New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-12-18
THE CITY CANVASS.


THE CITY CANVASS
MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE ON PROTESTS.
The Committee on Protests met at IL o'clock
a. m. pursuant adjournment yesterday ana werem
session almost all day. Alderman Farley IN tne CHAIR
The protest Of Florence scanne against cahVaSsinK
the votes for John Nesbt in the Fourteenth Aldermanc
District was first considered. Mr. X. Lawrence WHO
appeared for Mr.. Nesb said he would like to know WHO
were the witnesses in this casewhether they were eau
vassers or outsiders there discrepancies IN the
returns as filed with the Alderman or that dsIIiCt, n
The Clerk of the Common Council; the Board OF CITY Can
yassers nor this Committee had no right 10 go Dennu
compelcd to discharge their duties committees
of the Board OF Aldermen 1t had not been asserted
there were any clerical IN these returns anu no
protested against the Committee or the Board OF oa
masters entering into any investigation That would par
take of judicial character and ia TINS conngeuo1 nc Ge
sired 10 present the following protest from John Nesp
10 ne Committee Protests Of me Board Of cy canrae'S I
I scatTadc. the returns votes for the
G'f S pt Of the Eighteenth Ward Of which said Alder
manic District comprised tue following grounds; ,,s b,
[irsf. TBat there discrepancy between Tue returns "a
the district Canv to tie present Alderman Of said Da'Fes anu
'lS on S f e Commitee on Poe, said Board Of
City power to go behind the s rean' " ~
Td has Che power Of the said Board Of City Canasser' il making
matters have tbs statement Of the District
which Should have been inserted or Ebs,hs any ti by
Cr Clnvaer by the Committees but ihey arc " 0'
Fowi That the District Caayasse have no power a 1 eue
their canvas, 10 be correctly stated -, . Al,
FA That appears BY ts returns ta, 70 those on s ia the
OGcs tue Common Council that toe unaegoea vas
1853 and The decision Of whO eanyassed the
election in the aggregate IN Aor tho un1s
a That she Committee Protest, Of the Board Of Cy Can;
the returns Qftbe District Cnyasser. ss s9Ss
oahs will not be bnding upon the parties
auy indictment for perjury be sustained 10 case 1ea WI"
a That he undersigned appears by Of the District
Cauassers elected the oe IN question: aud Gu
EE That The propr remedy party feeling himself aEgeyed
G 4e return. o. te ~ u.s., @ b1 ,b cscate Of election
tie oce Of Alderman that the Board Of Aldermen 10 ucn c' S
the powers the courts have an action to Try lDe u 20
behind the certificate Of election and examine witnesses
Nat That the Board and their Committees DO not
ly but mneaJ in eAn'assi0g the returns Of the D'He'
T III. undersigned therefore asks protests Of Florence
seanue be dsn and that ise eeIaeaie Of ee. M.
mn OF sne s,ts5 =, he same JOIN SRsBIT.
After the protest had been read. Mr. Lawrence passed
the paper the Chairman and asked that the considers"
ton of Scannell's protest be discontinued.
Mr.. John McKeOn appeared for Mr. scannell ana sara
all he wanted true statement OF the votes cast LOT
Mr. scannel. Applause by the lobby, which was lmne-
diatey suppressed He was prepared TO present TINS
statement TO Committee Of the votes cast FOR 5eanne
aud Nesbit IN the district The counsel for Mr NesOis
had said this Committee had no authority TO near VIII
nesses, but he (r MckeOn) claimed that ~ bau anu IN
support ms views cited various cases. he was prepared
show that certain matter had been OMITTED ana tna ne
would be correctly given. Mr.. McKeon then read from
made
these returns all agree except tue flteehIn anu ~
Districts and he prepared to show that the returns 10
the hands Of this Board were not the returns aue oh
MIR F. b. smith was then examined Was poll clerk in
the Fifteenth Election District Ofthe Eghteenh Naid on
the night OF eecOni te Ietu.n snonn l 90 ,Sa r,er
handwriting this Is not the return as sent 10 the Cerk
and tbat ave Nrsbit 100 votes and scannell o. Mr..
souy polclerk also testified that NesbiFs vote
Mr. McKeon then said he had other witnesses to swear
TO the same Of facts, which proved that gross
The canvassers on the night Of election were not the
papers now before this Committee: ,,.,.
Mr. Angel testified he poll clerk In the sixteenth
District OF the Eighteenth Ward which gave scanne ll3
votes and Nesbit "a witness made out Two OF te re-
made out by him. Other witnesses eorroD0rateu tnS
| testimony. .,
altered the ELECTION a farce, and II Seanne got l3
votes how could be possible that these VOTES could be
are statement OF the actual canvass He had UNI
derstood that man had gone INTO the Eleventh District
and had taken bunch Of tickets aud stuffed the ballot
box with Them and he had in his possession AS afdavs
TO show that men had voted for scannen IN districts
where the gave him only 1855 votes and he wished
say that the returns now IN tho hands OF this Commit
tee the made on the night OF election
| Mr. Lawrence maintained the returns we're correct,
and that beyond any question Mr. Nesbit was fairly
elected IA the returns bear upon their genuine APP
| pearance and he wished the Board would award his
client his scat in this Board and that the protest be now
MIR Farley said that In view Of the fact that the opn-
ion had been expressed the OF this Committee
10 administer oaths the case would BIO referred TO the
CoTporation Counsel for his opinion evidence
had been given, mainly in repetition OF the above Mr.
Farley said counsel might hand In their evidence TO
the clerk and they might consider the case Closed and
the Board would render an early report
one or minor OF protests we're called and no
| person appearing they were dismissed.
The protest OF Nicholas Seger against canyassng the
votes for j. W. Guentzer OF the Tenth Adermanc Dis
trct was next considered Eugene Durnn and Senator
Dreamer appeared for Mr.. seger. Evidence was INTRO
| duced TO show that the returns OF the Twenty-nnth
Election District OF this Ward had been changed from
seger GnenZer thus eecng the latter by eight votes
bat through whose agency this alteration had been made
| the Board OF Canyassers Will have 10 decide.
The OF Henry Murray AIT. James L. Coulter was
next reached and after receiving testimony 10 the
effect that the poll clerks OF the First District OF the
Twenty second Ward testified that the returns shown
them were correct Mr. Farley declared the closed
Mr Francis " curing entered protest against the ac-
ton OF the Committee dismissSng protest received
by tho Board Thursday To the effect Of cOnesng the
election OF John Scott for Police Justice OF tho Fourth
District upon the ground that he did not know that the
Committee would hold a meeting. This last protest
ordered 20 be laid upon the table The Committee
then adjourned and Board OF Canyas5ers met and
after making few corrections IN the returns and swear
| ing in Alderman John Croker adjourned.