorable committee have given. That
the sttrit and intention (pause, .pause y
were satisfied. We cannot pretend to say
what construction the legislature NAV
nave given, but presume if different from
the " sfTicf' letter of the law it must have
given III relation to faet--and not solid
dihnltion OF law as regarded hrineihle.
We can however say that from tbe know.
ledge we have of the Virginia elections
very different construction has been given
by the candidates & sherffs in this and the
heishooflng districts. AT the last election
In Fa'rfar, very respectable person of
a large landed property lately purchased
ID the county presented himself at the polls
10 vote. Ills vote was challenged by one OF
inc parties as not having been in possession
OF his land for six months. He refused to af.
hrm to the same bccsuseethe time Of sale,
which was public one, was notorious. Seve-
raj were present who could vouch that six
months had expired between the dan of