Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-11-19

Although there was driving snow storm
yesterday and the travelling was horrible,
there were large gatherings at Senator
Blaine's nearly all day. Among the new ar
rivals to join in the conference were Hon. f.
A. Pike of Calais, Hon. Austin Harris of
Machias, Hon. Stephen j. Young of Bruins
wick, and many others, SO that the attendance
of out-oftown people at Mr.. Blaine's was
about as large as it was the day before
The proceedings Tuesday in the counting
out" of the republican members elect of the
legislature, were important and highly
significant. From the interviews between
the republican committee and Governor Gar
celon, telegraphed Monday, there was some
hope that basis Of adjustment might be
reached. But during the night the rumor be-
came general that members of the Executive
Council would not unite with the Governor
on any plan that involved an examination of
the official returns by any other person than
the members of the Council, and yesterday
morning when the republican committee went
to the State House, they were informed that
Governor Garcelon had left the city on the
forenoon train-gonc no one knew whittier.
The members of the Council were found to
be in session, with Hon. John b. Foster of
Bangor, in the chair, but they absolutely re-
fused to see the committee, not even admit
request. The committee were informed,
however, in the Office of Secretary of State,
that the election returns had been Monday
evening reported back to the Council by the
passed an order declaring that the ''twenty
days of the statute for receiving applications
for corrections of returns, should run from
that date Monday, the 18th. As this order
was made after night-fall and the Council
Immediately adjourned the republican com
mittee complain that one of the twenty days
allowed by the statute was thus at once and
peremptorily cut off.
As soon as the Council had refused to
receive the republican committee and
legal advisors as Senators and Represen-
tatives elect, the Hon. Joseph A. Locke, SEN
ator elect from Cumberland county, and Hon.
Austin Harris, Senator elect from Washing
ton county, each for himself and over his own
signature, sent the subjoned communication
to the Council. Both of these Senators elect
accompanied by legal counsel, waited for
for some hours in the ante-room of the Coun-
Gil Chamber for an answer to their verbal re-
quest, sent by the Councils messenger to be
admitted to the chamber to present their re-
quest in person. The Council refused to
admit them, and the Senators elect finally
sent in the paper which is as follows:
To the Honorable Governor and Council of
Maine:
The undersigned respectfully represents
that he was a candidate for the Senate of
Maine. at the last annual September elections
from the district of Cumberland; that as such
he has an interest in the official votes cast in
the several towns and plantations in said dis
trict and forwarded to the Office of the Secre-
tary of State and fearing that there may be
defects and informalities in the same. which
can he corrected according to the laws of the
State, requests that he may have an oppor-
tunity in the presence of your honorable
board, to examine said returns by himself or
counsel, for the purpose of correcting any de-
fects or informalites that may be found
therein. as is his legal right under the laws
of this State.
(Signed) JosEPH A. LOCKE.
Augusta, Maine, November Is, 1879.
Mr.. Harris letter is precisely the same in
effect
Mr.. Locke and Mr.. Harris then served a
similar request on the Secretary of State,
who is the special custodian of the returns.
After waiting several hours and receiving
no reply either from the Council or the Sec
rotary of State to the communications of
Messrs. Locke 4 Harris, another effort was
made by the attorneys, Messrs. Baker & Ba-
ker. who addressed communication to the
Governor and Council late in the afternoon.
This communication was carried to the State
House by the junior member of the firm,
Mr.. Orville ID. Baker, who, on reaching the
ante-chamber, sent a message that he wished
to be admitted to the council chamber for a
period not exceeding ''three minutes" Word
was sent out that they would hear him for
Just that time. He was admitted and read to
them and left for file the following
To the Honorable, the Governor and Coun-
eli of the State of Name:
As your honorable body have passed an or
der declaring that the twenty days in which
application for correction of election re-
turns is allowed by the statute, should begin
to run from the 18th inst, we have the honor
to request as counsel for certain Senators and
Representatives elect whose names we have
already filed with you, that you will advise
us when we or our clients may examine the
returns in your presence or in the presence
of any committee of your honorable body.
As the obvious contemplation of the law is
that every party interested in the returns
may have the whole of the twenty days for
application for corrections, if needed, we
have to submit for your consideration that
every day in which we are debarred from the
examination now asked is serious infringe
mcnt of our undeniable rights under the
laws of the State. AS further and pressing
reason for immediate examination we beg to
say that several Senators and Representa-
tives elect residing in remote sections of the
State are now here and desire to see if there
in, thn rutn aV