New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-03-10
BOSTON TRADE.
The following il statement Of the value OF the for
egn goods imported here for the week ending yester-
THE KANSAS CONTESTED ELECTION.
MINORITY REPORT.

The undersigned, members of the Committee OF Elec-
tons agreeing with the majority in their report
the reasons and grounds upon which they ask for the
power 10 send for persons and papers in the Kansas
election beg leave to submit briefly their views OF the
question
Without entering into the uncertain region Of vague
rumor and underlined indsnet and contradictory state
ments whether of individuals OF popular assembages
they prefer to submit to the House the facts OF the case
as fhey now stand before the committee.
The memorial of the Hon. A. ii. Reeder 10 this
BODY: bis notice to the Hon. John w. Whitfield, the
sitting Delegate, informing him OF his intention TO
contest his seat upon this floor the reply OF the Sn
Delegate TO that notice under the act OF Congress OF
the 10th of February 1851; the certificate OF the sit
ting Delegates election 6uly made out and signed by
the Governor of the Territory written statement
filed by the memoralist setting forth certain alega-
lions which be wishes to be permitted to establish by
proof and written reply by the sitting Delegate TO
that statement embrace all the papers and evidence
now before the Committee; and, that The House
NAV understand fully the nature aud character OF
these papers all of them will be appended to this
report.
These papers, with their references, make up the
whole as It now stands before the committee
and, from the whole, it appears abundany evident To
the minority that the memoriast looks 10 no object
but to vacate the seat occupied by the sitting Dele
gate upon the assumption, which he WISHES 10 De
allowed TO attempt TO maintain by the testimony OF
Witnesses to be brought from Kansas and elsewhere
that there is no legslly-constituted Government in
Kansas Territory. This il the object Of the present
application to send for persons and papers Il istrue
III m,morialst alleges that several hundred illegal
votes were cast for the sitting Delegate at his
election. That, however. does not make ease
sufficient to displace him, unless it also be
shown that the memonalist. or some other person at
the same election received legal votes than he
did, This we consider wel-settled principle
by repeated decisions in this House. II IS not
enough TO vacate the seat of a member to show that
be received illegal votes, but IT must be made to APP
near further that come one else received greater
number of legal votes than he whose seat Is contested
If the polls for instance in this case showed, as Il Is
said twentvnine hundred votes for the sitting Dele
cate and il be true as asserted that several hundred
ar even twenty-eight hundred of them were Illegal
vet he would still have one hundred legal votes 10 60
upou and to hold his seat upon, unless 1t be shown
that some other person received more than one
hundred equally legal votes. But this Is not pre-
tended in this case; il is not ey+n alleged. The
memorialist sets up his claim by the denial OF the
legal authority under which the election OF the
sizing Delegate was held. and by virtue OF an
election held at a different tune by promiseuous
gatherings Of the people, without even the forms
Of law and indeed in open opposition to the only
recognized laws of the Territory. Nor has he produced
or rendered any certificate evidence OF any kind
whatever from any quarter of his election, even IN
this irregular disodery and confessedy Illegal man
ner, that his sole object and that OF the present
application seems TO be TO devolve upon the Commit
tee and the House an inquiry into the validity OF tne
Territorial law under which the sitting Delegate was
elected and returned, and mainly upon the groulus
that the members composing the Territorial LegSis-
ture that passed the law themselves not properly
elected and returned. II Is TO establish this posnon
be wishes TO have the Committee empowered 20 send
for persons and papers 70 Kansas Il Is the jug