Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1840-04-14
NEW JERSEY CONTESTED ELEC-
TION.
no zee AMERICAN PEOPLE


We desire to call the attention of the
whole country to the statement herewith
exhibited, as report prepared and pre-.
scented to the Heuse Of Representatives,
by the minority of the Committee on E.
lections, to which was referred the contes-
ted election from the State of New Jer.
sey; and we especially desire to call their
attention TO the novel, extraordinary and
appalling circumstances, which have dri-
ven US to the necessity of thus appealing
to our fellow citizens, from one end Of the
Union to the other and we do it with the
confident assurance, that they will give to
the subject that careful and unpreiudiced
consideration which its Importance de.
| mands, and their own future safety and
interests imperiously require that they
will unite with us in the belief, which in
the honest sincerity of our hearts we en-
terrain that the government under which
| we live, must soon become worse thanFa
Turkish despotism, unless the people, in
the majesty of their strength, shall arise
and rebuke the perpetrators of the out.
rage which has been committed on the
constitution of the United States, the laws
Of one ofthe sovereignStates ofthis Unioa
and the rights ofthe great body of tie peo-
pie themselves.
We will not enter into minute detail
of the means. by which five oft the repre-.
sentatives of the State of New Jersey,
furnishing the highest evidence known TO
the laws of that State, that they had been
regularly and constitutionally elected,
| were driven from their seats, previous to
any investigation whatever, and denied all
rights to participate in the organization
and proceedings of the House, and much
less will we undertake here to pronounce
upon the motives which led to this unpar-
alleled proceeding. -.
We wish TO take up this subject at an
other point, and let the country know
what are the circumstances under which
five other gentlemen from the State cl
New Jersey have been voted into seats in
the House of Representatives, who have
presented no return, no credential, no com.
naissiOn--and this done when the mem
bers holding the commissions of the Gov
,ernor of that State, under the Seal of that
Commonwealth, were at home by leave Of
the committee. taking dispositions to prove
what they had at all times averred they
could proye-that they had received q
majority of the latcfuZ votes given at the
polls.
The proceedings Of the committee hav.
| ing charge of this subject, will be seen by
reference TO the report below, up to the
time that the report of the majority Of the
committee was presented and We now pre-
coed to give statement of what has since
transpired.
But il must be remarked in advance
that the committee, having determined
that if an investigation was to be prose
cuted behind the commissions of the Coy
ernor, every principle of equity and fair
ness required that there should be thor
ough searchsinto the legality of the vote.
| given for each party and finding that there
was no sufficient testimony before then
| by which il could be ascertained for whom
majority of the qualified voters of New
Jersey had cast their votes, suchAime wa
| granted as the parties themselves deemet
requisite to enable them to take such tes
timony as they might think advisable t
establish their respective claims, and thai
accordingly the parties severahy left Was
ington for the State of New Jersey, wher
they now are engaged in the prosecution
Of this work.
During their absence, and shortly afte
their departure from the city, (no con
plant and no application coming froF
them 10 the House,, the Chairman of tn
J Committee submitted a proposition to hav
the documents relating to the conteste
seats printed for the use of the Commute
. This furnished a pretext for the introduc
ton of another proposition, that the Con
mittee should be instructed to report for
, Nth which Of the parties had received
majority of all the votes given at the ele'
ton. After long debate, this was so M