Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-03-26
house OF REPREsENT.aTTYEs-.uareh ..
SPEECH OF MIR. DoDDRIDGE,. OF Va,
On fhe contested Election Gro,n .Anrfi,Lk

SPEECH OF MIX. DODDkiDGE,. OF VA,
On he contested Election from .NorjoH.
Mr.. Speaker: will ask the indulgence of the
House to add few words to what has been said in
support of the sitting member.
lhad thought the argument Of the honorable gen.
tlcman from New York (Mr. Spenccr) sufficient TO
produce universal conviction, and will not subject
myself to the task of repeating what has been SO
much better, said by him than could have any pre-
tensions TO say.
My honorable colleague Mr.. Barbour) who has
Just taken his scat, has insisted that whenever it is
necessary to supply words in statute, in order to
give effect to the known, apparent will OF the egis-
iature the words necessary may be SO supplied and
that in the undor dscussion all the election laws
Of Virginia other Statutes made in pari niateria,
arc TO be construed together,
agree with my colleague perfectly.
Tho lava, then, for choosing electors of President
and vice-President OF the United States for electing
members of Congress from Virginia; and the general
election law of that State for members of the Senate
and House of Delegates, to be expounded togeth
or as one law; and the question is whether, from
fir examination of these laws, power can be in.
fcrred in the Mayor Of city, town corporate, to
adjourn or continue the poll at election for Con-
grcss or for members Of Tho Sale Legislature l
mainom that Mayor has no such power, and that
until our towns and cities shall vastly increase their
population, it would be unwise to confer IT.
The reason for allowing the polls to be continued
il the counties, docs not exist i'll cities and towns
In the latter the people at home, and not
liable to lose their votes account OF "rans or rise
Of the only contingencies deemed suf
fcicnt for On adjournment III the counties. The
power in question is not given to the Mayor expressly
add if it to be supplied by construction, it should
only be supplied TO give effect to the knorn. apa
rent will Of the Legislature
II will be conceded that fdrness in elections is
great and controlling desideratum with the legsla-
ture and people, and the desire to promote it is mani
fest throughout our legislation the subject. That
all those qualified should vote, is indeed very desra-
bic; aud is to effect this object that adjournment
OF the poll is permitted under any circumstances.
E. al.,lr- fa, IL. Il
has, kc The other laws yai mdteria, gone through
several rcVisons unchanged except by that of l99.
When this law was frs, made in l735, Norfolk was
a small place rising from its ruins. Richmond was
but bcguni and Williamsburg, perhaps, never con-
taincd mere than one hundred votes and these were
then The only towns entitled to sepa rate representa-
tion TO these fuurth, Petersburg, has since been
added. Who suppose that in 785 single mem
Der would have thought of the necessity of auihori-
zing Mayor to adjourn the poll in these small towns
on account of Grains rise of watcr-courses'" In
1895 we had counties in which voters had to travel
more than hundred miles to exercise their rights
counties hundred and fifty miles square, and con-
tainng moro than one river, and than one
mountain to cross, nd if 1T was, all admit OBJ
ject with the General Assembly to afford opportun-
ties 10 all it necessary authorize continuance
OF the poll under certain contingencies. One of my
honorable colleagues has spoken of Richmond as a
city divided by rapid stream. Towns so divided are
apt to erect bridges streams within them; and
the small creek in Richmond is so bridocd that the
traveller does not know when he passes il. In towns
if an adjournment were permitted, many opportunities
would he afforded for tamporing With voters-lor in
trigue and management by candidates and their
friends; when men could be found bnse enough &c
employ unfair means) to prevent a fair and honest
expression Of the public will The voters are at homo
aud be assaed, while in the counties they ar,
numbered from assembling by the very causes which
authorize continuance of the polls. Should IN,
Norfolk election be overturned, precedent will be
established by which unfair rract ices will be sane
toned. few friends of either candidate may re.
min at home engaged in their town city pursuits
or even lettering III the streets but who, appearing
on the sunsetting, may require continuance of the
poll. Time will be thus afforded for all that unworthy
practices of clectioneering can effect The prece-
dent we may be about to establish will TEEN with
evils you little think of.
My Hon. colleague has said that in our State
candidates in the habit Of addressing the people
and the people of hearing them, and that if al
ohccr should venture to open the poll before th
is done he would incur the censures of those 70
whose benefit the election law was made
| agree with my colleague that these public nd
dresses to the people, with the RIGA voce vote are
great securities against SANDER and misrepresen
tation. In large counties, however, il is cusomar,
TO opUn the polls at the time before the candidate
take their stands TO address the people. There are
many who come to the election with their mind.
made up ana who wish to give their votes ant
return to their homes and there arc many in towns
who rothng about the speeches of candidates
These can be voting while candidates or their a
gents are speaking, and l have seen the largest
GpunlIcS w TIC ulStlCL represent, vOtC In ulT
and finish some time before sunset.
MIR. Speaker, my hon. colleague loudly exto.
the free hold suffrage and viva voce vote so mucf
so, that ! am almost led TO hope he will concur
with me in rejecting the constitution we have lately
proposed to the people Of Virginia, though for diff
ferent reasons.
While my colleague thus cxtols freehold suffrage
and the viva voce vote, he cannot forget that the
statesmen Of 1895 borrowed both from the laws ant
Customs Of the land of their forefahers and he ourh
not to forget that with the right of suffrage and Tho
manner Of giving the vote, they borrowed also the
method of taking IT, AS in England, they made tho
Shcriffs of counties, and the Mayors of cities and DO
roughs, tho returning officers and judges of elections
and that, as in Englsnd, they authorized Shers, il
certain cases, to continue their polls, and further
that, as IN England, they gave such power to the
Mayor Of city or town
| have no doubt that that has long been known to
tho Hon. Speaker which | never knew until this
morning, that Notwithstanding the immense popula.
ton OF the city Of London for several centuries back
y was not until since the accession of the present
Royal Family TO the throne of England, that Tho
Mayor of that great Metropolis was suihorized IL