The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-10-24

/ .nnual correction OF the list. Tue .ausss !.
,ta a,a,.,ion have no discretion az TO thequatl.
4 ations of voters. They are controlled. ny
the registration list IN fact, they are .ne.v,,
recording officers Now. ASK Tue geh,n.
man q hat Would be the relition OF tne su.
ntryisors contemplated by ttiis" s'sseno'upe"'
10 our registration aud elsctlons! I'LL,
Mr.. Garfield of Otio: That OF Simply
standing by and seeing the work done, WIN
o,,t onv other power Snan 10 witness IL from
beginning to end. $50.
tain in any way the application OF voter
| who bad been rejected by the registering Oh
| ticer!
Dir. Garfield Of Ohio: l take 1t that they
could not.
MIR. Edredge: Allow me to ask The gen.
tleman from OHIO whether these ovefseers
OF election will have the right to be present
to supervise and take charge OF the registfa-
ton?
MIR. Garfield of Ohio: They take charge
If nothing, except to see 1t.
Mr.. E.dredge: BY The former law the
Federal officers were TO scfutiniZe ana Suafu
the registration as well as the election.
Mr.. Garfield of Ohio: These o!hceis are 10
do nothing except what rs set forth ID tue
Globe, Second Session Forty second Con-
gress, Part y, page 44oo.
The same dry, Mr.. NIBLAcK said
The proposition as it came from the Senate
| has been very materially amended. as mem
bers baye asccrtained from the reading OF the
amendment itself, and from the discussion
VI. have had in reference to it. Indeed. sir.
| The proposition as now submitted IN the re-
port of the committee Of conference, is, IN my
view. a mere skeleton OF that which came 10
us in the first place from the Senate. Inc
power OF tne.e supervisors is reGuceo 10 tlat
| of mere official witnesses oil elections, Win
| no other power than so make complaint De-
fore the proper CfliGers of the law II they
| think the election laws have been Vloiatcd !;
| and nyoody else who happened TO he pre-
sent and Zee The transaction coud 90 INC
| same. The only power given to these men
| is 10 be present during the entire eectlon III
| their official capacity, with the right 70 re-
main there even without the consent OF inc
! local Officers Congressional Glove, ieecoh0
| Session FortySecontt Congress, Part p,paye
| 4455.
|. VIII it be said that the original act was not
changed by these amendments! In the same
debate, Mr. kerr, of Indiana, said:
Yet, as | have said, this provision Is less
reckless and dangerous than the original act.
These additional supervisors, under express
| language of this law, shall have no power or
autnority-that is the language OF the sec
tion-shall have 10 power or authority to do
ANYTHING except 10 be in tue immediate
presence Of the election officers, and to wit
ness heir proceedings in the conduct OF the
election, including tue counting Of the votes
ard the making Of the returns thereof
CONGRESSIONAL Globe. Second Session Forty
second Congress, Part v, page Hoo.
Again: Same debate
Mr. Kerr: Under the language OF. that
amendment think it IL pe lcrtiy Clear. as
Question of law, that these two supervising
witnesses will have neither right nor author
ity to sligo, or to supcrinlend, or in any way
to modify or to change the return OF The
election. They may merely stand by and see
how it is conducted. - Congressional Globe,
Second Session Forty-Second Congress, Pdrf
y, page 4453.
When the bill was reported back to the
Senate by Mr.. EDAuNDs, chairman Of the
Seuate couterceS, the following proceedings
took place:
Mr.. Morton: ask the secretary TO read
again that part Of the report which refers to
the powers of the supervisors of elections.
The chief clerk read as follows:
and 1,rorided tusthe., That the supervisors here
In pruvidcd .hall nave 10 power or authority To
M Ike arrests perform other duties han ~ De
IN The lmmedsic presence OF The officers holding
the election and witness all their proceedings,
incl pr In. he
OF the rSiurGs Thereon.
Dir. Morton ask the Senator from Yer
mont il understand correctly that this sim !
ply makes the supervisors silent spectators
without even tie power 70 challenge vote :
MIR. EdmunQS: No, sir. They have no
pow er to challenge vote except that which |
belongs 10 citizen under the existing laws.
Under The existing law, in cities of twenty |
thousand lnha OtantS ur more. the power OF
the supervisors is to be officially present
where lnvy can BE- in the immediate presence
of Tie officers having charge of the election,
and TO observe the voting and TO witness the
counting of the votes and the making up of
the returns, so that they shall know precisely
villa! the truth is. Under exisIiog law they
never had the slig htest power to make arrests
or TO interfere with the course OF the procC-
dure in any way. The House insisted upon
having this provision put in As means OF
Compo,lp. their differences i'll the other body.
TO y n,ch we were forced 10 assent with Il
view 10 getting to an end Congressional
Gtobe, Second Session EortySecond Con-
gress, Part Y, page 449J.
The whole debate shows that both Houses
understood that all powers had been taken
away from The supervisors except that grant
ed in the proviso.
If these official declarations do not satisfy
Mr.. FLgAsASrs, it is because he is dctcrm.
the proviso alluded to 10 this debate was
coDiincd in its operation TO counties? That
is an aftcr-thought. It was evidently con-
sidered By Congress as applying to the
cities. The language (See aOole) is that
"the supervisors herein provided for" arc
deprived of all power. Aud that the word
"herein" applies to the whole act as
amended is proved beyond doubt by the
lan.uag of the amending act itself. We
quote from it
"Prouided, That no compensation shall be
allowed to the supervisors herein authorized
to be appointed ercept those appointed in
cities or to,oas Of tWenty thousand or more
| Inhabitants"
This language settles that question. The
"hereiu "applies to the same supervisors in
| both places and TIE supervisors so de-
| scrioed are by the amending act deprived Of
all power except TO qualify themselves as
| witnesses. The debate we have quoted
md tho lanuu,up IF tho r,rnyjSo