, 1876-11-18
important Meeting Of the Board
of Canvassers.
Arguments as to t'e Acceptance or Re-
ieetion Of Certain Precincts.
The Authorities Are that the Board
Must Count All The Returns.
The County Clerk 1ntimates Strong De-
sire to CAST the Detective Ones Out,
Changes Which viii NJ Aado II They Ao Kat
Counted.
MORNING SESSION.


MORNING SESSION.
the DOUBTFUL PRECINCTS.
The Board ot County Canvasscrs met yester-
day morning for tho purpose Of continuing the
Canvass and also Ut listening 10 nrRumcnts rc-
gardnE CERTAIN precincts which had sent Ia de-
fcctlvc returns.
Several Judges came in and fixed up thelr re-
turns while others wanted to, hut were informed
IL was impossible, aud one Of them got al In
t!mal!oo from Gen. Lieb that tho Grand Jury
would attend 10 his case. After this had bcca
disposed OF thu arguments began,
NH. sniTH
said there was no disposition to take up the
time Of the Board unnecessarily. llc under.
co,lntc,l when properly eertlaed,-tlat the want
ui q talfy.slacct Ind bccn regarded "a 70 reason
for Ece;ting tic yo.e Of precinct NJ: :,t;,,a Gsn-
by counting ,votca property certified n the ab.
scuce Of taily-shcet: aud the same thing sas
dune III tho Ease NJ MIR. 1luck. the County
Iea a s !dsss 70 es srh Mas s
III no year hatl m election been held II, which
tho ssll.e defect lad not occurred In nunlevulis
>ta,rcs,-pcri'ape, however not as numerous = .
been suggested tint It was not .pruper 10 pre-.
cent unv argument unless Lie board indicated
Tint tley desired to l'cnr some authorities gu
Mr. i.,cb-Ntr. Smith and Gentlemen: In
lave to. answer your remarks thus:
Tna' Il we ,hNsr avs 1or T., tue ,,o,pt pa,s
the letter Of the law Strictly, 1t Is no reason why
we should adhere to the error, II 1t yas an
error, especially as 1t Is the case tony That the
e spo1 s@ III. very subecs II Ruri m
Ing Boards. / would ast Mr. -smtI, whether
the following u good law, or whether !. y q
good principle to live BY: "1s Is IN our !udg;,
t.1t Il f,NtS ors tn
liberty tint the habt Of obedience u the forms
Of Inv should BIZ seiulously tncutcatcd and c,tl.
tivatcd, and that resort to cxtra-cohstttuttonal
Should bc avo'dc'l antl condemned Is 1cvoiu-
ilunary, digorganzlng, and Tending 10 disorder
and niarcl,yT Is tint good princlplei
Mr;; sns!th-1t strtkcs me SO, II UNDER
Mr.. L'ch-Wcll, sir, have that from tho
answer Of the gentlemen who were sent ey the
President VI ttls Uhltca States to New Orleans
the Democratic gentlemen who went Tiers for u
joint conference.
Sir. smttI.-TLat may be. I am neither tho
President uf III: United States nor his agent.
Mr.. Llrb--1 luca1l whether It Is EoUd principle
Mr. Smith~-l understand there Is sucl place
rs New Orlcnss. never wis there.
MIR. Licb-l believe thls y one country. AS
theru Is Ole law governing nil the countries in re-
Ear.l tn this 9ucstton--
Mr.. Smith-ics.
hlfs Ltlf-I LINK IL Is our Nllly 10 lQOK InLD
this nlA,irr--wl,rtlitr the furtns uf Inv bavc
b. en- followed ~ returns.
lii. stnitI,.-Tllat is alt right. What l wanted
to kt"w |, whether you desired to hear any ar-
Mr.. Lcb-We have concluded, nr come to the
determination, unit! iurtler light Is thrown
Lrun The SUBJECT, that N We understand thu
law, Il rcEllrlt to ht
nrrrnS McBy CONTAIN ALL THE REQUISITES
laid down IN t'lr law. That II, u list ot voters.
whiuh is thu posl-book. II certified rtinrn in thr
fear oi 1t. MD ssily.siret with tatty-'uaFks us
prescribed bv law These three papcrs, Or tllcsc
tirtt requirements, must bu followed in toto,
NTH hc t.slo:eA tuScthcr III one titsclDps, To- bc
nrunpttc return: So We understand the law.
