Columbus Democrat. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-18??, 1841-10-30

Il 10 RI clock 10 T. z ulAtt-ti-- --'-
omen until O'Clock IN the evening o. each uayi anu
lD longer. 49, r-..
TIE I6ih section Of the 7lh article O.. iHe consul
futlou 5rogsss that returns 81 oil teciloIs ny me
ussr.f' shall be made 10 Tie Secretary %. sale I'D
such manner as mas he presented by aw. ! bis
rapsa abrepaies the aw requiring ne returns 81
eecfI0nz 81 District Officers, Judges Dsirc! At
iafnfqs add seual0@,) to be made o the SheIih %
tts eogptv fr.t named IN the law laying oil iIe
Distinct. Election returns are often made 10 Inc
Governor THIS practise must be- discontinued
Yaaare therefore required, IN I'll cases 70 make NE
returns II election ol State, District ana county
officer. "to tie Secretary ol STATE Jackson Nnssls-
ppI.' ,,.c-..
IN, sud section or tie jth article Of the Consti-
tuition brownies that "the retGrus Of every election
m Governor, shall be sealed up and transmitted To
ih+ a=at Of Government, directed to the Secretary
ut STATE. who ,hal. deliver them 10 The Speaker oil
the House of Representatives, at the next ensuing
session of the Legislature; during Tie FIRST week OF
g.a.eh 81 S3i0H the sand Speaker shaft 6feR AID pup
Hsh them In tAC presence ol b1'h Houses oil The
LEGISLATURE" This provision has Got been always
compiled with heretofore.
Yon are therefore required % make out a separate
return of the VOTES gwen for Governor; to seal them
IN and mark on the envelope "ReurnS o. the cleo
non for Governor -COuHty, November lcil.
Unless ihs endorsement is made, the returns may
De opened by mistake, and The vote OF The county
Tor Governor lost,
In Tie general return VI the result oil the. next
November election, lhe RewningoItcera Of each ct
the several counties IN this STATE, are required also
to stale the vote given for Governor o, the state,
aud all Stale District and county officers al that
election. rh.s return should he made out in
plain aud Ineligible manner Some Saerll3 are
IN the habit Of returning the scraps OF paper, with
the ta.iies Of the Clerks Of the various precincts
This practice should BE- discontinued. ] he votes
of each precinct must be summed up, and console
date return made oil lhe vote of tie whole county,
given for each person and The Office he was voted
to ft. FIrgrs- must not he used in stating the
number oi votes given for each candidate, but the
humber of votes given for each person must be
plainly written ont.
Particular care should be taken 10 write out plain
~, the Christian and Surnames Of all persons voted
10 I'll any office and the returns should show the
several persons duly elected to fill county Offices.
The particular attention Of all Sheris, Return
ing officers, Clerks and Inspectors oil election, Mem
bers fthc Boards Of Police, Judges and Clerks of
the Probate Court is called to the law regulating
civil elections, commencing at page IS OF Howard
and Hutchnsons Digest of the statute laws OF Mis-
sissippI, Those officers will be guilty OF high mis-
demeauors ifthey fail to discharge their respective
duties as the law prcscrIbes.
The returns Of the general election are required
to be made to the Secretary OF State, within Ill
teen dpys after the election. The law silent as to
The manner in which tie returns ale TO be forward
ed. The usual practice has been to send them
through the Post Office The law is impera-
tive in requirag the returns to be made to The
Secretary of State aeithn fifteen days, and
the Returning officer is liable 10 heavy penal
ty if they are not deposited with the Secretary
in that time. 1t is not complying with the law to
make out the returns and deposIte them in the Post
Office wtthm fifteen days.
The Returning officers of the several precincts,
should take their respective returns to the Sheriff
or other Returning officer Of the county, whn
twenty four hours alter the Polls close. lflhey are
not received within that 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 east in his county,
aud either to send Tie same by special messenger
to the Secretary Of State, or TO enclose the same in
package directed 10 him, ,cHhin three days after
he closing the Polls
| suggest to The Returning officers Of each county
the proprIey when The county is remote from
trI-weeky mad rout to the seat of Government, Of
making out.daphcate returns aud deposting one in
he Post office IN the county, and sending the other
by private conveyance 10 some Post Office on mai
rout where The mail passes three times week 10
tins place.
TIE stability Of our free government mainly de-
pends upon the strict enforcement Of the law gov
erong elections. 1t is Of the utmost importance
that the returns Of the next election, should reach
here fifteen days after the election; if they fail TO
arr,vtthe members elected to Congress cannot reach
" ashlnston Guy in due season.
Different opinions prevail as to the exact period
the terms Of officers elected at general biennial
election expire. Many suppose that they expire
when the Polls close on the second day of the cleo
ION Such construction would leave in office at
that time only the Governor, two Judges oIIe High
Court of Errors and Appeals and the Cor9ncrs OF
the several counties. There would be no officers
10 make the returns, to administer the oaths Of Of
flee, to approve The bonds Of the county icerS and
no Secretary OF State to counersign the comms-
sons of the various officers. 1t il not 10 be pre-
>umed, that the trainers of The Constitution have
so discharged their duty that the Government would
be dissolved every .wo years. Every Government
prcsanpoScS pcrpetuity, and any construction paced
upon our fundamental law which would lead to a
dissolution ol the Government nuts be rejected. am
therefore, decidedly OF the opinion, that officers
elected at general biennial elections continue IN
office for lhe period prescribed by the Constitution
(or law as the case may be) counting from the day
ht$ respectively take the oaths Of oiice, and enter
cd upon The discharge Of their several duties. Per
sons elected to fill vacancies continue in Office unit
The terms Of office of their predecessors expire
The Boards OF po1ce Of the several counties are
required to assemble on the secoad Monday IN De-
lohcr next, aad then to appoint inspectors OF e!cc'
ton (un'ess they may have pre- yioUsly discharged
that duty,) They will also ay oil and publish the
boundaries otthe Police Districts, in Their respect.
yc counties, In laying oil those districts tsspecl
should he had to population not 10 territory
The Boards Of Police elected next November.
vii. assemble on The secoad Wednesday in Novem-
Der next and continue ID session from day 10 day
until the 18Th day q November and VIII then orier
elections TO I'll vacancies in small county Offices.
where the persons elected have failed to execute and
file their bonds duly conditioned and approved or
have tailed to take the oaths OF office.
GAN County Officers whose duties are confined
70 any portion or district OF the county, shall be an.