Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1850-10-10

tce tn be- given within six days of the elect on.
10 the returned member, that bis sent will be
contested, - aud that the testimony in chief, on
the part Of the contestant, be closed in fourteen
days
We hav' no doubt that Mr.. Villas intention in
making the Offer was to procure delay until at-
er the tune bad expired for giving the notice
and taking the testimony, then shake his ceril
ficate Of election in Mr.. Hyde's ace, and take
his seat in the legislature, without let or hinder
ance.
We would be glad to be more charitable and
| believe that the offer was made through ie NOR
ance of what WAS due to Mr. HYDE, but subse
quent inv stigaton has confirmed our first opin.
| ION.
Mr. Villas further says, 81 also proposed that
we would unitedly endeavor TO ferret out the
fiaud. THIS proposition he (llyde) defined If
| by this M. Villas means that Mr.. hyde was moi
ANXIOUS 10 detect the fraud we pronounce il false.
| The proposition was made t. Mr.. Villas by my
self on tine morning after election, to bonpAre
our list of voters with that Of the Free Democra
4 CIV, aud endeavor to find cut where the fraud lay
This MIR. Villas declined, alleging as an excuse
that they had no list. Further, the committee
appointed by the meeting held on the 7'h ut.
to lnvesiltiate the matter, according to instruc
tnn5 from the meeting, called uEon the town
committee OF the Free Demncracv to canvass
the town, and ascertain by afiiavits. the NUN
her IF persons who voted for Mr.. Villas. This
they refused to do. The friends of Mr.. Hyde
have been HnXjons that the fraud should be de-
tected, and have spent much time 10 endeavo Z
ing to ascertain in what 1t consisted, and where
the bllme should fall.
In determining these questions, Mr.. Villas
hovers around the subject without degning to
hight. In The first part Of his communication
he nslnuates that it was the Witt party, or a
portion otlt, who con nttted the fraud, and gives
reasons for their 81 doing, and in the latter part
of his cirurar he does moi ch rye 1t upon either
p,uy--bul says. " would much sooner believe
that II was committed by mau OF rnen whose
political principles are put On and of us their
selfish natures may dictate" III this conclusion
we agree with hlr. Villas. aud are happy to find
that orr views on this subject SO nearly CORES
pond. We now propose IN answer to Mr.. VI as
grounhless lnslnnalIons and charg"s, to show the
result Of Tie proceedings h the lreemeu OF thu
town in their investigation OF the subject since
election.
On Thursday morning following The election
Nj. Was WIS Notified that ms election aud seal
Saturday toto wing, lie was served with ne
tee OF the time aud place for taking the lestl.
mony.
On the day appointed (FFilay, 18Th utl the
testimony was commenced beng taken, there
being 10 appearance on the part OF Mr.. Vi
LIS.
There were proved to be on the first Tuesday
of Sep ember, A d. 1850 456 voters in The towr
~ -. L., b.r..
from the poIls or did not vote, leaving Ais voter,
tiat might have cast their votes This IS IN nun
Der, more than is designated on the check list
al having voted Tor town representative. AS
sum'ngt nj the whole Alb voters cast their bal
lots Tor representative we proved that of thai
number 226 voted Tor II yde-and that there were
S scattering votes counted on the first ballot
! making l92 votes against Hyde.
hyde's majority over Villas, 80
But it will be asked how was this fraud com.
mited? We answer, in counting the votes for
Representative by the civil authority, there ap-
peared large number of very small votes, va
ryng from etIen.eights to one and one eighth of
an inch IN length, and flon 3 IL to SIG oil an
inch IN breadth all for L. B. Villas, doubled and
closely pressed together, and lying in close prox
and the same time. They passed through the
hands Of the Constable under cover of larger
votes as tie Constable has sworn that he has no
knowledge or belief that votes of that or similar
SIZE were handed hrn openly thlt day.
1t Is further apparent That they must hive
passed ,hrug the hands ofthe Consta bile. from
the fact that the box was examined before yot
lng and no votes ionna 10 it-secondiy, that a(-
/ tar tba ht,v al oF
criplon We're found in the different piles dlstri-
trIhuted to the authority to count.
Thus much as 10 the manner. As to the per
sou or persons who committed the fraud, we
have no tneans Of ascenulnlug, but would state
that C.. w. C'arke the clerk Of Mr.. Villas, and
chairman of the town committee OF the free de
Wucracy, admits the writing of the votes Of the
largest size above named, but says they were
carried intothe store of Wymln g. Davis, for the
purpose of being out and distributed to The free
men Whether these constituted parl of the
fraudulent votes, We have no means OF knowing
only from their size and appearance. Very ma
ny vi the votes OF the smaller size above named
are in the handwriting Of the Hon. aluin Biodg-
ell, OF Waterbury, The parsonal friend and boon
companion Of Mr.. Villas, who came to Chelsea
IN the morning OF the election, voted, and assist
ed in sorting and counting the votes.
We have thus given you plain history ofthe
facts in relation to this matter, ms we have thus
far been enabled 10 elicit them. We are equal
Iy anxious with you ali, that the ,ohoLe matter
should be developed, ana the perpetrators of this
stnpendnus fraud held up to public gaze, lha'
they may he sure to be visited with that scorn
aud contempt which an outraged and insuIled
people are sure to heap upon them.
And we think with the assistance of JndOp
B'odgett. who wrote so many of these very little
Votesihat we shall he able 10 make still further
discoveries, and strongly hope that we may have
ms hearty Cooperation, as be will probably he /
abe " tell us who employed hln 10 write those
votes why they were written so small; tn whom
they were delivered. and myny more interesting
and Important facts in the case and il, ~ Mr..
Villas lntuates it was done by wing ar wings
to injarr him IN his reputation. We take the re-
sp visibility Of Al, ing, that the wing party desnp
to know it, that II may rid itself of the base and
wretch nr wretchos a. once. BnI
we say, Us the case stands, that the whig party
are entirely clear and abwe suspicion. And
Mr. Vlas may well exclaim,
SIp: me me from M friends"
HARVEY LINCOLN,
For Wing Town Com.