Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1813-07-05
CONGRESS-.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
"WEDNESDAY, June ~.
aTIVES


praying indennihcation thesefor.-Refer
red to the committee of Claims.
Mr. Troup reported bill Z" supplement.
tary to the act in addition to the act enti
tied an act to raise an additional n ilitary
force, and for other purposes ;" and also a
bill supplementary to the act for the bet.
ter regulation Of the Ordnance Depart.
ment ;" which bills were twice read and
COM mitted. ~st
AN ELECTION CONTESTED.
Nj Fisk of n. Y. offered for considera,i-
On the following resolutions:
Resetred, That the committee of EIec
lions be instructed to enquire whether Joh,,
M. Bowers, returned as member from
the state Of n. Y. is entitled to a seat in this
House.
RESOLVED, That the same committee he
Instructed to enquire whether Isaac vii
lians, jr. is NOT entitled to a seat i'm the
House N the place of said John NJ. Bow
ors.
Mr.. F. said he had before him, and would
submit with the resolution, a certified COPY
OF the return of votes given in at the late
election in the 18th district of the state of
New York, by which it appears that John
NJ. Bowers and Isaac Williams, jun were
thc two Candidates. The whole number of
votes given in was 8,9l7; of which there
were tor Isaac Williams, jun 4I2o for
Isacc Williams" 431 for" M Bowers"
4267 votes. " ]. Bowers" 70. By which
statement II appears that if Isaac Williams,
Jun. had received the votes given to Isaac
Williams, he would have a majority of 200
votes over Mr.. Bowers even ALLOWING to
the latter the votes To have been given for
him, in " hich. apart of his name was omit
ted. BIC canvassers Of votes have not in
'Gicial powers, and they gave a certificate
that the highest number of votes was for
such a name. In the state of New York,
when a difficulty Of this kind occurred. al.
though the canvassers could not settle the
question, the Legislature always settled it
en- investigation /; because the mode of nom
mating cadidates in New York left no doubt
as to the identity of The person intended 10
be voted fer. In several towns MIR F. nam
cd, as many as 90, 1875, 90, 81 votes had
sbeen given for Isaac Williams and none for
Isaac Williams, jun. II could not be doubt
ed that all these votes were intended for l.
saac Williams, jun.
MIR. Grosvcnor expressed his surprize at
this mode of bringing the election in Guesti
ON before the House. If the opposing candi-
date, knowing the facts, had not tho't pro-
tion, he was surprized tina. any one else
should. Mr.. G. wished the resolutions to
lie Oh the table till to morrow =.
Mr.. Fisk said he never before had-heard
that the inability or neglect of any candi-
date TO come forward and contest an cleo i.
ton in which he was concerned, preciuded
any member of this House from doing it,
Ms. +. had no particular objection 10 the
resolutions lying on the table till to NOR
row.
Mr.. Grosvenor said, that he had always
considered it the bounden duty of the COM
mittee of Elections to enquire into the vail
1slity of the title of each member to seat IN
.the House but he believed there was no
example of this House entering of its own
accord, without petition or remoEstrancc,
into a scrutiny whether or not the sitting
member had the greatest number of votes.
He would not az this moment enter into a
detail of the consequences which would GER
tain.y result from such a course az that
proposed TO be pursued.
Mr. Pitkin and Mr. Hopkins opposed the
resolve on account of the novelty of the
course, and Mr.. Nelson took the opposite
SIDE.
alr. Fisk said that the novelty Of the
course was no argument against it. He had
produced evidence TO support the motion !;
and he did not see why it should not be al
lowed the same force as if presented by a
petitioner
The motion to lay the resolves on the ia
bic was negatived, 90 to so.
Mr. Grosvenor rose to propose an amend
nent. He said by the laws Of New-York,
it was required that the inspectors of the
polls should not open tn, bcxes until the
cl sc OF the poll OH the third day. He had
seen an affidavit, that at one OF the electi-
ons in congressional district, the polls had
been opened on a second day, givins full
opportunity for fraud, though he could not
say that the opportunity had been seized by
either party. The affidavits he would TAX G
upon himselfto furnish to the committee oil
elections as the foundation OF his notion
e j. this procedure should tie illegal it would
affect the election OF the gentleman return
ed from that district. lie was unfTieudly tc
the pre-, ent mode of proceeding /; but, il
commenced, il ought 70 extend 10 all cases
He. there fore, moved to insert in the first
resolve, after '.Jnhn NJ Bowers" the name,
OF John Lefferts and Ebenezer Sage.
q -sseSTe further conversation took place on
this subject between Messrs. Pitkin, Fisk
mo Grosyenor, rs TO the similarity OF the
two cases, &c.
tion on the able "hien was supported BY
NJ castor and opposed by Mr.. Rhea.
The molten prevailed. 78toH.
THE WAYS AND @BANS.
The House again resolved itself into .
.,,;,tee Of tie whole, MIR Nelson IN thl
shair m The several bills laying taxes.
Tbe Direct Tax biil was farther discus
sed and amended
Ths question whioh excited most discus