New-York daily tribune., 1843-12-13
The Contested Elections.
Editoria! Correspondence.
wv -1.. Dac II

WAsH,YGroN, Dec IL, lSlS.
Nessrs JOHN M. Boris and WILLIAM L. COG
GIN are here as claimants for the seats now filled
hy Nessrs. JOHN W. JONES and THOMAS w.
G11NrR as Representatives from the State OF Viz
ginia. The facts that all four were prominent
Members of the last House--the present returned
Members being Locos, the claimants Wings
and that Mr.. Jones has Just, in defiance of all
precedent and of the plainest dictates of proprety,
been chosen Speaker. combine to invest these
contests with deep interest. Let me recite the
more essential facts out of which-these grew.
will begin with the simpler case
ExGov. Gilmer, as well as Mr.. Goggin, was
elected to the las, Congress by the Wings, pro-
claiming himself every inch Whig.' He was
elected in l84ll over Hon. James Garland a
distinguished Conservative, proclalnlng himself
a better Wing than the latter. But he had hardly
become warm IN his scat before he evmced a
6;spnsi,ion to cnquet with Loco Focosm, and
coon fell into lis embraces, following or leading
John Tyler. Ii therefore became an object with
Loco Focoism to secure his return 10 the present
Congress-. and the Van Buren Legislature OF
VIRGINIA cut him out District which, II was
supposed, would do this etfectually, This Dis
srict had in 1910 given 2,755 votes for Gen. Har-
rison and 263S for Van Buren-only HI ma
iority for Gen. Harrison in that hour of his un-
bounded, resistless popularity, Since then the
detection Of Tyler, of Gilmer, and of Senator
Rives who lives in the District might be ex.
pected 10 make change of at least 800 votes,
rejecting Mr.. Gilmer TO certainty. But the
calculation did not hold good. Mr. Goggin
Whose County, Bedford, had been cut off from
its old associations and included in this A!be.
marie District was The Wing candidate against
Mr. Gilmer, and at The close of the polls on the
regular day of Election, had received 4 decided
majority of the whole vote OF the District, and
vas, by All fair means, It's legally chosen Repre-
sentative
Yet Mr.. Goggin has been juggled out of the
return--and in this fashion BY the laws o.
Virginia the Judges of Election in any County
are authorized 10 keep the polls open for a secent
and even third day in case the regular day ha:
been 50 stormy th1, the uoters haze been ainderee
either by pouring rain or swelling torrents, from
coming 10 the Polls. Such is the only con
tingency in which they have any right to con
tinue the Election,
Mr.. Gilmey, on the dayoi Election, was not a
home, but in the most Loco.Fo portion Of tht
District, endeayoring TO overcome the natura
repugnance of the voters To suppor, him, whom
thew had so recently known as bitter adversary
AT ,he close of the day, majority of the Judge.
of Elections in Madison aud Greene Coantie
the Loco Foco stronghodsl decided 10 Keep IA
Polls open t,co days longer, on the pretexs tina
rain had fallen during the day which had KEEP
back the voters. The Two Whig judges u
Madison c. ii. formally protested against thu
procedure as illegal, abandoned their seats, dc
ciaTing their duties at an end, leaving the Loco
Focos to vote away by themselves until they
should get enoagh-which they did, AT the
close of the third day. with Polls open in tbs
Loco Foco Counties but closed IN the Wing a,
the close OF the irst day. the total vote stood, iol
Goggin 2,34l, Gilmer 2,36l-2o majority for the
latter On this vote he is returned, and now
holds the seat