Squatter sovereign., 1857-10-31
GOVERNORS PROCLAMATION.
LEcoMpToN, Oct. 10, 1867

GOVERNORS PROCLAMATION.
ID af LEcoMPToN, Oct. 10, 1857.
To the People Of KANSAS
BY the 32d Section Of the Organic Act
establishing this Territorial government, i,
is provided In reference to the election of |
Delegate to Congress, that I" the person
having the greatest number of votes shall
be declared by the Governor to be duly
elected, and a certificate thereof shall De
given accordingly"
By the 18th Section Of the act Of the
Territorial Legislature Of Kansas, entitled
!" an ac, to regulate elections" it is made
the duty of the Secretary to examine the
returns in the presence of the Governor,
and to" give to the person having the high
est number of votes in their respective dis
tricts, certificates OF their election 10 the
Legislative Assembly"
Under these two provisions Of the laws
prevailing in this Territory, the recent gen.
eral election has presented for the joint
consideration of the Governor and Secre-
tary. question of the>Sravest importance.
not only 10 our own b. - %
those of the whole Union. - question
arises upon the extraordinary returns made
from the precinct of Oxford. in the county
of Johnson. What purports to be the re-
turns of the election held at that precinct
ON the 9Th and 9th inst, have been re-
ceiyed by the Secretary. containing six.
teen hundred and twenty.eight names OF
pretended voters, of nearly one-half the
number given in the whole Representative
district. The disposition to be made OF
this supposed vote is rendered all import
ant by the fact that the political character
of the Legislative Assembly will be con-
trolled by the addition of three Counciimen
and eight Representatives TO the strength
of one party or the other, according to the
adoption or rejection of the returns in
question.
la point of fact. it is well known that
even the whole county of Johnson, CON-
prising. as j, does, part of the Indian re-
serve. which, upon examination OF the law.
we find l. moi yet subjecs to settlement or
pre.emption, can give no such vote as that
| which is represented to have been polled
a, this inconsiderable precinct of Oxford.
But while this unofficial knowledge, well
| established and universal as it may be,
could no; become the ground of decision
and action upon election returns, in them.
selves regular and authentic, the legiti-
mate effect of an apparent enormity. such
as that in question would necessarily be TO
| induce a close examination Of the paper
presented. and to require fer its acceptance
perfect compliance with all the essential
provisions of the law. Such an examina.
ton of this document. conscientiously and
4 Ill. t,,o he
conclusion that the returns from Oxford
/ precinct in johnson county, must be wholly
rejected, for the following reasons:-
lsi. 1t does not appear on the lace Of the
document presented to US, or IN any othel
manner, that the judges of elession tool
the cath imperaiiyely required by the stat
ute 10 secure the ssimpartial discharge o
their duties according to- law."
/ Cd. Ii does not appear maj the pspei
presented 10 us was one Of the two origi
nal poll-books kept at the election, as re
quiFed by law, but, on the contrary, it doe
appear. from unmisiakable internal evi
dence, that the paper IS either copy O
some other document, or has been made q
for the occasion, and is not the genuine re
cord of the votes taken At the election
The law requires one of the poil-booRs {
be returned 10 the Secretary. the other {
be deposited with the Clerk Of the Boar
OF Commissioners of the proper county.
I'd. As the vote OF each elecsor was {
be recorded for each one of the twenty
two candidates. and In more than hul
7 ldFed cases, for twenty-five, and that by
s,ua voee Eose, II was a physical imposs
/. bilitY that the number Of votes pretende
q 10 have been taken on the second day, b
L ing more than fifteen hundred. with h
name OF. the Foaer written. each of twer
Il ly-two candidates properly designaiet
d could have been taken and recorded will
. in the time prescribed BY fzw.
zth.s Il is an extraordinary fact. tendin
o to throw distrast upon the whole proceed
;l ing, that Of the sixteen hundred and iweI
d iy-eighi votes. only one is given to q
I'll Delegate elect % Congress; and oniy OF