Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1823-03-29

fursher and full examination, aud dis
covering also that fraud and imposition
had been practsed upon him, he reyok-
ed his former certificate, and decided III
favor of the other parry This last de-
cision was sanctioned by The written OPT
MONS Of Chief Justice Reynolds, and
Messrs. Cook, Starr, and Kane. My
election depended on the same questions
which were here decided, and the same
testimony applied to all.
On The 9Th of September, more than
twenty days from the time o! the election,
Shaw served on me new notice OF con-
test, with additional points, TO be had be-
fore the same Boiler, and another justice
in the place OF Mr.. Whipple, at the ex-
IRENE end of the county. Having al
ready attended one contest, and the time
having expired in which could be notl-
fed 10 attend another, paid OF course no
attention to it. Ofthc testimony which
was taken under this second notice re-
manned entirely ignorant until the depo
sitlons were read before the House. The
dispositions taken at the time when my
election was regularly contested, though
called for, were never produced, and |
leave it to those in whose hands those
documents have been, to say whether
they were not purposely sequeslered
with view of promoting Shaw's preten-
sions to my seat.
When the question then was present
ed to the House for their decision, they
had one OF two things to do, either to
confirm me in my right to the seat | &C.
cupied, or else transgress the provisions
of the election law. The testimony taken
under the notice which had been legally
served on me, was withheld by the par
ty himself who had the control and direc-
ton of it, and that which was offered was
taken under notice which the statute
made void and illegal; and moreover
cx-parte and extra judicial. In addition
to the imperative obligations of the law,
! would also ask any honorable man
what his reflections would be on the mo-
tives of a candidate who had in the frst
instance not only retired with his follow
ers from a legally constituted poll, butt
afterwards suppressed the only legal
proof by which, after an ample investica-
ton, before judges of his own choice, he
tried to establish his rights lfany per-
son believes that such conduct is not
liable to suspicion, offer the following
convincing proof that John Shaw can be
guilty of still meaner things.
FandaGa, Dec. IL, 1922.
In reply to your letter of this days date, re-
NE,
OF John Shaw during the tendency OF the con-
tested election from Pike county, between the
said Shaw and Nicholas Hansen, for seat in
the House of Representatives Of the State of
Illinois--to which inquiry shall reply gene. |
rally, that the said John Shaw on the morning
prect ding The final vote on that question, came
to my lodgings, and while there | had some
business out of the house, when the said Shaw
followed me out and entered into a converse
ton with me on the subject of the contest, and
insinuated to me, in terms so plain not to be
misunderstood, that if would support his seat
that he, said Shaw, would vote any way would
direct him at the approaching election for Sc
nator to the Congress OF the United States.
have the honor to be, respectfully, your
obedent servant,
WILLIAM ALEXANDER.
DANIEL D. SMITH, Esq.
The majority of the House have been
censured with being more favorable to-
wards me, than they otherwise would
have been, because was friendly to the
reelection Of Judge Thomas VIVA, in
hnence that may have had, do not pre-
tend to say, but am inclined to doubt
that it had any considerable weight, from
the circumstance of my opposing, at the
time, the conventional question in
which, as the result shows, much great
err interest was felt. Ii has been more
over generally remarked, that. during the
first weeks ofthe session, the House con-
Quoted correctly and tremendously.
Under the circumstances which have |
briefly related, and with such testimony
as was offered to invalidate my right to
the seat ! occupied, the decision of the
House will bear the test OF scrutiny and
time, on legal, just, or equitable princi-
pies, though the emergency of the mo-
mem induced a reconsideration of the
question, and presented an amazing con-
tras of the opening with the closing
scenes of the legislature. A superficial
inquirer may suppose that the reversal
of their first decision was brought about
by the Introduction of the testimony of an |