The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-04-13
LOCAL MArrnns.

OF me spccial commttce, composed IL Messr1s
SAunpKRs, MrLEs and HILL, to wholnwas referred
the We vote Of Monroe Ward, betNeen DR.. A. enef3
and Mr.. s. d. Denoon, for Councilman.
Prescnt-Messrs. Myers, Mills, McCance, Butler
Talbot Sheppard. Snead, Hill. Richards, Saun
ders, Paine and Hsskina =
made minority report, signed by N. b. Hin and
himself as follows, preiacing It with his reasons
and conclusions, which had induced him to make
the report. 49, essksssk ~ sz-s
10 he presidea, and Members Of the City Council !:
GENTLFMEN:--The Committee appointed under
resolution of the Council on the 10Th inst referr
ing thepell book and report of the Commissioners
appoirF2d superintend the election held in Mon
roe Wa{d on the 5th 9th and 18th inAs, or so much
OF said report and poll books reference to the
election and return of DR. A. Snead and Mr. samuel
d. Denoon, and all other facts connected with the
said election and report, have had the same under
consideration, and offer the following report:
LIST. Your Committee proceeded TO enter int1 an
examination OF the poll book, comparing me ucKets
with satd6hook and pre- Creased about nail tnrough
with said Nomination. Finding it very dnhcuit TO
get along with the examination from tne laet tnaI
the votes were not charged regularly as ney Meie
given in the Committee abandoned that mode OF
ascertaininp the correctness OF the polls and pro-
ceeded to count the vote OF each gentleman me
tickets believing it TO be the most correct manner
of ascertaining the true stare OF me pos IN pro
,ni,tee found many errors. In some instances the
votes were recorded wrong In some, the names
of the voters were entered wrong-and In some in
stances left Oft entirely. Your Committee found,
ON an examination of the tickets, that DR.. Albert
Snead had received seven hundred and thirteen
votes, and MIR. S. d. Denoon seven hundred and
forty votes
Your Committee have not entered into an exam
nation of the qualifications OF the voters, believing
that such power was not conferred upon them by
the resolutions OF the Council under which they
were acting Your Committee have thought il adsl
sable as many members ofthe Council were in doubt
- 80 t,<,r
experimenting the election, to strike from the
poll book any vote after the said books were closed
Your Committee DESTROYS to report the facts as they
took place. requested the Commissioners to appear
before the Committee. Messrs. Iipscomb and
Barnes met the Committee, and the following cues
tions were propounded:
''Was the voter, whose name has been stricken
from the poll books, recorded before the vote was
questioned
books. We believe it had passed two or three
clerks.
Question-How did it get upon the rest of the
booksi
ed on it's being recorded on the balance ofhe books
as it was on a portion of thenl-the Commission.
ers or majority of them, protesting against 1t.
The Commissioners also stated that the voter in
question sent for to return, and would not do
| So returning message that he was under age.
The above facts are all that your Committee have
| been able to gather. The Committee have consult
ed with several legal gentlemen, whose opinions
they will report verbally to the Council, IN place OF
enbodying it in this report.
Dr. CHARLES MILLS then presented a minority
report as substitute, and stated that after consult
ing with legal gentlemen OF ability, he was satisfied
| the Council had no right to go oehlnd the certm
cate of the Commissioners and Conductor OF cleo
lions who had returned the two gentlemen as tied
and that when the Committee met and before they
had ascertaned any facts in relation TO the record
he positively objected to having anything TO do with
a. IN -, ,Dk oil
Council had no authority to go behind the returns
made to them, mRIcsS one OF the gentlemen made a
contest he was prepared, for one, to perform the
duty devolved upon the Council by the charter
and that was, to decide between the TWO gentlemen
His report reads thus:
The minority of the committee to whom were re-
ported 'he poll books for the election of members
Of the Council for Monroe Ward, with Instructions
to inquire into and report any facts which can aid
them in deciding between DR.. A. SNEAD and 5. d.
DENooN two persons, certified by the officer con-
Quoting the election for the said ward, as having an
equal number of votes for the Council OF the City
of Richmond, which of them is elected, begs leave
to report that in his opinion, based upon that of
able legal advisers, the Council can not, IN the pre-
sent case go behind the returns OF the officer con-
Quoting the election to examine the poll books but
that the charter requires the Council to decide
which OF the two persons returned as having receig
ed an equal number OF votes shall take the seat
The Council occupies the position OF the Sheriff
conducting an election for members OF the State
| Legislature, 10 WuoH pOWCI IL gwen o1 fdW W
decide between two persons receiving an equal
number of votes, and to give the casting vote
This power by the charter OF our city has been
transferred to the Council, who are therefore re-
auired to decide between the two candidates so
returned, without enquiring into the manner in
which the polls have been kept this being matter
into which the Council can examine only in case
the right of the member elected to the seat is
tested He therefore offers to the Council for its
adoption, the following resolution:
ResOired That the Council proceed. in confOrmi.
ty with the requirements of the sixteenth section OF
the City Charter to decide between Dr. A. Sneed
and Mr.. S. D. Denoon, returned by the certificate
ofthe Conductor OF elections Tor Monroe Ward, as
having received an equal number of votes for the
office of member of the Council, which of them is
elected.
Mr. MYERS had given the subject thorough exa-
mination and perfectly satisfied that the certi
ficate of the conductor and commissioners was
binding On the Council, and that they had no au-
thority to go behind it, unless the seat should be
contested-in which case the polls should be exa
mined and purgcd, as in contest TOR seat in the
Legislature.
Mr. ScoTT took the same view of the question as
Massrs Mills and Myers, and desired to know If the
Committee, who had ascertained by counting the
tickets, that Mr. Denoon had a majority oil thirty
one votes had also ascertaned that those thirty
were legal voters.
Mr. HILL was satisfied that the Commissioners
had transcribed their authority in erasing name
from the polls after the votes were counted; and
had majority of thirty one, and ought to have had
the return, he should vote for him.
Mr.. SAUNDERS took the same view as those ex-
pressed by Mr.. Hill. and if forced to VOTE should
give it to Mr.. Denoon.
Mr.. SHEPPARD regretted that the Charter did not
give them power to send the election back to the
people He was satisfied that the Council had no
right to 60 behind the certificate before them and
must, therefore. go for the substitute
After various remarks from the members touch
ing the subject the question taken on the sub.
stitute and it was carried.
The election then coming up under the resolu-
ton of the substitute, the roll was called and the
vote recorded as follows:
For DR.. Albert Snead-Messrs Butler, Mills, Nc
Canoe, Myers Scott, Sheppard and Talbott-7
For Samuel ID. Denoon-Messrs. Richards Hill,
Paine, Haskns and Saunders-5.
So Dr. Snead was declared elected
DR.. Snead was then sworn in by Alderman Bin.
ford and toek his seat after remarking that he re-
GREETED the Council had not the power send back
the election to the people, and let them decide it.
The Council then adjourned.
HUsTINSs CoURT.-Geo. Elan and Jno.
Smith, twol hall boys, charged with breaking into
Mr.. Davis office was examined and then remand
ed for trial at the next term of the Circuit Court