New-York tribune., 1871-04-24
POLITICAL.
THE CONNECTICUT ELECTION.


OF THE GENERAL ASsEMBLY-rUE PROBABLE
RESULT OF THE CANVASS.
HARTFORD, April 22.-It will correct a wrong
impression concerning the result Of the election for Gov
ernor Of Connecticut, which prevails to considerable
extent to say that the Board OF Canvassers has power
whatever TO issue certificate OF election make any
declaration whatever beyond reporting to tho General
Assembly the vote returned from the several towns
power OF the Board derived from the State Cons
tuition In Article ~, relating to tho Executive Depart
ment provision Is made for the OF votes by noder
ators OF towns TO tho Office Of tho Secretary OF Sate
"withn ten days next after said election and then the
Constitution says
"The votes returned shall he counted by tho Treas
April fair list Of the psTsons and nuser p Of Votes
given for each together with the returns of the presiding
troer, made and laid before The General Assembly,
then next to be holden, the r day of the session
TIC same declare the person whom they shall find to DO
legally chosen, and give him notice accordingly"
Now, In the OF tho vote this year. the General AZ
semby acting under this Constitutional provision must
only by the returns themselves but by TIE returns Of
the presiding officers dncludng the protests of the Mod
orators In New Haven and Enaed ascertain who is To-
galy chosen and that can only be determined by re-
count, examination OF the checklists and the usual
evidence In contested elections Under the statutes OF
the State at tho close OF election the ballots ere kept
sealed for six months TO await possible official inyest-
this power because there has been de-
manding It, Our Gubernatoral elections. except when
the contest has been triangular and there has been no
choice by tho people, have always been decisive
enough to satisfy both parties, and the official count has
been rather informal than otherwise. But this year
everything has depended the scattering vote. Leay
ing out that VOTE and including the Cheshire VOTE about
which there Is no doubt In the minds OF leading
Democratic partsans, there Is tie. Giving Mr. English
three six OF the scattering which In way bear his
name, and he appears TO be elected by either six or
twelve. But here are the New-Haven and Enfield re-
turns under protest The matter of protest is officially
brought to the notice of the Assembly through the re-
port Of the Board of CanvasSer and can the Assembly
ignore l At all events 1t will not evade responsibility
even though the reckless Of the organs Of the
Democracy talk The Hartford Times does tonight as
follows:
boxes in May and they claim that they VIII declare
Jewell elected such count IN violation OF the c0nsi
be changed and the party that can print the most votes
and stuff them in during the GO aiss between the eoc
such laws-no such outraee-can he tolerated. ~ cd-
not Win!'
Nobody will be frightened by this clustering talk The
Constitution Of the State speaks for itself Tho extracts
from the Constitution above define the powers of the
Legislature and makes it imperative that only such
didate shall be declared elected who has been legally
chosen" and the fact OF the legality of the eleciiol
where there is any question, can only be deter
mined by obeyinS tho constitutional requirement
that the Assembly shal not declare the election till
after an examination OF the votes and returns.
Republicans want nothing palmer than this. But
if anything were needed to make the case stronger,
If may be found in clause OF the Constitution
which directs the Assembly to prescribe the manner In
which all questions concerning the election OF Gov
ernor or Lieutenant Governor shall be determined" In
obedience to this clause the statutes direct that the
yassers lists and the original returns Of all votes made
by the presiding officers shall be submitted to the Gen
eral Assembly the first day of its session. Now for
the Democratic party to claim that the return OF these
town officers are binding aud absolutely conclusive on
the State through its Assembly is TO talk nonsense. II
1t were possible to arbrae the question, tie Repuhh-
cans would be willing to leave it out 10 three of the
ablest Democratic lawyers in the State.
The Democratic papers seem TO ignore the fact alto
cether that rights belong much 10 party the
other The Republicans OF Connecticut only ask for fair
play They would as much dislike TO Gov. Jewell
elected by fraud Gov English II is the honor OF the
satenot the personal ambition of two men-that Is to
control the question There have been mistakes pOssi
bly, only mstakesy in the returns from two towns and
II it shall so prove, they will be rectlfcd That is all
there is abOut it.
To-day the Canvassers have considered the protest Of
John Kendrich defeated candidate for Congress in the
Id District tho ground that 80 votes intended for
him were put I'm tho wrong box in NewHayeD, the claim
being that, under law of Congress a. where supcryi-
sors are appOintedD such votes SHAH be counted But
the Canvassers ignored HIS claim altogether and gave
the Hon. s. W. Kellogg his certificate of election. A
meeting ablest lawyers I'm the State was held yos
terday, and these questions fully discussed
The canvassers have given certificate OF election to
can1dafes FOR Congress are as follows: Ist District,
strong (Rep) 2G ia District, Keildgg Rep) 4; Ma
District siarkweather QepJ 1906 INth District bar
(I)Cm), 116i.