The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-11-24

The Prince George amended returns. he
showed, were mailed on the 18Th, and were
not forwarded by mail, ias the law REQUIRES,
bat in care Of Mr. r. T. Wilson, special mes.
senger, and he was prepared to prove that
Mr. Wilson was chairman of the ConserYa.
tive Committee.
MIR. Goode: And Commemorative attor
ney.
Mr.. Lyon: And the man who got up these
amended returns.
Mr. Lyon declared that he would pass BY
the amended returns from James City and
York counties, as they had been abandoned
by MIR. Goode. It was his conviction that
the Board should act only upon the certified
abstracts returned at the time required by
law.
Mr.. Lyon read extracts from several law.
books supporting that position.
i Further, he maintained that when the
Boards met in the counties on the second
day after election and ascertained the result
they had exhausted their powers. As fol-
the amended returns from Sussex, he object
ed to them because they were not sent by
mail; because they were signed BY only
three commissioners, whereas the original
ones had been signed by four; and because
they were dated the 9th Of November,
though not attested by the clerk until the
13th. In regard to the amended returns oil
Southampton, he made the same Objection
that they were signed by only three commits.
sioners, whereas the originals were signed
by four, and because j. ID. Pretlow, one OF
the commissioners, bad appended foot note
showing that the original returns were re.
vised for no good reasons at all.
Ar. Lyon seemed to regard the defective
Prince George original returns with some
apprehension. He, however, asserted tha.
they were certified sufficiently. There was
no law requiring specific formula. MIR. Lyon
exhibited certified copy of the returns ol
Prince George county furnished Mr.. Platt
by the clerk of that county. His copy was
attested By the clerk, and he asked that it be
received as evidence. He bad no doubt the
clerk of the court had accidentally omitted
his signature from the copy forwarded the
State Board of CanvaSsers. MIR. Lyon con
cluded by thanking the Board for its patient
bearing.
Mr.. Mcdonald, just before the Board was
about to adjourn, explained in relation to
the record, so much talked about bv Mr..
Lyon, that the returns were recorded as
they were received. But for convenience
sake, and to save clerical labor, they were
written on blank form sheets, which were
collected and bound together after the re-
turns were all in.
AFTERNOON SESSION OF THE BOARD.
At 3:l5 the Board took recess until 4:15
Upon the rtassembling OF the Board Mr.
Allan, on behalf of Mr.. Platt, addressed the
Board upon the subject Of the duties of the
State Board and County Commissioners and
the intention and scope Of the act of April
80. 1874 [of which he. claimed the author
shi p]. The defective roriginal] returns from
Prince George county possessed the very in
that act was intended to cure, he
contended.
Colonel w. W. Gordon closed the case in
an argument Of great eloquence and power
on Mr. Goodies side. He reviewed the
speeches of Messrs. Lyon aud Allan very tho.
and reiterated the propositions that
the duties Of the Slate Board were merely
that the duties of the County
Board were ministerial and judicial-they
are authorized to send for persons that it
was perfectly proper and right for the
to rectify their returns
before the assembling of the State
Board; that the State Board having acted
finally its powers were then exhausted. If
the amended returns were not received by
the Board, he asserted that there was, then,
no returns from Prince George, the original
reinrns from that county being fatally de-
fective.
( In conclusion, Colonel Gordon rasped
Mr.. Lyon severely for his questioning Of the
motives Of those who sent in the amended
returns.
All the gentlemen visitors and others now
retired from the room, and the members Of
the Board were left alone to consult toge-
ther.
THE VERDICT OF THE BOARD.
The Board was in session from 7:30 to
):45 2. NJ, except for a short time when the
members went to supper. At the end OF
that time they made known their concu-
3ions, as follows:
The Board of State CanyaSsers having
considered the objections made by the con-
testants to the returns from the Second con-
distict, from which it appears that
l. 4,3I7 votes were given for James IL. Piatt
as representative in Congress from said dis
trict, aud 14,0S3 were given for John Goode,
Jr., as such representative, giving to James
FL. Plat, Jr, q majority of 294 votes, are of
opinion that there was no power by
law in the commissioners of election
in Prince George, Sussex, Southampton,
James City, and York counties to amend
the returns of election and return them 10
the office of the Secretary of the Common
wealth, but they are Of opinion that the re-
turn made by the commissioners of election
in the county of PEiHce George is defective
in this, that the abstract Of votes given at
,aid election is not certified and attested as
required by law. And rejecting the return
rom that county the vote will stand:
For joan Goode, Jr......'.... .'....1o oa1
making majority of 131 votes for said
Goode: and we do decide that the said John
Goode, Jr., has by the greatest number OF
votes been duly elected to-represent the sald
district in the Congress of the United States
DEATH OF Mr.. JAMES KERsEY.-Mr. james
Kersey, a we'll known and highly esteemed
citizen, died at his residence, Halislnk,
In Hanover, on Sunday. He was born in
Hanover county in 1905, removed to Rich
mond in 1914, and. was entered as an ap-
prentice with Captain Goddin in the carpen'
ter's trade, and afterwards with Otis Man-
son. he was for q. time foreman for Mir.
Henry Exall, and went into business with
Mr. Charles T. Davis in 1850, from which, in
of declining health, he with
drew about two years ago. Since that time
he has been employing himself on his farm.
Mr.. kersey had been sick only ten or fifteen
days. He will be buried from st. James
church at II A. NJ. to-day.
----------
POLICE COURT MoNDAY.-The following
cases were disposed of by Justice Crew yes.
terday: n.,, u,r.;,
John Hoger, John Holzbach, Tom Martin,
lanes Elicit, and Jack Street, were hned "
each. Henry and Julia Brown 81. 90 each, and
Alfred Brown 81, for drunkenness.
Ionos Elaet stealing. was sent to Jail for