Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-11-23
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ORANGE ELECTION.

county III inc wnprc III 10 SINK
every other question, aud relative qualification in
Jacksonism and secondly, from he Sheriff returning
Gov Barbour. and the succeeding attempt to impesch
the Sheriff for that return, and to cast upon
Gov. Barbour for accepting as fine could do oter-
wise This unusual interest vii! excuse for sgain
noticing il.
Tho last Reporter in article of length, cleaness
md ability, narrates oil the proceedings, and places
Gov. Barbour's and Mr.. Sheriff Burruss's conduct.
on what appears To us, impregnabe grounds.
"Wo have had (s1ys the Reporter, occasion hereto.
fore to stale that Gov Barbour acted IN conformity
the Wishes OF his friends, IN the he pursued
throughout 'hic whole controversy. We verify be
love from all that we have seen and heard that left
to himself. although perfectly satisfied that he had
respectable m;j rity ofsoun votes his opponent;
sllh would nave submitted TO the result, rather
than encoun err the trouble necessarily ensuing from
continuing tho contest. HIS friends decided other
wise To have refused on his part, was treacher
ouSiy TO abandon men, than whom none could have
shown greater zeal and friendship fastening as he
d. 20 obey thCir summons, his arrival at the Court
House tho day after the election informed
o. the injustice (unn:eniioual to be sure which had
been done in by thr application of principles diane
,rca.iy opposite at the Court House. and the pie
cnc,s. st the former the High Sheriff acting under
The highest i"ga! authority OF The County, and inie
rior TO IN he State. dsinc uishcd mcpber, al
81 OF the Convention, decided that The preceding
year in which assessment should have been made and
cucts had been determined that it referred $50
II So happened IN consequence, that at the Conrt
House, where Gov Barbour received two to over
lis opponent, all those who had paid only in $50
deprived Of their franchise; while at Stanardsville
where the proportion reversed, they admit
ted BY the prevalence Oft this unequal rule, il be-
licved Capt. Davis gained fifty or sky votes.
It was OF this inequality aud of Its consequence that
the friends of Gov. Barbour complained-M resulted
entirely from the mode of conducting elections by
precincts, mode very lately introduced into
system. Gov Barbour Immediately proposed that
uniform rule in this particular should be applied TO
the pol-take either the one that had prevailed at
The CJutt House 1T tie precincts-lct all or
OF the puyers of 1880 voe-,erms, which if ac-
coded to, were still injurious TO him. many o the
payers Of $50, hearing of the Sheriffs decision at
the Court House. orborc from presenting themselves
to vote. Now we are persuaded that there is I'D
man, who will encounter the responsibility et deny
Ing the fairness OF this proposition It vas however
peremptoriy reiu5ed--and from this refusal of so
just proposition, have arisen the consequences of
which Capt. DAVIS complains. we ask and conf
IDENTIFY too-if he has any one 10 cersure but him
self! no! instead Of meeting this simple plan with
frankness by wh ch the Contest would have been
settled and rightly settled half hour, lie inss
ted on the strict execution of the letter Of the Law.
NO intelligent man can read the constitution and
doubt that the construction put tho constitution
OF the Court House. the true construction--t!iut
the assessments must be charged and paid the prece-
ding year. If therefore, Capt. Davis received SO OF
co votes at Stanardsvie, from voters who were not
assessed for and had no: paid part OF the Revenue
Of the preceding year, it is obvious (the opposite RUE
prevailing at the Court House, his strong grouad)
that not he but Gov Barbour elected.
Capt. Davis however, insisted upon the ia,c--upon
The strict execution of the law: and in this he was
srasifed. The Reporter proceeds
The Sheriff determined to postpone his decision
tn Thursday. On That day at the Courthouse, he
nj nf No. pItI1
their views Of Tie case, understood for the
purpose of consulting of the most eminent men
IN the Statc-MeanwhiIe however, an intelligent
friend Of Gov. Barbour, had asce.aincd that the su
pcrInteEdens ~ ts precincts had taken the oath
prescribed by law that the poll at Stanar dsvie had
been signed neither by the superntenden,s nor the
eherif-it was then urged by the friends of Gov.
Barbour, "a Capt Davis had refused every oronos;
ton, that had been madc-wiosc object was - ascor
tain The real majority of legal votes. md ha publicly
acd privately insisted sticking the letter of the
law, that nc SHOULD have the same role applied to
himself; that turn about fair pay. Gov. Bar
hour conforming to this suggestion con,endcd that
me precI1c elections were VOID, having been con.
dncted by unqualified persons, and therefore should
nc rcl'c'ed from tho estimate Of the votes; upon the
ground HAT II was nojorlouG the Legislature had
yhIt1d with reluctance 20 this innovation OF precinct
tIfc:ions: flaly however. when they did Weld IN
some few instances. 10 preserve il from abuse they
,'cd INC Pieean'io1 OF requiring five discreet free
'ii"rs 70 bc appointed 20 aDp"rcHd such elections
they expressly excluded the idea that hey were to
be controlled by the dcpn.y s4erH bccacsc they say
That the superIntcndens, shall before too cleo.
lion comrl"nce5--hat they viii neither reject rood
vote nor admit n bad onc-evIlently giving TO them
The exclusive control Of the elect cG-wbe the slcr.
III becomes mere instrument o. preserve the peace
or keep order"
Other people may possibly think thu rigorous
eourse-thai slight informally ought not TO yiiiac
whole poll, and thus deprive member Of lis seat
and freemen of thcr votes Other people my ,biuk 6,
say So but Capt Davis has right TO say 50: h. was
for sticking TO the e~, aud every body knows that
this is tie law.
The Reporter says much Inoro, in explanation and
defence o. Gov Barbour. be, it is necessary 10
repeat it, Ills conduct and ipi Of h.s fscnds, hes
been frank, fair and unassaa5!c Where tho case
was not GouJDri-whe-c it was plainly II his favor
by the bad votes al S:anaFdsyic) they sG.rcd TO
submit every thing TO afbtration--,o such men "a
their nsighbors, Robert Taylor. Reynolds Ohopman
Ambrose Madison VIM. Wills, Peyton Grymes and