Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-02-01
Making total a!

Thus while the ,ownsh,pr5:in, South anbnv giving
want Of the ssnlure cthc csk certificate of the
Of m Inspector and is returns of ten Federal township
giving majority Of eight hundred and frtr
though both the requisites adiaaged yal in
the Amhy ether equally important, received
and counted
Here Sir, YOU have fraud in lis naked defnrmty
unsophstcaed ana unbnrnished political corruption
and robbery perpetated in open day while the sun is
nj meridian AMI in the waiefu face and staring
tcnaacc Of al living. Yes, Sir, open. handed unb:si
;n., md unconccoird treason, Of the most alarming
and dangerous character, and which would Justly hang
is perpetrators b. the neck nntl the" dead,
tiead dead in any other time than when the political
atmosphere is dls.crnpered and poisoned with par:y
AMBITION an adomitable love Of power, ana moral
aepravitY My language is stronE, and, perhaps, Of
tensive: but the crime am exposing IS stronger, and
more offensive II no less than bold deprarcd, and
open attempt to PROSTATE the elective franchise, and
thereby subvert the Constitution and overthrow the
Government. Can any language he too strong to de
nounce such desperate, daring, damning attempt: =
But the returns not made an time why were
they not made in time /: The law which have read
specifies no time when the Governor and Council
shall proceed count up the votes etc, other than
that tev shall proceed, etc, within five days after
rrre;,:nr the lists, etc The Legislature Of New
Jersey, with reason, contemplated the possibility that
the clerks might not send up the returns within the
times specified by Law. They therefore wisely de-
fined no time when the Governor and Council should
proceed cast up the votes etc. other than the tnc
riz: ,cithin FIRE GapS'' after the time chsn ali the
lists should be returned. But the Legislature further
contemplated the possibility that not only the lists
might be returned within the tine defined by the
law but also that the clerks might fail 10 make the
turns at all The law, therefore, provides, that if the
clerks shall fail make returns within the times spec
fed shall be the duty of the Governor TO send firth
,ci expense of the State, for the returns
.ected to be made and yet il is urged reason that
the votes of South Amboy and Melville should not have
been counted because the returns were not made in
f:,ne when the very that they not made in
time has Is foundation in the failure Of the Governor
10 do what the law commanded him 20 do, and what his
office and oath bound him 10 do, and IN refusing TO do
which he violated both.
Sir there is no means len for the Governor or his
par'isans gel him out of the difficulty and disgrace
in which his conduct has involved him, except igno.
of his duty the lac, which he was b0nnd 10
know. Ignorance fraud is the horn of the dilemma
which he bangles, make the best YOU can Of it: both
nexcusable and objectionable in political, legal
and civil sense. And this he virtually admits himself in
the following communication, which | now ask leave
TO read and which shall have occasion to refer here
after. In the Governors opinion to his Privy Council,
he saws:
Wha dos Governor 10 lay before the Prvy
Coancil 7ae sad M referring maafssly
ted the county clerks, which has been mentioned Immediately
thus laid bto.c thrm: They up When
tbs ione what are they 10 determine: Who entitled
%" No Iansna"r can b. pans VA it ever ntSndd b. our
laws make ans pvy
election There no power conferred ~ Us 10 examine sin
gle Witness send for papers, ,oteke stepio
judicial investigation. Ii behind
,l clerks 10 those ." tn township officers why should
stop We may, 10y the authority equal
rrasc undertake TO examine The proceedings Of those township
rvN Of New Jsrsey themselves decide
q these macrs They always have been and from the
very words Of the must be- confined 10 the clerks rs'uns and
10 The luty Ct co.iag up The v"'2s
'Bu; ha asked, with force and mop'irIy candidate
clerk
t The votes? Certainly not. Through
by den have no; hcen returned hy the clerks is
m. power Of the House Of Representatives their discretion,
allow those votes and the seat TO the who with those
rocs ma. be elected AZ representative assemblies and
continually esetcIs" The rCt deciding who entitled 10 seat
IN teE We give The certificates 10 the persons who may appear,
by casting the clerks returns OF
voss; we are n w OBLIGED 50 10 o h1 the House Of ePTcsen
at:rcs Elay 60 nithef ana inquire Watcher have not
returned and counted and f such allow
ta,n o. , M o such lnc,n ", Hs 10 make GU,
clerk, 10 he used as occasion
10 me painful reflection were believe restraints
under which placed p the law Of no; going beyond the
certificates county clerk would deprive any candidate Of
rights declare here earnest WISH tina, before
the proper tribunal for deciding the matter
candidate may have the u 6snehi OF every legal vote ne may
have received al the election"
Let it be remembered when the above expose was
made, and tho admission therein submitted il
made to allay public indignation, which was bowling
round han Ike tempest IN the first paragraph OF
this expose which is devoted 20 defining the duties of
the Governor and Prvy Council, will be perceived in
relation elections that of the most important do
ties that Gcrolves the Governor VIZ that Of sending
for the polls when the clerks fail to send them up within
the time specified by law, is not hntcd at, which he
failed discharge in this case, and which, If he hat
performed would have saved all the trouble Of this n.y.
pocri,;cal and metaphysical definition Of duty, and
Nessrs Dickerson, Vroom, Cooper, Kiile and Ryall
would now be i'll their seats, representing the "sore.
rs;nn State Of fem jersey, IN conformity with the
voice of her eemen, expressed through her ballot
boxes on the second Tuesday Gnd the day fooping OF
October 1895" say it is the withholding Of this duty
in the above Geaniton and whether II wss the fault o.