Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-12-26

Judges OF the supreme court. VI III
stance, tie judges gave an cpinion Ia
1915 that the Governor and Council
could not count votes returned for
William II. smith and ". ii. Smith
for the same Office, Us having been
given for one and the same persons,
applying this rule this wear, changes
the resui. in q Large number Of dis
tricts. The return from the city Of
Portland WAS fatally defective no.
complying with the constitution in
giving the names Of lcrsons voted
for with the nuriL,r OF votes against
each name. some 40 votes welc re-
turned as " scattering, thu, chang
ing the result on three senators and
leaves five vacancies IN the House.
In Leadston, Saco. BAH aud Rock
land the returns were slsEei 10y a
minority only OF aldermen. The
law requires the whole number Of
ballots 10 be gwen IN returns ami
there are abundant E.IuhIrau pre-
cedents for rejecting them where
they fail IN Il Il respect, - to-,
where there is material 2lifo.euc,
between the whole number OF hal
lots and votes stated. Several
changes have resulted from these de
fccts. In all doubtful cases the Gov
and Council have consulted eminent
counsel before coming TO a conclusion
and lii every instance the action Of
tic loard has been unanimous with
one exception only. Ian that instance
the question at issue did not affect
the character of the result.
+. +. PmI.snrEY.
Deep snow.
PoRT JEEvAis, y. v, Dec. p
has fallen to the depth of nearly sew
en- feet.
Wants Divorce.
New YoRK, De. 16-A Worhi
Washington special says: Mrs.
Sprasuc has authorized her attorney
to draw up papers for divorce from
Governor Sprague.
Slavery in Tennessee.
MEMPHIS, Dec. 13.--Judge T.. S.
Hammond, of the United States Cir
cult Court, to-day had novel case
before him. j. G. Birmingham, of
Louderdale county, Tennessee, has
been indicted for holding two colored
girls in slavery. Itappears Birming-
ham refused to recognize the aboli-
ton of slavery, and every since the
war has claimed to own the girls, be-
cause he owned their mother. The
conduct of Birmingham excited the
Indignation OF his neighbors, and at
their instigation the United States
grand jury recently found an indict-
ment against him. Judge Hammond
Quashed the indictment, holding that
the act of Congress which declares
"that every person who kidnaps or
carries away any otherperson with il
tent that such other person he soldin-
to involuntary servitude, or he held as
slave, shall be punished by fine or
imprisonment" could not apply to
any one holding, or pretending to
hold, in slavery, in this country, be-
cause slavery having been abolished
there could be no slavery here and
therefore no one could be held as a
slave. This, the Judge said, is an
offence not provided for by the act
of Congress, and not punishable be
indictment in the federal CO urts
The defendant was discharged.
Delegate Cannon on Mormon Affairs.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1G.-Last night,
in n conversation with o Tribune
correspondent respecting .anti-poly-
gamy laws and bills on that subject,
introduced in the House yesterday y
Willets, Delegate Cannon of Utah
said he does not believe that those
laws can ever be made effective. He
declares that the desire to disfran-
chise Mormons is born of tho hope
among the impecunious in Utah that
they will be able to control the Off
GERS and disburse the taxes of Utah,
if a scheme of disfranchisement is
carried out. Cannon denies that he
has recently been married to fifth
wife. He also says that it would be
contrary to all precedent for the
House of Representatives to take any
action toward expelling him. If he
has offended against the law he is to
be tried by the law, and not by Con-
gress.
The Plot Thickens.
WASHINGTON, Dec. ala number
of PROMINENT Republicans have been
quietly at work in this city for sever
al days looking up the law and pre-
cedents bearing on the present and
prospective situation of Affairs in
Maine, with view of overcoming by
some means the action by which
Gov. Garcelon and his Council have
counted out enough Republicans to
give majority liz the Maine legisla.
ture to fusionist Democrats and
Greenbackers. 1t is reported on
good authority that n telegram has
been sent to Senator Hamlin, as Il
result of these inquiries and deliber-
afiopo cnbcto N lie, ~, ra1Ia....