The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-06-28

given there by mistake Is 10 the gsogssphimS
ton Of THAR residence.
Mr.. HARRIS, Of Tennessee, thsn urged thai
this was question % be decided according TO the
law and the evidsnee, NOT by personal pr4judicss
or political preference. Even il il was admitted
that Mr.. MnIsA had received minority Of the
legal votes, he held that he (Mr M } had not re-
ceived such majority, cast according TO the law
and constitution Of Iowa.
Here Mr.. H. explained at length the require
menss Of the constitution and laws Of Iowa in the
case In point. A vote there, 70 be legal, must
Be cast in the county in which the voter resided.
Or, il he readed in unorgnnized territory them to
make his vote legal il should be given in county
lying directly east Of his residence. As Ksnesr
vile was situated north Of the southern boundary
Of Monroe county, the voters, in that point, voting
under the organization Of the Monroe county
commissioners had voted illegally and their bal
lots wore therefore not TO be counted. Had they
voted in MathAska county--under the orgnniza-
ton Of that county, they would have been entitled
to be counted,
He next argued to prove that the election at
Kanesviiie was altogether illegal the commits
sioners for Monroe county having no authority 20
organize a precinct there.
Mr.. LEFTLER remarked that unless he parti-
cipated in the debate. he should il-discharge his
duties to the constituents OF the sitting member,
his colleague, who, he knew well, believed in that
gentleman . right to the seat. The Constitution
Of the United States, and that of the State Of
Iowa, should alone be looked TO in addition 70 the
facts involved, in deciding the case. These, as
Mr.. +. proceeded to explain, made certain things
necessary to give legality to votes cast in Iowa;
the constitution Of the State declaring what should
be necessary; while that Of the United States au-
thorized Iowa to make those provisions. In this
case it was clear that those throwing the rejected
votes had not complied with the requirements
of the election law Of the State.
The Kanesyile vote was illegal; but admitting
that, and throwing outthe vote Of Boone township,
which was manifestly illegally cast, and the ait
ting member was elected by ffteen votes.
But Mr.. L. commended that the Mormons of
Kanesville were in no respect citizens of Iowa.
They were portion of the emigrants from
Nauvoo; refugees from justice, literally. Mr.. L.
here recounted the history of the crimes, &C.,
which being committed by individuals projected
by the Mormons Of Nauvoo, had forced the
people Of Illinois to drive that community forth
from their State. As the Missourians had de-
iermined that they should never cross their State
as banded community, they 0he Mormons)
had been compelled to seek the Far West by
passing over the southern part Of Iowa. Thus.
arriving Mt Kanesville in the fall, the severity Of
the approaching season had made them cantoon
there. When the spring opened, such Of them
as had the necessary means, continued their
journey to the Far West. The poorer Of them
dreading the difficulties Of the trip across the 1000
miles Of desert, still remaining temporarily be-
hind. AT the opening of the following spring,
another band (who in the meanwhile had recruited
their means,) started for the Salt Lake from
Kanesville. And again, lin the following spring the
rest left But on arriving at the edge Of the 1000
miles Of wilderness, portion Of this band found
themselves unprepared for the difficulties Of the
trip across; and, hating, were warned off by the
authorities. They then returned to Kanesville,
and shortly after they had crossed the Mississippi
their return to that point, they gave the votes
which were now in question. They were in no
manner entitled to exercise the elective franchise
in Iowa, having never been citizens Of that State,
and never designing to make it their home. They
had paid no texas, and the laws (courts) Of the
State had never taken jurisdiction over them.
They had no more right to vote there, Mr.. L..
held, than if they had been band of volunteers
recruited in New York to suppress the Indian
troubles in Oregon Gin 1917 If the President,
in pursuance Of law, had marched such an army
to Kanesville on their way to Oregon, and if such
volunteers had arrived at that point in the fall,
they would have been compelled to remain over
there until late in the spring full six months
He desired to know whether any member believed
that they would, under such circumstances, have
been entitled to vote there
Mr. L. entered next into historical account Of
the election system of Iowa, to show that these
Mormons had been organized into voting COM
nunity, by law which had been superseded,
wherever the State had jurisdiction, for full
eighteen months, which he held, was another
good and sufficient bar to the reception Of their
vote. The gentleman from Iowa, continuing,
said that at the time Of the election in that State
in ls4e. it was (there) he believed that the result
in that State would determine the presidential
election.
This made it a matter Of great importance with
the Wings to carry the State.
F. H. Warren, now the second assistant Post
Master General, was the chairman of the Wing