The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-11-16
T I, & n.onssiana Election Law.

The 3H.oussfana Election Law.
& The following are the sections bearing
upon the present controy ergy
Section .. be It further enacted, de-
That Eve persons, to be elected by the Sen-
ute, from all political parties, shall be the
returning officers for all elections IN the
q minority Of whom shall constitute Q
quorum, and saiaye power to- make returns
81 all efectio ns. In case Of. any vacancy by
death, resignation, or otherwise, by either
| OF the Board, then the vacancy shall De
filled by hesresidue OF the Board or re-
turning oaicers: ao INN s IA
returning officers shall meet i'm New. Or.
leans, and compile the statements os voIes
made blythe commissioners OF ielections,
and make returns of the electionto the Sec
retnry, Of State. They shall continue m
session until such returns have been CONF
piled. The presiding officer shall at:sucil
meeting open; In the presence OF the said
returning officers, the statements OF the COM
missioners of :electi0ng and the said RETURN
ing officers shall, from said statements, can
vass and compile the returns OF the election
in duplicate; ;one copy OF SUCH returns
they shall file lin the office OF the Secretary
| OF State, and tof one copy they Shall make
public proclamation by printing In the ON
cial journal and such other newspapers as
4 thew NAV deem proper. declaring the rnn1es
| of all persons and officers voted Tor, the
number of votes for each person, and the
names OF the persons who have been duly
and lawfully elected. The returns OF the
election thus made and promulgated shall
be primG facie evidence in all the courts OF
| Justice and before all civil officers, until set
aside after contest according to law, OF the
right, OF any person named therein to hold
! and exercise the office, to which ne shall by
such return be declared elected. The Gov
ernor shall within thirty days thereafter
| issue commissions to all officers thus de-
clared elected, and who are required by law
| to be commissioned. 4irat = 49, :. :.
mSectioni 8. That IN such CANVASS and
compilation the returning officers shall OBJ
serve the following order: They shall COM
pile first the statements from all polls or
/ yotinr-places at which there shall have been
fair, free, and peaceable registration and
election. Whenever, from any poll or
yoting-place, there shall be received the
statement of any supervisor OF registration
or commissioner Of election, in form as
required by section 26 Of this act, on afi-
iaY1t of three or more citizens, OF any riot,
tumult, acts Of violence, intimidation, armed
disturbance, bribery or corrupt influences
which prevented or tended to prevent ialr,
free, and peacea5le vote of all qualified
electors entitled to vote at such poll or vo-
tinc-place, such returning officers shall not
canvass, count, or compile the state
mepts Of voters from such poll or vo-
ting-place until the statements from all
other, polls or voting places shall
have been canvassed and compiled. The
returning officers shall then proceed to in
yestisate the statements Of riot, tumult,
acts Of violence, intimidation, armed dis
turbance, bribery or corrupt influences at
any such poll voting-place; and If, from
the evidence Of such statement, they shall
be convinced that such riot, tumult, acts OF
violence, intimidation, armed disturbance,
bribery, or corrupt influences did not mate
rally interfere with the purity and freedom
of the election at such poll or voting-place,
or did not prevent a sufficient number OF
qualified voters thereat from registering or
voting to materially change the result OF the
election; then, and not otherwise, said re-
turning Officers shall canvass and compile
! the vote Of such poll or votinS-pace with
those previously canvassed and compiled,
! but ii the SAID returning officers
shall not be fully satisfied thereof, it shall
in regard thereto. and to this end they shall
have powcrto send for persons and papers.
II after such examination the said return
| ing officers shall be convinced that said riot,
tumult, acts Of violence, intimidation, armed
disturbance, bribery, or corrupt influences,
did materially interfere with the purity and
| freedom OF the election at such poll or
yoting-place, or did prevent a sufficient
number Of the qualified electors thereat
from registering and voting to materially
change the result Of the election, then the
said returning officers shall not canvass or
compile the statement of the votes OF such
poll or voting-place, but shall exclude it
from their returns: Provided, That any
person interested in said election by reason
of being candidate for Office shall be al
lowed a hearing before said returning Of
ficers upon making application within the
time allowed for the forwarding OF the re-
turns OF said election. -...,.,
'.Section 26. That IN any parish, pre-
cinct, ward, city, or town, in which during
the time of registration or revision OF regis
tration, or on any day Of election, there shall
be any riot, trlmult, acts of violence, intimi-
dation, and disturbance, bribery or corrupt
influences at any place within said parish,
or at or near any poll or yoting-place, or
place OF registration, or revision OF reglstra-
ton, which riot, tumult, acts of violence,
intimidation, and disturbance, bribery or
corrupt influences shall prevent, or tend to
prevent. a fair, free, peaceable, and full
vote OF all the qualified electors Of said
parish, precinct, ward, city, or town, it
Shall be the duty Of the commissioners OF
election, if such riot, tumult, acts OF yio-
lence, intimidation, and disturbance,
bribery or corrupt influences occur on the
day OF election, or OF the supervision OF
registration OF the parish, if they occur du-
ring the time Of registration or revision
of registration, to make, in duplicate
and under oath, a clear and full state
ment Of all the. facts. relating thereto,
and of the; effect :. produced by such
riot, tumult, acts of violence, intimida-
ton and disturbance, bribery or corrupt in
fuences in, preventing fair. free, and
peaceable and full registration and election.
and Of the number Of qualified electors de-
TERED by such riots, tnmult; acts OF yio.,
|lence,, intimidation and disturbance, bribery.
or corrupt influences from registering or
voting, which statement Shall also be corro-
borated, under oath, by three; respectable
citizens, qualified electors Of the parish.
When such statement is made by; a commits
sioner Of election, OF q supervisor OF, regis
tration, he. shall forward it in duplicate to;
the supervisor OF registration OF the parish
fif: in the city Of New, Orleans to the Secre-
tary of State) s. one copy of which, i made
to the supervisor of registration shall be
forwarded by him to the returning of1cers
provided by section Of this act, when he
makes the returns OF election in his parish.
U;e coY,v NJ aaid Statement shall be so an