New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-08-03
Gen. Eyr-I sm putting ycu1 amendmen. 10 bis

Gen. NYE-Ahi I beg your pardon, then. the Gaes-
ton is Oh Mr.. SuaDahan's motion.
Mayor WooD-I would like to have the motion re-
oueed 70 writing, TO avoid any msappfehenson here.
after.
Mr.. SrRAsAHAy directed the clerk to write his mo-
ton which he did in this form:
"Rered That uoriy Of quoFam voting that vote shan
Considerable discussion eDsued az to the proper
wcIdiig Of the resolution.
Mayer WooD-l think, Mr. Chairman, that itnght
be stated little clearer or else am remarkably nuI
tis morning. apprehenO that We shall not dilcr as
10 the object but il appears TO me that mat resolution
is susceptible of a construction different from VIVA.
we oil understand il. To divest il Of any amblguyt
might be well ~ state that any one capddate receV-
ing so many votes shall be elected.
Mr.. BowEN-That would hardly do.
Mr.. SrRAyAHAx-Suppose you write il, Mr.. Mayor.
Mayor WooD-For instance, suppose we s,a'e 'na'
it ehall II quire four votes TO elect. Laughter.
Gen. NiE-That is just the other thing, when we
have decided against.
MIR. S1nAy.H,y-I think we each understand our
selves, Nr Mayor. laugh
present; the lew fixes our quorum. Suppose you say
u majority Of the persons present, al voting.
Ger. Nyr-Then man might prevent AN cleo
ton Mr. Stranahan moves that IN the election about
TO take place. TO fill the vacancy occasioned by the
resignation of MIR. Draper majority OF a quorum of
THE Board voting, that vote shall elect.
Mayor WooD--T would make three elect the
man; that would not do.
then three would elect
Nayor WooD-It would I've better that majority Of
all present shall elect, provided they eli vote.
Gen. NYE--SupPose they do not vote
Mavor WooD-Ihen it would require four votes.
We must provide for the contingency
Mr. SrRANAHAx-Here is the issue: II there are
but five present. shall three elect, or shal 1t require
fourI We say that three would elect, but you would
have it four thus putting it in the power OF one or two
gentlemen TO put off an election for all time;
Mayor WoOD-On the contrary, l said that three
penons were a majority If quorum. But wish TO
avoid this coningency-that If three persons, who
candidate they should not elect bin against three per-
sons equally majority of quorum who do not hap
pen to unite For example, il Mayor Powell votes for
John Doe Mr.. Cholwell for Richard Roe, and / for
John Smith, then ysu three unite your votes for Tom
Shocks and SnoOks is elected, according to your reso
luton. The law provides that quorum shall be four
members and three would be majority VI quorum,
whatever the pumber of the Board.
Gen. NYE again read MIR. Stranahans motion, and
said if there six votes, four would be sjority
OF quorum ard if five or four votes thee would be
a majority.
Mayor WooD repeated that the law made four
quorum and therefore i'll any case under that resolu
ton three would be amajoIiy capable OF eectlng.
Gen. MEMO, Sir; it must be majority OF quo
rum rOttHg.
Mayor WooD-You can obviate the difficulty by
leaving out The reference to the quorum, and say
iDg majority Of the whole vote polled shall elect.
You cannot elect without q quorum in any case.
Leave your quorum out because there's the mig
'ger in the fence" MIR. Chairman. Laughter.
Gen. NYE-l didn't zee any niger III the fence
myself, end did not intend to have one in there
Mayor Woob-He has crept in, then, certainly
Gen. NYE-Nell, if he has, he is smaller "ngger'
than the one you attempted 10 get in. If We are TO
have one at all, the less IN size he is the better
Laughter.
Gen. NYr again read the resolution, and hayded it
to Mayer Powell saying "You look at it, Mr.. Powell,
and see if you see any Niger III it"
Mayor WooD-I you see him now, Powell, kick
him out. Laughter
MIR. STRANAHAy-Ycs, kick him out.
Mayor WooD-Let NE state, clearly, that Zee no
necessity for making it ambiguous.
Muyor PowkLL-How would this answer A ma
iolity Of members voting shall constitute election
and no member shall be excused from voting without
permission Of the Board.
Mr.. STRANAHAN-It seems to me you are going
great ways around. That is the usual course of
phraseology OF resolutions of this kind, and if you 60
out Of the usual course you nay very likely come
across the little cOored gentleman We are looking for
here.
Mayor WooD-I desire resolution not susceptible
of more than one construction may be remarkably
dull but certainly that under that resolution-a
ma ioilty of quorum TO constitute an election-any
candidate or any person receiving three votes would
be elected because quorum ID tour votes according
TO law. and three votes is majority of quorum.
MIR. STRANAHAy-We mean asst this, that il four or
five votes only cast three shall elect and sixare
cast, then four shall elect.
Mayor WooD-lt IT is so stated ON paper it will be
well. 1t is a very simple matter; lei us determine it
satisfactorily all around.
Mayor POWELL propose iliat every member shall
vote unless excused by the whole Board.
Gen. Mas Chairman, | should hold upon this
resolution that if six votes cast it took tour 10
elect AID if five or four were cast three would elect.
Mayor WUoD-SuppOse one OF the votes Is blank
Gen. NIE-Then IL Is no vote. 1t has been de-
cided by high authority that blank vote Is no vote.
bIayor ooD-If the Clerk will reduce the Chair
= l1io ,I a
il in bis minutes, it will obviate any future difficulty,
and l shall be satisfied. l suppose it is the Chair.
mans decision that IL to guide us after all. What
desire only that thee votes for person shall not
elect when there three other votes, though scat
tcripg. ~
Gen. NYE-We viii proceed to vote. The vote,
suppose, is 70 be rlrd roce. The Clerk will call, and
each member, as his name Is called, VIII name his
candidate.
The Ioll was then called with the following result;
FIRST BALLOT.
Gen Nye named. yIai p ps1,.
Mayor Powell named Royal Phelps,
Mr. Bowen named. ...........'.'Cy rus Curtss
Mr. stIanshsn nanied..............C Cyrus Curtss
MI t Total cuTtiss sr 5; Pheip: 3; Uliman l.
Gen. ME announced the result, and said, no person
having received majority Of the votes cast, there
was NO election, and the Clerk wouldproceed to call.
Nearly three hours were consumed in voting, during
which The membels amused Themselves with cracking
Jokes. Somebody called out to vote TOR Mrs. Gun
npcham, aud thus created laugh. Gen. NiE re-
marked that Daniel Umann was roceiying more yotes
than he did for Governor.
Mr.. STRAYAuAS thought they were almost as bad
as the XXXIN,h Congress
Mayor WooD reminoed Gen. Nye that It was near
his dinner hour to which he replied that Tie Herald
said lie thought good deal OF his dinne but he gen
eray dined abou, oclock-a fashionable how-aud
the J could send out for luncheon by and by.
The Clerk got out of paper, and Gen. ME- gave
orders 10 bring up rean NJ the same time telng the
Clerk to keep calling" On the 9th vote ten.
Nye voted Roya-I mean Cyrus Curtis. That
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