Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1839-12-21

suppressed the vote at these countess ana when ne
heard the evidence that the Governor himself admitted
both these important facts. and rcgrcttng that the tech
ncatcs of law prevented him from giving the returns
to those who had received majority o! the votes, coal
socd himself S the belief that the House would do JUS
cc all partieswen he had seen proposal made last
summer in the public papers, by the gentlemen com
missored by the Governor, Ia throw up !hc- commIs
sinns and 30 again into new election; thus admitting
DOUBT Of their rights, he could not avoid enter
arg the suspicion that gross fraud had been Practsed
1t seemed TO him, Mr. 5. said, that throughout the
who" contest here, party had made of the
forms and tcchncaes of law TO cover up mean and
dcspcabc fraud while the other party had attempted TO
break down all the forms of law, in order to attain alb
strac justice: and being law-lovng and aw-abdi.g
man, he had voted to preserve the laws though injustice
might be the consequence. These things, Mr. ). SAID.
were not uncommon in private life. 4 man often held
possession of tract of land to which he Justly
entitled and which the law would take from him upon
legal investigation and trial of his ttc but the forms Of
law must he preserved and the tenant in possession
must retain the land until the courts decide that aro.
ther has better title 10 it. lie would pass over other
lnatters (mr 5. said and come down to the proceed
Ings oil yesterday and he confessed he more
surprised III hslc than he when shortly after the
Speaker had taken the chair and after his administer.
ing the oath to the members Of the House, he these
hive New jersey gentlemen walk up to the table and
ask TO be sworn. He did not, he said before,
TO mpcach their motives; they had right to take their
own course: but he thought that motives Of delicacy.
rs well as OF cxpedency, should have induced them
to wait for the regular actor 0: me House Now,
did not every that the contest has, all along
been for the purpose of eecting Speaker and that
these gentlemen and their friends were contendlEr
for their right 10 participate in that election: Bat,
(saId alr. Shepard) the right has been violated BY
decisions of the House again and again, and it is too
late TO rectiy IT, The House has been organized and
the Speaker has been elected without the particpat
Of these gentlemen, and they can, therefore, have
good reason for insisting taking their seats without
an investigation into their right to hold them. You,
sir, addressing the Speaker have been elected
impartial man, you and voted TO give these gentlemen
their seats in the first instance, and you will doubtless
deal justly and imparta!ly in your appointment of
Committee of Elections. Then why not let this ques-
ton of right be referred 10 that committee be nYesti-
gated lis merits in order that the House. with full
knowledge OF all the evidence connected with it, may
decide on it calmly, justly, and mpartialy. No injury
or Inconvenience would result TO these gentlemen or
their party by the delay. No great question would
probably come before the House, in which their votes
might be necessary before the decision Of the House
their He, for one would agree that all the
great questions which were expected to come before
them, should be postponed until that decision made;
yes, Sir, said Mr. s. the great financial question, on
which shall go with the Executive, and the fate of
which will probably depend the decision of these
tested election cases, may be laid over until the House