Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-07-26


In the Common Council on Monday evening,
Mr.. Alice, from the Committee on Elections,
submitted report, accompanied by resolution,
In relation to the contested seats of the members
of this Board from the Fourth Ward, as follows
To the Board Of Common Council Of the city OF
Washington
Mr.. PRESIDENT: The Committee on Elections,
to whom were referred the memorials of n Young
and of Messrs. Kennedy and Clubb in relation
to the election in the Fourth Ward, Of June 4,
| 1855, respectfully report:
| That the memorial of Mr.. Young sets forth
merely that he verify believes that he was duly and
lawfully elected, and that he was entitled 20 fill
seat in this Board, but offers no evidence for the
maintenance OF his pretensions, except said me-
mortal.
| Messrs. Kennedy and Clubb however, allege, in
their joint memorial, that they are credibly in
formed, verify believe, and expect to be able to
prove, that in addition to the votes for them which
the Commissioners received other votes were offer
ed for them, which the said Commissioners reject
ed that these additional votes were legal votes
and ought to have been received by the said Com
| missioners, and were of description which the
Circuit Court OF the District Of Columbia had held
TO be legal votes; that these additional votes had
| they been received, would have given a majority
| TO them over their competitors, and would have
entitled them to be returned duly elected that
the said Commissioners also received a considera-
BILE number of illegal votes for the candidates re-
turned and proclaimed elected members of the
| B ard of Common Council for the Fourth Ward.
Wherefore, Messrs. Kennedy and Club, in con-
clusion pray that such order be taken in the prem
Uses as may enable them to adduce the evidence OF
the errors and irregularities which prevented their
being returned as duly elected" &c.
| The only documents accompanying said memo
rails were two lists, respectively endorsed "A list
of names reported by Thomas G. Dom, late Com
missioner Of Election held on the 4th of June,
| 1855" and List of voters rejected by the Com-
mssiOners on the 4th of June in the Fourth Ward !"
These lists on being compared by your committee,
we're found, in fortythree in stances to contain the
same pames; but SO many discrepancies became
apparent, on further investigation, that your COM
mittee unable to class them as at all reliable.
| Your committee, therefore, came to the conclu.
| sion to prosecute their researches In such manner
| as might be most favorable to the elimination of
the truth, as well as most satisfactory to the par
| ties in controversy; and on Tuesday, the 10th
instant, resolution was unanimously adopted, in
committee, that public hearing should be given
! in the case. Notices were accordingly published
| in the Lsteiiigencer, American Organ, and Star,
on Wednesday,, the 18th, and continued daily until
the 18th, inclusive, in the following words:
CONTESTED ELECTION IN THE FOURTH WARD
| Notice is hereby given to the parties contesting
| the seats of the incumbent members of the Com
mon Council from the Fourth Ward of the city of
Washington, D. G., as well as to those persons
whose votes were rejected at the municipal cleo
ton held in said city on Monday, the 4th ultimo
that hearing will be given in the premises on
| Tuesday, the 18th instant at the Council Cham
Der, City Hall, at o'clock, r. NJ
"SAMUEL YoRKE ATLEE,
| Chairman Committee on Elections Board
Common Council"
| AT the time and place designated your commit
| tee attended, and remained until more than an
hour had elapsed, when inasmuch as neither con.
testants nor rejected voters appeared the session
was declared closed. Messrs. D., mn and Mexican,
Commissioners at the late election, also pre-
sent on the OCCASION fully prepared, as they avow-
| ed, to vindicate themselves from all nsinuations
against their official integrity
| 1t becomes, then, the duty of your committee,
after reporting the subjoined resolution, to ask
their discharge from the further consideration Of
| this case. We would, however, first congratulate
this Council on the happy issue of this controversy
Your committee indeed might, were they so dis.
posed, submit a resolution of censure against the
contestants for their apparent contempt of this
| Board of Common Council; but we prefer giving
a more charitable as'wel a more probable con-
struction Of their conduct. The late election was
a very exciting one and the contestants, as is
usually the case with candidates considered their
1
| party which nominated them. When the result
therefore, proved the fallacy of their expectations
they, disappointed and dsplcased, would naturally
attribute their defeat to unfair measures The pro-
| tests in question were no doubt penned under the
| influence OF excited feelings; but your committee
feel warranted In supposing that, had sufficient
time been allowed to elapse for the subsistence of
! these emotions, said protests would never have
| been written. Your committee assumes this war
Iran from, fha faptn f fha he ata
made sundry allegations in their memorial to this
| Board of Common Council, and pledged them
selves to verifcation of them If an opportunity
| to do so should be granted to them. Their prayer
was auspicousy listened to, and your committee
were authorized to adopt such measures as might
| promote a consummaton of their wishes 10 the
fullest extent. We were sincerely DESTROYS of al
fording every facility for thorough investigation
| of the truth. The contestants, however, did not
appear to make good their pledges, but preferred
| by their absence to make an entire, although Ia
cit retraction of the charges specified in their me-
mortal.
In conclusion, therefore, your committee beg
leave to say that they believe the late election TO
have been conducted, in all respects, in accord.
with the acquisitions of the city charter and
the laws enacted in pursuance thereof that the
Commissioners of Election in the Fourth Ward dis
charged their duty on that occasion justly and up
rightly; and that the entire proceedings, up to the
final proclamation by the Mayor, were legal, regu-
lar, and valid and your committee respectful,
submit for the consideration of the Board the an
nexed resolution, recommend It's adoption, and
ask to be discharged:
RESOLVED by the Board of Common Council,
That Alexander Mcdonald Davis, John T. Glenn.
ents, and John Ball, representatives incumbent
from the Fourth Ward, justly entitled to their
seats in this Board.
All which Is respectfully submitted.
SAMUEL York; ATLEE,
JONATHAN WALKER
At this stage Of the proceedings, the President
requested Mr.. Lloyd to &C upy the chair.
The report and resolution having been read
Mr. Jefferson made a statement in relation to
the presentation by him Of the papers Of the con-
testants from the Fourth Ward, and commenced
reading letter from Mr. James A. Kennedy one
of the contestants, in relation thereto, when
Mr. Davis rose to point Of order, Directing to
the further reading of the letter. the language con.
tanned therein being dsrespectful to the Board.
The Chair decided the further reading of the
letter out of order