The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-02-20
1FnoM OUR own ooRREsroSDEsr.I

COLUMBIA, S. G, February 1S.-The event oi
to-day was the discussion in the House OF the
| Charleston EIectio-, bill. The debate thous h
lively, and at times rather Of personal cha
racter. elected no new arguments. 1t was coa-
fined entirely to tho Republican side OF tn o
House. ALI the Democrats and five Rcpubl-
cans voted against the bill. The latter were,
DeLarge OF Charleston; Elliott, ol B1rnweil;
Feriter, of Sumter; Hyde, of Geecnvilie, and
Stoeber, OF Marion. lhe speeches were all
brief owing probably to the fact that the mer-
its and demerits of the bill had already been
fully canvassed in the S3uate, and the debate
cut short By Brodie, of Charleston, calling for
| the previous question, which was almost
unanimously sustained. =,
Ransier, of Charleston, said that tncy an
knew the fact that an election had peei ueiu.
| II was admitted that there were irree euiaf1t'es
or informalitles in tho conduct OF the eicc'lon'
and the General Assembly is asked to validate
| the election, Notwithstanding those lIrosularl-
ties, and to award to the persons receiving the
highest pumbe: Of votes the offices which they
claimed. and to which they were entitled. fof
himself be had decided how he should vote on
the question OF agreeing to the bill. lie had
vote Tor 1t IN the committee and hc deslreu
to say that his was no hasty decision. lie fet
it to b. his duty as q representative OF the
pcople. as owing it 70 his constituents who
sent him here and $50 IN consideration OF the
questions raised as u the right of the Gcucral
Assembly TO act in this p'attar, to give
t,e reasons for the vote wdIcn he
should give IN support of tile Dll.
The bill before the House and tho subject
matter has asitatcd the community OF Cuari IS
toa Tor thrco montts. It not longer. as = menl-
Der Of that community II bad occasioned hlm
much anxiety. Hs know of no event III tho
Civ OF Charleston which had given rlso to
moro cxc.iemeav ard teeliag OF direct. deter
mined opposition on bo5n sides. 1ientlllsd
with the city, IL was but L naturai dcslre Gu LIS
part TO soc al las people, OF al classes. pros
percus. nappy anu coutehted. WueH' tncfo,
fore. 40 Witnessed on tle ono hand " pouslcal
party dete; mined on exclusive repreae" tatioh
and consequent control. eyen niklnS IL I
question ct c Jlor, and the other side struggling
fu ius;ice, equally Determined, he feared the
consciousness that might follow. ihc:r Dom
ocratic frienus IN Charleston desired that
the Republicans should not consider tnls
question Of party, while they, und"r
that delusive name Conservative were
determined and acted strictly as L party.
That was Oh their part, 10 say the least, an IN
pardona aple mistake. He did not lay clai IN TO
a " legM ability, bat would endeayor to meet
the argument used By soma, that this matter
should be left 10 The courts. The elect!oI was
held on the 10th Of November, lSGS. unde! TIC
provisions OF an act to provide fur the clectl n
OF officers OF Incorporated cities and towns OF
the State OF South Carolina. l5 cannot be de-
MED that tho most gigantic efforts were made
| in This, as in other elections i'll tIis State, un-
der the Recoustruc ION acts. to defeat the Re
publican party. The Case bsflre thcm upon
| wllch they were row called 70 take action, is
ono OF these causes growing out OF tue dam
nable efforts and designs OF parties opposed TO
| this entire programme OF reconstruction. Ihe
| election vas held In Charies,on;a u protest was
| submitted and entertained. The Actin" Mayor
and Aldermen had III investigation, 2nd pro-
| tc s 70 clarge thSt the cieci ion was NUT aud
VOID on accouut cs tho Illegal Conduct o. aCuG
of tho managers. aud propose 10 contest tie
seats of majority Of thoso pcrs"is wao c.ai;::
10 OF faud werc) duly elected VI that elec !ou.
The fifth section o. tae ace pfoV.d =, vac
managers of elections shall decide co4Ics;oI
c:sas subiecL to the ultImtte doc!SiO. ot ne
Eo,r,l O; Aidar.i On or wal d"nS Ttca nre aiz-
ed. exccDt wIoa tic election of L MY srt'Y o.
the persons ,Ot, u ipr ARC copicSI-,i oL l.!c
manages charged with ilcS ii conducs. Ill
which case the ~ Z ns together wiih ti:u pal
lots shall bc eXlmlEGd AID the c;s>S .nVet'l-
gated By the Aciing EJaid OF dcrmoii, wlo
shall declare Tue ec.'ou; aid tlelr ce;!sioA
shall be binding uron AL parties.
1t WAS the dntv then Of that M1yor ana -'oard
OF Aldermen, upo RECEIVING the returns OF tho
manager, to publish the same according TO the
acs and Issue certificates by Which those re-
ceiving tie .lighyst number OF ro;,s would b.
IN possession OF prtnaa tacie evidence cf their
election. iho Seats of N )rity or the Bard
were contested. or the n;aulgcrs CHARGED WITH
( illegal conduct. It was then calnpe: ent tor
| the Boacd o. dermvn to examine the returns
| with the ballots.
It was, perhaps, no. necessary to dwell on
tho fact that the returns We're not, in The first
lnstauco, published as directed to be uote by
| law, Or, scro.1iy. tLo seats OF u 'uajotilE Vt
tIoso receiving tho highest number Of votes
sero no; contested. pus 1t ls important
aud necessary to discover tho glsL II tho
whole mutsr 10 ascertain whether the allie =
uon o. ftaud Is .ruc; Whether the mluascrs
were guilty OF illegal conduct siuhcieat to IL