Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1860-02-17
l. o LIT G. A l..
Prom the Ksnnsb,e Jousnal
SPEECH OF HON E. w. WOODBURY.,
OF swEDIES.
On the Contested Election Case from
RUdgton.


with extreme d,lEienea he entered upon Ihi.
discussion. Indeed, he w1uli not have On.
teri the arena IN the discussion Of con.ii.
tuulnal law had not tho partialiiy of tie
Chair. in thS il-i instance, and the pleas.
urc of tho House assigned him the position
o; chairman OF the Committee on Elections.
H. said he was aware that he labOred un.
der great diadvantag'. aud embarras-.
mcni. that the gentleman from Paris,
(Mr. BlhcL) who preceded him in support
Of the minority report, was - lawyer Of
more than ordinary reputation and culture,
and had enjoyed Ihe ben its resulting from
a long practice in our courts, while ho ap
psarrd before the House without any pre-
tensions or reputation ~ a legal man. lie
appeared A. au humble l4borcr. or, In the
Word. Of the southern Ircss, as small
G.,ed llrmer." as ono of tie " Mulsills IN
s,cisiy." Under ihc.c embarrassing cir.
cum.,anccs, It would secn Ike presumption
IN him 10 cntlr urbn tu' discussion oi the
question hsforc the House. Bot feeling
lull assurances ,fat ihr report Of the Com.
mi,i,o submitted through hln, and which
had hrrn examined hy every member OF The
Ilouss, was correct IN principle and in IL
conclusions, and that !, was fully sustained
hy the constitution of the State and the
Smlu,,s, and tho uniform precedent, of
lhi, House. a. well as the decisions ol the
courts. be- would ask the indulgence OF the
House Tor lev moments, while he present.
81 the point, IN tho case. aud noticed the
Argument, Of the gentleman from Paris,
(Mr Black n, should be under the ne
cr,,ity Of calling toe attention oi the llou.c
e. tie yartulgr d,1uoss Of tho courts 10
shich ho referred, a. hI- legal reputation
Wa not .ulI.i guaranty that hr. aJsr.
no, was law. IL, therefore begged 70 ir.
par, from the course pur'uc4 by the gentle.
man lrlm Paris. who bad informed US very
frequently wha, the law VAS, bui did not
tell ~ where W. could find it--whcthor 10
thc Maine Reports, or Ia tho 'p', dui Of
the gentleman from Paris. llr sad hc
would call the attention of the llouso to the
Report oi the majority of the committee.
a. congratulated himself aud tho Ilouse
that. - lar a, the fact, ia this case arc con.
c,rnsI. the majority and the minority
agree, and u would seem that the whole
question turned upon one point. bu, there
wtrs other questions incidental To-. and uu-
dcrlisins Ihi, question. IL appears from
the certificate OF tie oihtsr. ol the town n
BlIgtln. that there vas tall vote east on
the second Monday OF September, 1859, Tor
Representative 90 tho legislature. and that
G,orge l.. Cave., the sitting member. re.
cci,sI ,lrrc hundred aui loriy.nine votes.
and that Elisha S,rout, hi. competitor, rc.
csi,el two hundred and lorty.'iN ypt-s.
Thi, ~, somewhat unexpected to the dem.
ocnuc party in Bridssoa, yet they felt
that they were beaten, n. onn oi their nli
members 81, ~ ~. friend near the close OF
the DAY. " n ,Jy the Republicans have
whir,d u, to-day" "D ID they?' aii
hi. friend WE'LL, don't care much. ="
A." Nor I either" replied the other :" |
had a great mind to help 'hcm myself. -
81 had !. F." replied the friend. Wei.
IdiI." nd the first. And 50 dad ~
aid the other The question OF politics
sa. not mootel in that u,uslly busy town.
and democrats wcro particularly scarce Tor
.ome week. after this election. They were
- completely stunned by the shock that u
IL doubtful IL thoy would have ever been
heard from again, II lli. " driW bhnfsr v
OF ,ha Assessors had not been discovered.
he sll he was digressins from the main
question. and would return o. the report.
Il was true the Clerk Of Briigton lid tc'ti.
ly to ihs warrant upon which tie town act.
ed in town meeting assembled, dated Aug.
3ls,, 1859, ia Which there was no spec'hel-
ton TO choose Representative to the Leg
islaIurc Ii was equally true that war
rant vas is.ued on the l9th day Of August,
1859, aud printed in the BriJe,on Reporter.
weekly newspaper printed in Bridston,
and having an extensive circulation ia that
town. in which the specification was Ills.
tinctly set forth to choose Representative
t1 the legislature, aud that this warrant
was posted in the places Usually designated
hy said town. and that the inhabitants did
assemble and give in their vote. Tor Rep.
resentativc TO the legislature on that day.
and that 40 one ha- ever complained that
any one wa. injured by such action or DE-.
priyed OF his right Of franchise On that day
by reason Of any omission in the warrant
IL may b. asked. why was this warrant
Withdrawn? lie would answer, that ".
5. Iittlefeld. man not unknown IN polit.
} icAl circles in thi. State. upon hs word a'
} a LAWYER, informed the officers Of the town
that their warrant was god for nothing,
, inasmuch rs il did not set forth that they
would BE- in session on q day other than
chat OF the meeting. to correct the let Of
voters. II the ofIicer. had Consulted East
mans Digest. instead Of listening to their
honorable townsman, they might have os'
caPed the a'efui &mder.'
We come down now TO the examination
and exposition Of the constitution and the
statute. Article ., section 1. declares that
the election Of Governor, Senators and Rep
resentatises, .hall be on the second Monday
Of September, annually forever