Wheeling compiler. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [i.e. W. Va.]) 1829-1831, 1830-03-24

These can be FOlU9 Whle Cdll0lud'O0 ~
tbeir agents are speaking, and / have seen
tbo largest counties IN the district ! repre-
SEM. vote in a day, and finish sometimes
before sunset.
Mr.. Speaker, my honorable colleague
lo1dIy extols the freehold suffrage and VI
an voce vote, so much so, that am almost
led TO hope he win concur with me IN re-
ieciinq the constitution we have lately pro-
posed to the people Of Virginia, though tor
different reasons. -,
While my colleague thus extols freehold
and the viva voce vote, ne cannot forget
tbat the statesmen of l7o5 borrowed botn
from the laws and customs of the land OF
their forefathers. and he oughtn to forget
that with the right Of suffrage and the man
ner ofgiving the vote, they borrowed, aiso'
the method of taking 1t. As ia England
they made the Sherif5 Of counties, and the
Mayors Of cities, and boroughs, the re-
turning officers and Judges Of Elections;
and that, as IN England, they authorized
Sherif5, in certain cases, to continue theif
polls, and further, that, as IN England
they gave no such power to the Mayor OF a
( city Of town.
/ / have no doubt that that has long been
known TO the Hon Speaker, which ncV-
or knew until this morning, that no,w--h-
standing the immense population OF me c.
lty OF London for several centuries odaN' II
was not until the accession Of the Rre5e1.
ROYAL Family to the throne of England.
I that the Mayor Of that great Metropolis
was authorized q conGnueh is poll; and
when he obtained this power 1t was not by
Inference and construction, but by cypress
sttluts.
The second section Of the act respect
limo the choice collectors has a provision,
( winch. when compared with that IN the tif-
tsenth section OF the general election law,
/ for continuing over elections Of Senators
Isl Delegates, furnishes q strong argument
against the power of a Mayor The Sc
c5nd section of the law providing for the
choice of electors, requires ths executive
to appoint Commissioners to take the poll
/ for each county. aud for the cities Of Rich
mond and Wllhamsburgh, 81 borouGhs OF
/ NorfolI, and Petersburg Hero the cities
and boroughs are expressly included, and
y the same section provides that 1T Il shall
7 QDDc1r 10 tie said Commissioners, that the
I persons entitled 20 vote were prevented
f0n attending. BIZ bad UcqtIcr or from
ann other cause, ihev are empowered and
repaired to keep The p0N open for a term
not ezceciing three dgys'
There Is a discretion left with the Com
missjonors, lift shall appear to them
SC" and the provision Is httIiinous
compared with that IN the general law.
Other contingencies viii suffice, besides
| Grain or rise Of water courses or the ap
| pearance oftao great a number 20 be poll
81 L-r--- -..- --4t.-r W. a.. Gil --..
discretion jg given - here must appear
I too great number 10 be polled before sun
/ setting. or the voters must be prevented
I from attending by rain or rise of lo0ter
/ courses. No other cause will authorize au
/ adiournmcnt-not the existence of an eD'-
demic viii answer. When these c00uu.
/ gencies do happen at county election, the
/ Sheriff cannot adjourn the poll, unless ro-
oUested by one or more of the candidates
or their agents. Why this dfIefencel
/ The commissioners in the other case not
only are authorized, but required TO ad-
iourn7 The reason is obvious; at one of
these elections, there is neither a candi
date nor the busy agents ofone, and, there
fore, there is no danger ofthose improper
and demoralizing practices which some
times occur where they are; whereas az the
. general elections, the law expressly recog
7,zes their presence and agency The
words of the 18th section Of the general
election law are these-''If the electors who
. appear to be SO numerous that they cannot.
be all polled before sun setting, or, if by
. ram or rise of wdter courses, many Of the
/ electors may have been hindered from at
tending, the Sheriff or under Sheriff may
and shall, 5yreguest Of one or more Of the
candidates or Their agents, adjourn the pro-
| ceedngs, &c"
My honorable colleague draws an argu-
mueut from the third section Of tho act of
/ the cleo ton ofmembers ofCongress. The
words relied on by him arc ItalIcised ~
/ the copy printed for the House, and are the
following: "Like proclamation shall be had
/ for conducting, continuing, and closing
tfs poll IN each county Of a district as Is
prescribed By l1C ~ TIE election at nem-
5srS TO The General ASssm5ly." Ny col
+ league says, It Is admitted that the word
/ cities and 57r0Ugts must be utCrlarded o.
IsuppIied m This clause to give TO it the pro-
per effect, and ] perfectly agree with him
\ that these words must be supplied From
this admission, he asks, why, then, ma
not The words "or Mayor be supplied !
the fifteenth section of the general clcctia.