Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1854-04-17


met 1t appeared by the returns Of the Commissioner
that only four members had been elected for Monroe
Ward and that equal of votes had been given
Tor Dr. Snead and Mr.. Denoon. Had the Council tho r,rb
TO 80 behind the returnss Clearly not Tho charter
plainly pointed out their duty They could only elect one
OF the two and leave the other contest tho scat II
errors had been committed by the clerks illegal vote.
admitted the contestant could prove the facts and R tho
purgng the polls of bad and entering omitted
resulted in hsvor he would be entitled to the seat and
the Council would give It to him.
Instead Of pursuing this course however, most extra
ordinary proceeding adopted committee was ap-
pointed, to do whats To report facts What csY Tho
resolution does not say but the Committee wen, to work
70 examine tho tickets, and to compare them with the
poll books. Afier proceeding tme in this way and
discovering some errors they abandoned It as tedious
job and then counted the tickets piles, and found
that NJ. Demons pile contained 744 tickets aud Dr.
u.s. and that both together exceeded tho number
Of votes recorded the poll book of these
Were all these tickets recorded all the other poll booksY
The Committee do not inform US and told they did
not take the trouble to look We do not saw thew were
but who can that these extra tickets not sudu
eny placed with the genuine tickets? There are scyc-
raj ways in which this might hare been done and which
would account for their not being the poll books Ma.
ny persons were allowed to into the house where
Were being recorded handle the tickets both before
and after they recorded aud would been an
sy matter for person disposed such thing TO have
added fraudulent tickets the piles which were scattered
about the tables But after the polls closed Il l..
well known that various individuals other than the Com
missoners handled the before they we're examined
by the Committee. How did the Committee know, how
could know that these tickets had not been alter
ed or other tickets added those by the Com
lU.
that fraud has been committed by any one We refer to
things, show the mpropriety Of attempting to 20
behind the return of the Commissioners II their return
could be dsegarded and the tickets and poll books be
examined for one purpose, why for anoherf 1t
well known that there illegal Mr.. Demons
poll! Why was not the fact reportedf Why were not
all the votes scrutnzed and the bad deduceds The
Result might have been, and If all have been told
DO true you'd have been, that Dr. Snead had clear
majority of legal votes We repeat that if the Com
mittee or the Council were authorized slit the polls
to ascertain set Of facts they had, and have now IN
equal right inquire into tho legality of all tho votes
gwen.
We learn that Is the purpose OF Dr. Sucad to tender
his resignation at the meeting Of the Council We
trust he III not do il, until thorough exam alton OF
the whole matter, now that has be encommenced had
by competent committee of the Council We know he
has sought in the Council-we know that he
not spent months in eeconecrug for tive know that
he did not hang around the polls Tor three days. begging
people to vote Tor hm-but he |, himself II Is due
TO his friends to the Council who have awarded him the
seat and TO the purity Of tho elective franchise to retain
his place aud demand full investigation If it should
then appear that Mr.. Deuoon 10 legally entitled to tho
seat II should be given to him. Aud we will add that il
he gets IT, 1t will be for the last time. The eyes O. the
Wing party of Monroe Ward have been opened by the
transactions of the late election They will be found
asleep on their posts again. And only regret that the
Council did not afford the people OF that Ward oppor
tunity Of deciding this the polls. II It is net
now too late aud they have the authority to do So We
ask nothing than tina. the people shall decide WHO
they want TO represent them.