Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1864-03-10
C6GRT OF cow MON PLEAs.
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Hon. John w. Okey, Presiding

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Hon. John w. okcy, Presiding.
CShmon Pleas Court adjourned on Friday
last. Several important and interesting cases
were disposed Of; among others 7sr7y Ell
The election contest cases Of Lade III,
Patterson va Amos Clover, Laac Ntispqn-
ger vs.. David Harris, John A. Work vs..
Robert a. Cochran, and O. J. iS,oahef and
Thos Chambers VS.. VIM Williamson. -
Judge, Okey delivered an elaborate opinion
in these cases. The 9. home" " vote was con:
tested on the ground Of certain informalities
in Pcase, Goshen, and Kirkwood Townships,
and of illegal voting in several Townships
The Court decided thaf there was not the
slightest evidence upon which to base even
suspicion of uufairness On the part Of any
Of ths officers Of election in either of these
Townships; .pnd that mere informslities OF
the nature complained Of, and where the
sctuA vote had beeu correctly counted and
asSertaiped, could not prejudice the .candi:.
dstes or justify a reversal Of The decision Of
the voters That, by the most liberal con-
struction Of the evidence for ths contestants
there we're not more than 8 illegal votes
proven to have been cast for the defend
aubs. That 10 illegal votes were claifisd
and eteh If that number had been proven,
enough illegal votes were proven on the
other side to increase the majority of each
Of ,fhs aefetdants 10 more than 49, :. 'anh
The Court then proceeded to dispose Of
the objection which each of these candidates
had made to the validity of the soldiers
vote. One of the grounds upon which the
slcction Of Glover, Harris, and Wilkinson
WAS contested and the sole ground on which
Uochran..s election was contested, was that
the law authorizing the soldiers vote was
unconstitutional null. and void. Judge
0key, on this subject, said that he had al
ready examined and decided this question.
but thsta he had heard and considered at-
tsntively the arguments advanced in those
cases, and If he had been convinced Of bis
error, he was ready to acknowledge it. That.
however. the additional Investigation he had
given the subject only confirmed him in his
views, and he proceeded, ia sh uuanswerable
argument, to give his reasons. We hope to
BE- able to proctrs and publish this branch
Of his opinion in full at an early day. ss1'
RE. Chambers and o.. j, Swapey for
plaintiffs, B. 8. Gowen and D. d. T. Cowen
for defendants. i.' '-!1Hl'ta .'' '.i
p. In the case Of Geo. ". Thompson VS..
Gov R;epoint the Court overruled Thomp
sons demurrer to Gov. P.'s answer. 1t was
on the argument Of this demurrer that Bill
Ksnnon made the bitter and venomous at
tack on the Government which protects him
TO which We referred last week. The de
fsaos made in the answer WAS that the leg
islAture Of Virginia had authorized the tibv
srnor., in case loyal citizens Of that State
not in the military service, wefs arrested
and held in custody by the rebel authorities
to arrest and hold as hostages citizens o
known disloyal sentiments. That the rebe
authorities had arrested three loyal citizens
who are named in tbs answer. and thereupo'
the Governor arrested Judge Thompson
who was in sympathy with the rebellion ant
had an influence with the rebel authoritie
which would be likely to result 10 the dis
charge Of those whose hostage he was
Kennon claimed that this act Of the Legis
lat1re was in violation Of one Of the amend
iments to the Constitution of tho Unite
States; but Judge Okey held that the pre-
savision. Of the Constitution referred to was
restriction upon Congress only, and not upo
,.ths Legislatures Of the States, and cite
numerous authorities, showing that th
was we'll settled. The Judge objected I
the term "disloyal" as being iuapplicab
to form OF Government like ours, whel
tho people are the sovereigns We thin
he takes wrong view Of this matter. Eve
ifrloyal, as is claimed, means only, tru
to the sovereign, we are unable to see VII
citizen of this country may not be true
the people But its meaning evidently
"true to the Government and the JUDI
said il was cieaf that that was what Il
Legislature Of Virginia meant by tbs teri
,, In relation to an objection made that th
Law was in violation of the Constitution
Virginia, the Court held that that questi'
could not come up on demurrer, as Il
courts of Our. State could not take judici
notice Of the Constitution and laws Of .
other State. s} ..afe
Wm. Ksnnon, Jr., for plaintiff, Dan
Peek for defendant. -f.- tY
THx KIRKwooD RIOT CASE,
+. About which so much fuss was made Il
Fall, was also tried, and resulted in an
uuittal Of al the defendants Of riot. o
Of them, George Stewart, was found gui
Of an assault, and fned IS. ".n .'''1
The Jury were out al night in this ca
SBd rtuior says that, with one exccpti
they were divided in opinion according
their Political views, which may be anotl
4 u Hi .A..a