The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1880-02-27

V- The Boston Herald recently gave
a report of an interview by its CORES
pondent with Gen. Grandey of Vergen-
nes, regarding the section of our state
constitution which prescribes the method
of ascertaining and counting the ballots
for governor, lieutenant governor and
treasurer. 1t will be remembered that
"BFownie" the Boston Journals imag-
NATIVE Vermont correspondent, discov-
cred that the constitution had not been
strictly followed in ascertaining these
votes by the legislature, and thereupon
cast black shadow over the Green
Mountains by confidently announcing
that the terrible wide-awake Democra-
oy of Vermont were going to capture
tho loaves and fishes when the next leg
islature meets by as containing the vote
by constitutional Methods" a la Maine
Fusionists.
Gen. Grandey gives the following
statement of the requirements of the
constitutions:
"The only state officers in Vermont
elected by the people are governor,
acknowledgements and treasurer. The
constitution is not verbose upon the
subject. It requires the constables of
the several towns to receive the votes
or ballots forgovernor, lieutenant-gover-
nor and treasurer, and to seal them up
(the paper ballots) and send them, by
the Representatives of the respective
towns, to be by them delivered, at the
next session of the General Assembly,
70 the canvassing committee provided
for by the constitution to receive, sort
and count them, and declare the result
TO the joint Assembly. The constitu-
ton does not require any certificate to
accompany these ballots. 1t requires
the constable to write on the envelope
containing said votes or ballots for
governor the words, Votes for the gov
ernor;' but it does not require him to
write thereon the name of the town in
which the inclosed ballots were cast
nor TO inclose therein any certificate OF
the votes given. Neither does the COLI
stitution authorize any person, board
or authority to connt, canvass, sort or
certify any votes given for the COVER
nor, lieutenant-governor or treasurer,
except the canvassing committee to be
appointed by the General Assembly OF
the session succeeding such election
The votes for governor, lieuteDant-gpv-
ernor and treasurer cannot be legally
sorted, counted or certified, in the man.
her prescribed by the constitution until
both houses of the General Assembly
shall choose the canvassing committee
required by the constitution TO be ap-
pointed for that purpose. The consti-
tuition requires the canvassing commit.
tee thus appointed to receive said votes
and sort and count them, and report
the result to the joint Assembly. The
constitution prescribes this course, and
II in no way recognizes any other meth
cd Of sorting, counting or canvassing
IL the report OF said canvassing com,
mittee to the joint Assembly shows that
no person has received q majority o.
the votes cast for any or either of sale
offices, the constitution provides tha
the Joint Assembly shall immediately
make the election"
He further says that
"rhere is no law or statute In Yer
mont which relieves the town anthori.
ties from the duty imposed upon then
by the constitution TO seal up all the
ballots or votes cast at any freemen's
meeting for state officers, and forward
them carefully by their Represents
tives, TO be delivered to the canvassing
committee, as the constitution requires
and there is no law or statute which re-
lieves the canvassing committee from
their constitutional duty to receive, sort
and count all Of the ballots inclosed in
the package thus delivered 10 them,
unless IL be law founded upon the
maxim that common custom is CON-
mon law The requirement of the
constitution in regard to the counting
OF tho ballots by the canvassing COM
mittee has never been obeyed by them,
and neither The people, the Legislature,
nor any political party, has ever treated
that impracticable provision of the con-
stitution with anything but good-na-
tured contempt and chronic disregard
and the canv assing committees have
made their reports solely upon an In.
speotion Of tho certificates furnished
them from the several towns by the