We have received partial rcturn1.-tnc0nspletc
trturus.-;.,ll until thu rnr,,c'i gentleman Gun
shaw u, that wt aFc thrTvcet In ,,ur v!uws, wc
shall stand hY our areiston. Until thea we
ss:, nct saMsAss ~, my further or resevs t'sss
any ar4:1sncuts III Tit Kuh}cr: you wish To make.
4 double consultation then tnuk p!acu, u,-i.cD
with Ills eol!eusu:s Atnl Smith with his asso-
si!teS. .luht.:n ilninrn' lnaunvr indsated that
he was llstlcasc,! un u:ro,at ot Leh having all
n.,un.el HUT the H.Nrl had 1unlc up tllcir
Iatnti, anil :. wosla rs'ia:te cysae9sa 70 ehanEs
DculociutIe purity
then OIerc'i the argument Oh hehals Of thu Re-.
pulI!ican c;ln,lllatcs. liz said thu proposition
he :r',lll iay down wns thai the b'4are waa nH
jul:.!al i'osly, uti hail uu power to de%it.e
questions competent: for a court to decide; tAal
Ii was on1y ministerial ln!tS funrtiona a,,i must
give cxiEcss!onto to the vnsrs OF the people, i
there was enough bcfurc the Board to enable II
u u so; t!1at Il ial nu right to decide Iutifeial
~ npup the Regularity VI an clcctI, Or the per
iorn'anec III thu duties VI the oIlivers conduct
lug tAc election In al!y event. After mentioning
tic duties required If Judges, ho said il nly
dtrcctiHN which the statute Elyr them could hc
tiIAle tho ground III throwing out tue votr, tlct,
al or any unc Of tlcm c9u!t. be malc The
ground. As liz understood the stalute, tic
tai,y-tlrt wus part Ut the r.ttrnuf the Judges.
Il accompanied the rrtnrn, but was not n part
OF Il; ami the bour.l would acc this by an Attcnt-
j. was thc l.uty VI lilo Judges 10 make tally.
Ut "lt lncl,se It With Their return. aud scil
II to the County Clerk. iie then referred 10 tte
xs IT s ,ni; t9Ils * REL Fal9r r.; vs. IiLya5d t
showed. thAt tic Judges !lau not taken the oatl.
ul office. The Court said:
Thcs. o!llcrrs s1Iuarl Of Canvassrss) uec clothed
tae sad retura+ and make aoasracss Of ths volts
!ey apprar ~ saiI return. and the Clerk Ia to de-
IN. .s,c hist'rsi number Of vote. a. msufestel by
said rrlusl's. They use mol sluwed tv reject any
s ey 70 s eSs ass w xy ~. N" s
furM prereTinsd hy Tho statute. II tho return
aiow lhe wLo|s nul'l,nr Of soles given, .no names
Of the Fcrson. vutsl for, unl tlt Naubsr VI yolcA
t,Se. 10 cnc ,hry cunialn everything Mat Is ms,
ts;ali ana 4 propsrly authenticated should he ra'
The Boaru was bound to 70 by tho certificates
u tic }uJE"a, atl To- DECLARE the result u
si!u"I " theus. III thu present case, tIluru
was certificate OF the result US 10 every one,
In the forn prs:scrtbsa BY Inv, shtIwinis the
number " yo&ys carh Ec1s received, Au,l the
complied With.
The question war, Who did the qualified voter,
e!erfs Fuf1ns shnnld hu MalH aabscryIcnt 10 this
inquiry lpa should nD1 rule In objection to sub.
;c ce. ~ sl.Ss sou shS asi'n .n;e Of tho
III then quoted ftoh, MpCrary Oh tue "Aulcfi.
cnn Law VI E!cttlls," whcrr LAa sat.u doutrinv