The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-12-25

AUGUSTA Dec. 25.-The following important let
ter was sent by Hon. Lot sM. Morrill, to Gov. Gar
celon to-day: -. ,o-o
To His Ercellency, Aionzo Garcelon, Governor Of
Maine
cannot be mistaken in thinking that in common
with all good citizens your Excelency must deplore
the existing condition of public sentiment in this
state to-day Two great political parties embrace
ing in their ranks the entire population OF the state
are brought into angry relations, producing bitter
personal anmosties and possibly leading to scenes
of violence What is the origin of this extraordna-
~ condition of affairs seen for the first time in
Maine? 1t is because unhappily fer the first time
in Maine great political party and all the mem
bers thereof feel dissatisfied with the mode in
counted and declared. Possibly they may be in
error, but sixty-eight thousand citizens OF Maine
who voted against your EXcellency at the Septem-
Der election do not feel that the actual result Oh
that election has been proclaimed.
Even granting that all these men are in error,
your Excellency cannot but see that it is a very
serious matter to leave sense of wrong ranking in
the minds of so many good citizens who have at
heart as sincerely as your EXcellency can nave
the peace, good order and happiness OF society.
your Excelency cannot fail to perceive moreover,
that the counting out of thrty-seven Republican
members of the Legislature, elected on the face of
the returns, is an event sure to provoke irritation
excitement and anger The Republican party claim
to have elected by the official returns one hundred
and nine out of the one hundred and eighty two
members that compose the Senate and House. The
counting out of onethird of the entire number that
the Republicans believe they have elected is certain
ly an extraordinary event your Excellency Will adj
NIT i not asserting that your EXcellency may
not have had good for following this course
but respectfully submit that you can do most
valuable and honorable service for the State and for
yourself by adopting measures that will satisfy
every citizen of the state of the reasonabeness and
Justice of your Excellency's course. Your Excel
lency is the only individual in the world that can
command the prompt opinion of the Supreme Judic-
ial Court The constitution gives you power to re-
quire that opinion on important questions of law
and upon .'solemn OCCASIONS There are surely
INN Mt neniinp
this is solemn OCCASION so that if that great pro
vision of the constitution were ever needful, it
would seem at this moment to be of inestmable
value. 1 beg also to remind your Excelency that in
questions of like import which have arisen in times
past to perplex your predecessors in the executive
chair the habit has been uniform and general to ap-
peal to the court for the true Interpretation of law;
and at time, believe, has it ever been, charged
that question of this character the court has
rendered decision tlnged with partisan feeling.
The recent decision of Mr. Justice Virgin is fresh
illustration of how little the political bearings of
question influence the judges of our Supreme Judic-
ial Tribunal 1t is in the power of your Excellency
TO instantly restore peace, order, quiet and good
feeling to the State and its inhabitants by asking the
opinion of the judges on each law point involved in
the variation of the count from the face of the Off
cial returns. There precedents for recalling the
summons to Senator or Representative elect
when enormously issued, and in the of the five
disfranchsed cities no summons has yet been sent
to any one. Even if there were question as to the
strict legal right to recall certificate OF election 1t
is not to be doubted that the decision of the court
would at once cause the members not entitled to
the seat to retire and the rghtful member to be at
once admitted. The judgment OF the court would
thus settle by just umpirage as it was designed to
settle the embarrassing and dangerous questions
under consideration.
address your Excellency not simply as an in
dividual anxious for the peace and good order OF
the State but as the chairman of committee of the
Republican party all of whom are DESTROYS above
all things to avoid every possible disturbance of the
public TRANQUILITY and to reconcile the popular dis
content.
Very respectfully yours,
Lor M. MORRILL,,
Chairman, &C.
The three selectmen of Webster, William H.
Wright r. D. Y. Philbrook, c. H. Maxwell, and
the three selectmen of Lisbon, E. n. Chamberlain,
j. R. Edgecomb and E. NJ. Shaw, were before the
Governor and Council to-day. 1t will be remem-
bered that both of these towns were thrown out on
the ground that all the names of the selectmen ON
the return in each town had been signed by one and
the same man. The Council made this decision ec-
parte the motion, it is unders TODD, OF Councillor
Fogg, there being no evidence whatever before the
Council on the subject, and neither town being
notified of the change. Every selectman of each
town made oath to-day before the Governor and
Council that each had signed for himself in the
sence of the Others and each swore not only to
his own signature but the signature of the Others
Each selectman of both towns then in the presence
of the Governor and Council made his accustomed
signature and the writing of each name correspond
ed precisely with the signature made by each on the
returns
Councillor Fogg then wanted to know if one of the
seecten had not signed the name OF the town clerk
to the returns. Each selectman of both towns
swore that had not and they all swore that they
saw the returns signed by the clerk in open town
meeting.
Orville d. Baker, Esq, the:l on behalf Of the Sc
lectmen of each town, offered to bring the clerk OF
each town to testify before the Council any day
hour they would appoint. Signatures OF the town
clerk on other documents admitted to be original
were then produced and compared and found to cor
respond exactly with the signatures to the returns.
Every selectman of each town further made oath
that the returns were signed and sealed in open
town meeting. Orville d. Baker, Esq, for and on
behalf of the selectmen of each town then asked the
Governor and Council whether there was any other
objection of any name or nature against the valdi-
ty and regularity of the returns from Lisbon and
Webster Mr. Baker reminded the Council that the
selectmen from both towns were all present, at
great inconvenience and no small expense, and If
any further objection could possibly be made to the
returns of either now was the time and place tomake
it, Mr. Baker closed by saying to the Council that if
they did not state to the contrary his clients from
both towns would assume that the Council had no
further question or sobjection5 respecting
the returns from either town. Nothing was said
further by the Council by the Governor, and the
seectmen of both Lisbon and Webster left with the
confident belief that Governor Garcelon would order
the returns from both towns to be counted, and
would at once recall the certificate of election as
Representative from Mr. Beal (DemD of Durham,
and order new one to issue to Mr.. Thomas (aep)
who was elected by large majority. 1t is expected
moreover that Mr.. Bea will at return the GER
ifvato when lie sees fairly demonstrated that Mr..
Thomas was actually and legally elected.
There is said to be a great deal of excitement in
both Lisbon and Webster on account of their vote
being thrown out for that had no foundation
whateyersin fact or law. One of the selectmen OF
Webster, Mr.. Wright, is a Democrat and a man of
high standing with his party. He and his two col
leagues in order to hearing before the Gov
ernor and Council today, travelled through driv
ing snow storm thirty miles in open sleigh before
nine O'Clock this morning, leaving long before day
light The Democrats and Greenbackers of Web
ster are said to be much excited the matter
the Republicans.
They hold Councillor Fogg responsible for the
whole transaction and they go so far as to state thai
the certificate sent to Mr. Beal without even the
knowledge of Governor Garcelon. This fact gives
them the more confidence that Governor Garcelon
will insist justice being done. He is personally
acquainted with all the parties living in his own
county, and is fully aware and firmly persuaded OF
the great outrage that has been pepetrated against
Lisbon and Webster
FROM KENNEBEC COUNTY.
Indignant Citizens in Winthrop Denounce
the Governor and Council.
[Special Despatch to the Press.