Columbus Democrat., 1841-10-02

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T.g 10Th section # ,hr 7,h srtss nlile Co0s''-
r..r.8s rfa..ies tla, .re.lrs OF o sgcagns hs ne
DelDe. shall be made % rie Secretary OF Sia.g. ~
such manner as uay ae prescribed tE a"- lA'>
Clause abrusafrs tie .sN requiring ile returns %.
elections of District Otacers, (Jud1e>, District A.
t5rucgs and Scuaiors.j b. De- made 10 tire >dffh 'i
iNs county fret named In The aw ar.nE ed iH-
DrIurt. Election returns are often ui3r l' i-'
Governor Ihl, practice must be dsconuHu,d -
You are therefore required, m all cases. % make IAe
return, Of tlecIuH u' Stae. Dsiuct and County
officer, "to he Secretary OF S'a'e Jackson 'liss''-
sppl'
The aad section or the j:h article OF lhe Con~'i-
tuition provides hat "iLr returns OF every election
for Governor ,ha.. BE- sealed up 1ud uan-m''led Up
the seatul Government. directed 10 tie Secretary
of STATE, who shall deliver them 10 ihe Speaker oI
The House of Representatives, al the next ensuing
session Of the Legislature; during The first week o
winch session the sand Speaker shall optn and pU6'
hsh item IN Tire presence ul both Houses oi l"e
Legislature ! his provision has not been always
complied with heretofore.
louarr therefore required 10 make out separate
rtHa Of the VOTES given for Governors TO seal them
llun cf Governors November lSll.'
Unless tbs endorsement is made, the returns may
be opened by mistake and the vote Of the county
Tor Governor lost.
ln the general return pi the result of the next
November election, The Returning officers OF each OF
the several counties "a this STATE, are required also
to Stae the vote given for Governor oil the Stale,
and all STATE Dlstuct and county officers al that
election. TIN, return should be made out IN
paln aud peliglbIe manner Some ShenaS are
IN the hablr Of returning the scraps OF paper, with
the aIlles Of the Clerks Of the various preclncls.-
This practice should be discontinued. The votes
of each precinct must be summed up, and CONSOLE
date relurn made OF the vote Of the whole county,
given for each person, and tie Office he was voted
to fill. Figures must not be used in stating the
number OF votes gwen for each candidate, but the
Aumbtr OF votes gwen for each person must Be
plainly written out.
Particular care should be taken to write out plain
~, Tie Christian aud Surnames OF all persons voted
TO hu any ohcC, and The returns should show TIE
several persons duly elected to fill county offices.
The particular attention of oil Sherlhs, Return
ing officers Clerks and Inspectors OF election, Mem
hers OF the Boards of Ponce, Judges and Clerks Of
the Probate Court is called to the law regulating
ctvlt elections, commencing at page IS OF Howard
and liutchnsons Digest Of the statute laws OF Mis-
sSSppl, Those officers will be gully OF high mis-
demtdnors Ilthey fail TO discharge their respective
duties as the law prescrlbes.
The returns Of the general election are required
to be made to the Secretary Of Stale, within fiji
teen deys after the election. The law is silent as to
the manner in which the returns aie 10 be forward
ed. The usual practice has been TO send them
through the Post Office. The law is impera
tive N rtqurag the returns to be made to The
Secretary OF State withR fifteen days, and
the Returning officer is liable 10 a heavy penal
ty they are not deposited with the Secretary
in that time, 1t is not complying with the law to
make out the returns and dcpuSle th-m in the Post
Office puhn Gtteea days
The Returning officers of the several precincts,
should lake their respective returns To the Sheriff.
or other Returning officer of the county, within
twenty -four hours after tie Polls close. lrIhey are
not received within lhat time they should be sent
for by special messenger. The Returning officer
OF each county, is required to make out a console
dated return OF the whole vote cast in his county
and ether 10 send the same by special messenger
to the Secretary OF State, or To enclose The same in
package directed to him, ,ctthiR three days after
he closing Of the Polls.
suggest TO the Returning officers o + each county
the propnely, when The county is remote from a
trl-Weekiy mail ROM TO the seat of Government Of
making cut duplicate returns and depusing one in
The Post uhce N the county, and sending the other
by private conveyance TO some Post Office on NAL
foul where The mail passes three times week to
this place.
The stability of our free government mainly de.
pendS upon the strict enforcement ot the law gov
crnmg elections. 1t is Of the utmost importance
that The curnS Of the next election, should reach
here HHtcH days after the election; if they fail to
arrive ,lhe members elected to Congress cannot reach
w aShmglon City in due season. !
Different opinions prevail as to the exact period
lhe terms Of officers elected al general biennial
election expire Many supp se that they expne
when tho Polls close on the second day Of The eec-
non. Such construction would leave in Office at
that time onS the Governor, Two Judges olIhe High
Court Of Errors aud Appeals and the Coroners Of
the several counties. There would be no officers
to make the returns, to administer the oahS OF Of
flee, to approve the bonds OF the county uhcers and
no Secretary OF State to CounerSign The CommiS-
slons Of the various officers Ii is not TO be pre-
sumed, that the trainers Of the Constitution have
so discharged their duty that the Government would
be dissolved every wO years Every Government
preSnppoScs petpetuhy, aud any construction paced
upon oar undamena law which would lead 10 a
dissolution ol the Government nuts he rejected. am
therefore, decidedly OF the opinion, that officers
elected at general biennial elections continue in
office for The period prescribed by the Constitution
(or law as The case may be) counting IRON the day
they respectively take The oaths Of Office, and enter
ed upon The discharge OF their several duties Per.
SotS elected To fiji vacancies continue IN office unlI
The terms ol office Of their predecessors expire.
The Boards Of Police OF the several count e> are
required TO assemble on the second Monday IA Oc- |
tober next and then to appoint inspectors of eIec.
ton (nness they may have previously discharged |
that duiy) They will also lay of and publish the
boundaries of tie Police Districts in their respect,
i've counties. In laying Oh those districts respect
should be had to population not 10 territory.
The Boards Of Police elected next November |
wt.I assemble on the second Wednesday in Novem. /
her next aud continue il session from day TO day |
until the 18Th day Of November, and will then order
elections 10 till vacancies ln small county gfFiccS
where the persons elected have aled to execute and
file their bonds duly conditioned and approved or
have la'ed 10 take the oathS OF office
.I