Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-02-15
THE ENQUIRER.
sa,nrday morning, Feb. uary IL, is4s.
HARRISON, &c, CONTESTED ELECTION.
RICHMOE W.

Saturday Morning, Feb uars ~ .o'o.
HARRISON, &c, CONTESTED ELECTION
The "Whis" and "Republican." OF Thursday
las, pretend 10 give fair expose OF Inc lacls re.
,.,;ne 10 the exciting con.,s from The counties OF
Harrison and Doddridge. We may say IN Inc
language of The Republican, as appiea 10 GU,
article ot Tuesday last, that 1--WE are informed
tha, their articles are full OF errors. IL o''ei
history OF this Interesting case may D. necessary
10 sci the mailer right.
The Report OF The Committee oil ff'7''eseS
and Elections, 10 whom he subject was referred,
exhibits some strange Inconsistencies lhese
ysrs ully explained in The discussions before the
House They occurred in consequence ol Inc
irregular mode in which the different subjects
we're presented 10 the consideration oil The co''i-
miee b. the contestant, and because Oh pa'
liamenlary rule, (Which was tis'diy oo'efSeu''
that 10 question once decided c'''u "
sicered in commice. To illustrate
The committee consisted Of n'ne meh'oe's'
Five were quorum. il some''meS "afpe".r
lha, three out Of nine gave a oec'S'on "'''e'
was no, concurrcd in BY he remaining SIX; aho
sc, il was reported 10 lhe House as '''e Ns's''" VI
The oOu,n',tee. .
The frs, question considered by The committee
uas III. uoliac OF Nh Duncan, the contestant
Il was resolved to be legal Inc secohu queS
lion il, order was the milford precinct question:
&C iii, iamiIarly known, involving The objections
OF The contestant o The Poll taken al Inc Mi''o''
precinct This question was passed by al Inc In
stance of the contestant and, as was supposed oJ
some members ui The committee, MOTTO oe olo"s"
M aoain in committee but 10 be reserved ior lne
House.
The third subject Of investigation was Inc Oh
iec,ions 10 lhe individual votes on Col Johnson
nou These were all duly considered ana passeo
upon. and hiuy.iour were declared 'lIesa'. anu
stricken from his poll. OF these Ihr'y'!onT, lei u
be known, that npl half were declared pao oe
cause OF anv wan, OF freehold or property quail
fl alton. Some six or eight were residents III
that par of Dodiri1se taken from ltatfisoh' ana
had voted in Harisoa, The act OF Assembly de-
c,arinr ,ha, that part OF Doddritse county taken
from the county ot Harrison should woe WIN
the county oi Harrison;" but the ccMin''ee De-
ievug hey were only authorized 10 woe IN Dou
bridge county, they were excluded. vi he IT,
naming number some Ten or twelve were what
are known by The appslialon OF "iile bond
voters. They were iii possession OF Valuaoe
treehoids. had paid part Of The purchase money,
lin some instances nearly all! and had bonds re-
cosnizing their tide, ant contracting 10 make
conyeysnces when the Ttols O! The purchase
money was paid. All such votes were de-
cIa reL had. |, is insisted that this decision OF
the committee is in the face Of an express deci-
sion of the General Court OF Virginia, Of the
usage of The committee Of Privileges and Eiec'
tions for the last len years, and IN Vi'Ia'ion Oh
the Constitution. If, then, this decisisn be cor
reced, OF the thirty.to VOTES stricken from The
poll OF Col. johnson, not more than nall were
bad votes discarding technical otJecii.ns.
The fourth question in order beto!: Inc CON-
millee was the notice OF Col. Johnon 10 Mr.
Duncan. Col Johnson presented s o: votes
effected 10 on Mir. DIS poll, and sa'ed that a
tue cory OF that list, with proper ahtavi; and
note, had been sew L. There bsins no ai iavi
20 the copy Preserved 10 lie Commute, objection
was mad 10 lae srticiency o! the iolics Col
johnson ,acn exhibited at1av,s The &c son
rho s.rrel IA. ,.oicc Of the iIirysr -bo ?'epare"
IL, aaG Of ne jps,ice ,rio administered DC Oa.' L
was also in evidence before lie committee ,ha
the ron'cs,a"t ha sustained ~ dfuHse By fca
son oi The failure 10 append coy: p n" a'hdd'
Vi, furnished TO Mr.. huncan, bcca1'c H't. Dun
can had proceeded L. i.:k: .::iCjce 10 es'aoi!si
tho validity III tie woes eli -c'et "in his poll
A!cr free discussion o! tbs question OF notice
in committee il was postponed - ;iuiufe mec'.
jns. AT the mex, meeting the committee was
not inll and The question Was dccidd, The holce
heinz declared Illegal. There =as mother meet
ing OF the committee, Tor Iae purpos, rs was sup
nosed, 10 make report To The Hose. Al Thai
ncciae the notice question was a.ain moc'.o
and twas asceyaned that hen six out oil me
nine members OF The committee Considered The
notice AS sufficient and legal: o: ihs six, the dis
,ingushed chairman OF the COMMITTEE MI. Sey-
mour, OF Hardy and Mr.. Thonsonof Jefferson,
(who had revised and corrected nj inst imprss'
|
10 snslaiu the noicel were two Ibeins then
ascer,ainel that the resolution OF tn committee
did no, express the sense q maIorit OF The com
mee, proposion was made by lie con'es'an'
shat the cG,Hm;,'ce should proceed 10 'zamlne The
evidence relating 10 the votes ohjecpd 10. Ii is
Mt pretended that the contestant waived, or de
signed 10 wai~e. the haneli, of the IS, lu'ion OF
the committee; but it is assisted that : was al his
instance and request tnsi he commi &c went on
with the investigation. This, then. .Iplains The
reason vhv The commirec, in the fac oftheiT re-
solution that the notice was illegal p!oceedec
with lhe examination.
The SIKH matter in order, Upon III assumption
that the House would correcl the res uicn OF he
committee in regard 10 noicc, was tn individual
votes objected 10 By Col. Johnson OF the poll ri
Mr. Duncan. Fory.nine were declared bad and
stricken from his poll. OF these, twcVc were ad
United 10 &c bal by The contestant. The residue
Of thirty. were all declared illegal, upon eX
animation OF evidence aud not mole than five OF
six came within The influence OF The rule in re-
gard 10 "li'le bond" and Doddridee questions as
explained heretofore. So that The remaining vote;
were bad because Of the wan, Of freehold or pro-
perry qualification.
Here, then, in the progress of this invesiea
ton before The committee, il became obvious, thai
ifrhe House concuTcd with six cot of nine man
bers Of its committee, as 10 the notice, and sus
,ained the committee in is other resolutions, Col
johnson retained his sect BY handsome majority
LIE, it be farther observed, tina, The only mcofcG
questions before the committee wouli, il The com
mi;iee's decision were reversed, increase Coione
Johusons majority considerably. Wear inform
eli thar here is not one sing lie resolution OF the com
mi;tee which presented cGesion Of any diticn!
y, thai, if reversed, would not increase the majoii
ty of Col. Johnson Then, al This sage Of The pro
ceedns, it was certainty supposed b Col. John
sons fiieaas and some Of a:r. Durcah's, that Col