The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-04-26
For the Dispatch.
TOT Wt IFspdRtH.
no THE VOTERS OF MONROE WARD.

For the Dispatch.
TO THE VOTERS OF MONROE WARD.
Ex1tow Cfrrzrss As the charter election is
wet have thought it my duty and privilege to
address yCti. h + knoFh to you that reluctantly
Welded my CONSENT 6ni5 sfew days before the cleo
lion took place, to serve you In we Council II
elected The election took place on me h OF April,
and continued the 9th and 18th. At the close OF to
hollis and upon correction of the addition, wa
found on Saturday, the 9th, about IL o'clock that
had received 726 votes and DR.. Snead 20 votes
While on Broad street, Mr.. G. X. CrutchHehss 90
called upon me aud said his father requested m e
to walk to the City Hail. as the Commissioners hat
found that was elected by one vote. reparee
the Hall, ana found the Commissioners tneref I
a ked Mr. Crutclfeid il he wanted me- he repheu
that he sent for me to sen me tnat was y, 800
one vote He also said sou'ething about the iegah-
~ of said vote REMARKED to him. IN the presence
Of the Commissioners, that all hsd to say was,
that If DR.. Snead was elected by one majority he
hu, n was elected, requested the Commissioners
TO return the poll of the people, as given 70 the
Council This was all asked nothing more On
SUNDAY following Mr.. John Pearce called at my
house. and informed me that Or. Snead leques.sa
that he. Pearce and Mr. Shepperson would take the
poll book and tickets on Monday and examine
hem asked Mr.. Pearce if he acted under legal
advice He said Eyes" he had seen Mr.. Myers,
and he had given it as his opinion that Or, snead
had a right to examine the poll, &c. informed
him that it appeared to be fair none of the tickets
tHere 10 be altered on the poll; therefore, could
zee no objection to Che examination. Mr. Pearce
hen left
After rejecting on what had passed between Mr..
pearce and myself l walked TO Mr.. Pearce's resi-
dence and asked him to let me look at the charter
of the City and the Revised Code. After looking
over the charter and the Code, informed Mr..
Pearce that thought it best for him to get all the
Commissioners to meet, as when the polls were
examined they alone were the proper persons to
perform that duty. They had been appointed BY
the Council as the charter directed though denied
their power to strike any voters name Oft the poll
book after it had been recorded. Mr.. Pearce In
formed me that he would request the Commissioners
70 meet on the following Monday morning. They
did meet and two of them struck Oft Of the poll
book a voters name as ! am informed, because
they supposed ne was s,s minor MINOR upon oeing IN,
and Mr. John NJ. Patton, and asked their opinion on
the subiect-and these gentlemen gave me- their
opinion that q voters name could not be taken of
the polbook alter it was recorded, unless in re-
pulsr contested election, as prescribed by law.
On Monday, the 10th inst. the Council met at
O'Clock. / entered the Council room about )
O'Clock, and found that motion had been made by
Mr.. James A. Scott, that the Council proceedto fill
the vacancy in the representation OF Monroe Ward,
under the requirements of the charter, and he then
nominated DR.. Albert Snead. use his own words
At this stage of the proceedings, requested to be
heard for few moments l mentioned to the
Councilthat had been elected by majority Of
one vote over Dr. Snead, and denied the right of
the commissioners to strike off said vote, because
they had the right to strike off vote, they had
the rig ht to strike off every voters from the
poll book. The following resolution was then offer
ed by Mr.. G. A. Myers:
Resolved, That a Committee be appointed to
whom the Polls books for the election OF members
ofCouncil for Monroe Ward bereferred, with in
structous to enquire into and report to the Coun-
ell any facts that can aid in deciding between Dr.
A. Snead and Mr. S. d. Denoon. two persons, Ger.
titled, by the officer conducting the election for said
Ward, as having an equal number of votes for the
Council of the city OF Richmond, which of them
10 elected.
In accordance with the above resolution, the
President appointed the following gentlemen as the
Committee Messrs. Saunders, Mills and Hill
Before the Committee was appointed left the
Council.
This Committee never notified me to attend its
meetings. They examined tn poll books and tick.
cts without any agency of mine The majority OF
the Committee Messrs. Saunders and Hill, reported
that they found, on examination of the tickets
that DR.. Snead had received lis votes, and s. D. De.
noon had received 744 votes DR.. Mills presented q
minority report. But shall not trouble Won with
recital of the contents Of these reports you have
no doubt read them The Council proceeded to act
on the reports. They set aside the majority report
and gave the seat to Dr. Snead. was not present Al
that citing of the Council.
On Friday evening following Mr.. Lewis R.rpe,
called on me and handed me a note from Dr sea-
opened it and found that DR.. snead wished to know
il intended to contest his election folded up III,
note and handed it back to Mr.. Barnes, at the sam.
time informing him that did not intend to contes
DIR. Sneads seat in the Council because had .s;S
from the first. that If he was elected by one vote
would not contest. On the other hand believe,
that had been elected by the people, therefore
could not answer Dr. Snead's note In writing. Mr.
Barnes said he thought ought to answer the note
replied that could not do 20, yet he might saw },
Dr. Snead that, by not answering his note, mean
ly elected delegate, and would not be placed j,
the position of contesting his election had aread,
others. -- a"'
Having thus given you brief outline of what ba,
passed in relation to this election wish cali your
s..enon TO certain extracts from the amended char
Ter OF the city OF Richmond A portion of article
iith reads as followE .At the time yo,e ia giysn
, ns onG ;s shall receive from each voter paper
ucAet WIN MS name written on it, which shall .ne
and for what Office" e 'o'oS'
Inc io.n article says that 'the certificates of said
~ them TO the CLERK of the Counciin Tbns clsarIo
nS sa ana. oy me person voting by paper ticket
and his own name upon the back of said tick.t ne,
tue tickets and polls shall be preserved toss.h .nss
proIec. IIcm nsud or negligence whether accidental
You thus see that the Council can .wsv. n,o... +.
me P1y 2, s1e elective franchise BY thus making
scribcd By these two articles of the cbartsr ~ Pre-
st.nceaths conductor cTss the vote and the Cle1t
Upon tie vote the Council appoints a. mayor,
and they look over and compare the poli. booa Viz
the tcksts and they ind the ticket with the n w.a
ON IT, which has NOT been duly given to al, ~ sh
person recording the votes therefore aA y; me
deprived Of his seat because the CLERK, thron,h %
voter on the right poil. - 'ne
And IL It not more farce for Council to .ppoin,
committee 70 examine the polla, which comnsittss
report the ecte IN relation - sad election and
a. soon - d s known that the commlttee had sscsr
tsined that was elected and not till them does he
Ceuneif3sarn that they could 10 behind the com
missionary certisc.te-making the whole proceed.
ipss . violation OF law. equity and justice and
e.snp.e as1sr foot the voice Of ~ ffssmsn OF Of
Monroe Wasd1 - =
The llah srticle of the charter says sThe officer
co01uef1ug the eleetion In wssd shall then ascer
tain declare and certify what persons are elected il
ssfd wasd asmsmbsrs Of the Council, or II an equal
nnmeef q vctse are given for persons Of whom one
o. more, tut not ALL could lawfully be slscted, he
sha1f certify the asnnss of ssci Of sid persons and
IT, nambek 81 votes siysn for him,p Ae. q :
4h.s ssowtng thai the conductors duty Il plain
bstwssn fws q mons psrsons hsyiar - soS.i nnn
ber - yetss Tor the sane ONCE, whish OF them d
s'esesd; msy pss spon ths qasli6sstisns of per.