Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-07-17
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

the Board Of Aldermen of this city for the seats
in the Board from the Fourth and Fifth Wards
was finally disposed Of last night, at Ii p. m,
by decisions in which the Know Nothings of
the Board manifested all the peculiar chsrac-
teristics of that political organization. We
have no space in which to comment, to-day,
on the extraordinary doings of last night, in
the City Hall, of which we remained spec
tator and reporter until half-past IL p. m. We
transfer to our news columns our report Of a
portion of the proceedings in question, because
they involve outrages on principle, common
honesty, self-respeet, and, indeed, on the ca
pacity of men who 50 conduct themselves as
our Know Nothing Aldermen did, last night
for selfgoyernment,w which cannot fail to sink, as
lessons, deeply into the minds of all who value
the privileges of American freemen.
Mr.. Houston called up the special order-the
resolution from the majority of the election
committee declaring Samuel C. Busey entitled
to the seat from the Fifth Ward to have been
filed at the late election.
Mr.. Miller, from the election committee,
then read minority report in that election
case, closing with resolution, as follows:
ResOkved, That Samuel C.. Busey was not
duly elected as Alderman for the Fifth Ward
at the election held on the 4th of June, 1855
but that ii Is clearly established that eighteen
lawful votes, which were rendered for John c.
Fitzpatrick, Esq, were unlawfully rejected,
and which said votes ought now to be counted,
thereby emitting the said j. G. Fitzpatrick to
his seat as such Alderman in lieu of said
Busey.
MIR. Busey called for the reading of the rec
ord Of the proceedings of the committee
Mr.. Miller remarked that the record, as
made up by the clerk, was incorrect, insomuch
as no notice was taken in it of resolutions
offered and voted down, &c.
Mr.. Smith thought it strange that the record
should be questioned, as the clerk to the COM
mittee had been elected by the majority.
Mr.. Bayly remarked that all this trouble
had grown out of the illegal and wholly un-
Justifable action of the board in carrying ON
this investigation in secret, in express contra
yention OF the letter Of the charter, and in bur-
rying the matter through in too great haste.
Mr.. Evans protested the rectitude of his con-
duct on the election committee, and said that
he had refused to permit O reporter and spec
tators IN the room, from no improper motive
Mr.. Bayly explained the charter, wherein
it expressly provided that all the acts of the
board of officers should be public. He argued
to show that 1t had been undetermined to
commit frauds in the election, and described
the gross partizan and fraudulent acts of the
Know Nothing Commissioners on the Saturday
night before the election; in rejecting good
votes which more or less of them had received
without protest, when previously acting in a
like capacity; and in the case of one of the
commissioners in receiving the vote of his own
son, whom he knew not to be of legal age to
exercise the franchise here.
Mr.. Miller, in answer to query from Mr..
Evans, calling on him to say whether all things
had not been fairly and honestly conducted in
the committee room, said that he had been
rouTte0Hsiy treated there, and that the cues.
lions pat, had been fairly put.
1t was then voted to real the record of Tho
proceedings before the committee, and the
Secretary commenced that reading from an.
unofficial copy handed to him by Mr.. Busey.
Before he had proceeded far, he was inter-
rupted by Mr.. Miller, who protested that the
pretended record was not a true one "a il
differed in the words of a resolution offered by
himself, and vital one. 1t also differed from
his copy, also furnished by the clerk, wherein
the said resolution was correctly reported.
Mr.. Smith objected to any alteration of the
record.
Mr.. Magruder explained that this garbled
record, and the effort to insist on its standing
In Its erroneous language, against the protest
of the author of the resolution himself, backed
by the copy also furnished to him by the clerk
of the committee, were commencing to prove
up the purpose Of the refusal to permit a re.
porter to be present, to take down for publ
cation in the newspapers their proceedings.
He trusted that what was subsequently to be
done in the case would not afford additional
proof that the purpose of the majority, in ex.
GLIDING reporters and the public, was only to
have three witnesses (the majority of the com.
mittee and their partizan clerk against one.
Mr.. Evans asked Mr.. Magruder for a cate
gorlcal answer to the question, whether he
had intended to charge the majority Of the
committee with perpetrating fraud, &c.
Mr.. M. said, in reply, that he had stated
facts which were undeniable, and left inferen-
ces to be drawn by the public
Mr.. Evans gave all present notice. tina,
though the Oldest man in the board, and had
refused to notice personal imputations on him.
self up to this time, hereafter he would pre.
vent any such treatment of himself by any,
BODY, at the peril of his life-if he spilled
every drop Of his blood on that floor, he would
do it,
Mr.. Pepper had submitted in silence to
inc assaults on the majority party (of which
ne was member) up to this time, but his
ioroearance was at an end He would no
longer submit to be bullied after that fashion
ms party were patriotic-stood only on the
constitution of the United States. He did no,