American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1845-04-25

IScouz TAN. The vote in tie First Branch
of the City Council upon the passage Of an o.
dirance providing for the collection of the tax
on incomes salaries, &c, As imposed oy the
General Assembly, 10, the use Of the state.
was rccousldcrcd Yesterday. After some debate
1t was rejected by lie vote of Il to ;.
Az i.RRoR The editor Of the Annapolis
Democratic Herald considers the .aw passed at
the last session of the legislature defective, IN
asmuch as he supposes that it lntl'cts no pun
ishmeut where a man votes in several districts
or wards; but, moments reflection must con-
vince him that he is in error. lie says;
Under this law 1t becomes all young men
not Of age-all persons not residents IN the pla-
CO, they may seek to vote-lnd all persons not
in possession of their naturalization papers, not
to ,h;uk OF voting, unless they wish to pay a
heavy fine. and to serve few months, or years,
IN some jail or penltentiary. Bat all those who
are fond OF voting in different districts ot the
same county, and thus making one mans vote
coIntcrhaance the votes OF five, ten, OF twenty
mcn as the case may be, can 90 on hereafter
in tho same way of SHINING ,cM psUeC! 'mpH-
Riiy, as the new Wing law provides no punish
ment for them in any way whateYer. Truly,
what glorious law for PlPELAf ERS-and
how welcome and precious it should be IN the
eyes of all such rhoEssaLe yloatots OF the purity
OF the baot box 1t ought to have been entl-
tied--'a law to encourage .liega. voting aud to
Iegaii.e rIPELAYiNG. "
Now the law not only Furnishes severely all
persons who shall vote Illegally, but those who
may attempt so to vote. How then can voter
who votes in different districts or wards escape
punishment; Such voting is clearly contrary to
existing laws, and the penalties Of the last law
apply to all Illegal voting, whether the party
violating be under age, unnaturalzed, or want
residence. No man can vote in more than one
district or ward without infringing the law and
subiecting himself to punishment. The act is
sufficiently explicit on these points-and who
eve. may undertake to act under the construc-
ton given to the law by our friend Of the Her
aid, will discover, when too late, that he has
committed att error for which he will be made
10 smart. Instead OF being, as the Herald sup
poses, "a glorious law for ppelayers, it strikes
Al the very root Of that abominable practice
and we therefore warn pIpe-layers against all
attempts to practice imposition, as we have TO
doubt that the full penalties of the law will be
enforced against such transgressors. Truly has
lhe Herald said, that sit becomes all Young
men not of age-al persons not residents in the
places they may seek 10 and all persons not
IN possession Of their naturalization papers, not
70 think Of voting, unless they wish to pay
heavy fine, and to serve few months or years,
IN some Jail or peniteutiary." The warning
may be extended to all persons no may de-
sgn to vote in any manner contrary to law, for
they are all alike subject to punishment by fine
and Imprisonment. We consider the act well
calculated 10 prevent frauds at elections. 1t
provides for the stamping Of certificates of ma
turaiizaton, and thus Gus off one fruitful
source fraud, and the severity of its penalties
will be very likely to prevent all illegal voting,
or even attempts to vote Illegally, as few per-
sons will feel disposed to run the risk Of being
heavily fined and imprisoned for months or
years, for the sake of depositing ballots contra
~ to the laws, 1t will be difficult to eludo the
vigilance of district and ward committees ana,
as the penalties of the act must be borne by the
offender, and not by the party TO which he may
be attached, we think we may safely calculate
that there will be few or no violations of the
law.
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