Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-03-19

l.
"AsHs we're hled showing that the votes yer
.c1ua'iy cast for Hiram W, Briggs, and thu
vas 50 recorded in the Clerks record
Oh tne other hand in the town of Lincoln
Cnere the return showed that the votes 70
County Attorney wereithrown for b. II. M.ce
yet upon afiidavits that the voters intended !,
vote for benjamin H. Mace, the Goyerno
ana Council tabulated and counted the yot
lor Benjamin H. Mace, he being the fusio,
candidate, and receiving the Certificate q
election.
Otner instances are found touching tn
question OF the names used in the votes fo
inherent candidates when the decision of IN,
Governor and Council was one way when +
anec'eu fusion candidate, and the other wa,
"hen It AFFECTED republican candidate.
candidates for Senator was Franc;. w
Redlon, and in the town Of H.nova
the republican vote as shown bv m,
return was for Francis w. Redlopd Tn,
Governor and Council refused to count IN,
vote for Mr.. Redlon and he lost the vote O,
the town. But in Lincoln Plantation in tn,
.aihs county while the fusion candidate wa.
Cha!les KaDkins, the vote of the plantation
was thrown for thrown for Charles Rankin
ana the Governor and Council tabulated anf
counted j; for Charles Ranlins.
In Washington county where one of the
fusion candidates was James r. Table,
the Governor and Council tabulated an5
counted for him the votes of the town Of Tai
madge which were returned as thrown 20,
John X. Talbot. and also the votes of Kos
suth which by the return were thrown ia,
James r. traIbart.
In Cumberland county one of the fusion
candidates for Senator was Isaac +. Quinn
oy, but the New Gloucester and Raymond
vote was thrown f0r Isaac +. Ouinby. The
Governor and Council tabulated and counted
the vote for Isaac +. Quinbv, while in Aroos.
took county. where in the Ashland distric,
John Burnham was the republican candi
date for the legislature and the vote of Ash.
land .Eas returned for John Burnam
the Governor and Council refused to tabulate
and count I for John Burnham.
| The towns Of STOW and Denmark afford
other instances of this inconsistency in ap
plying the Governor and Councils rule a,
appears in the printed testimony.
A strong instance of the perversity of the
Governor and Council, and their determination
to count in a majority of fusion Senator. ant
Representatives, at the expense of republ,
can candidates, is found in the action of the
Governor and Council in the cases of the
cities of Portland, Lewiston, Bath, Rocklant
and Saco. In these cases no argument OF
citation Of law could induce the Governo,
and Council to certificate the republican
Representatives who had been elected BIZ
large majorit;es, and even after the opinion
of the Justices had been received and an op
portunity was offered to set the matter right
the rejection was persisted in. In this case
Governor Carcelon testies that he advised
his Council after the opinion was received
that the republicans in Portland should re-
ceive their certificates, but he was oyerruled
In the district composed of the towns o.
Exeter and Garland, two brothers viz. Geo
S. and Francis w. Hill, were rival candidates
| The town of Exeter returned its vote for F
w. Hill 22O, G. S. Hill, l46, while the
Garland return showed that Francis W. Hill
received l3l votes and George S. Hill 2l1
while IN fact the Exeter votes were cast 70.
Francis w. and George s., and not single
vote in either town beng cast for either +
w. or G. S. Hill, thus showing that on the
vote actually cast George s. Hill had deci
ded plurality. Yet the Governor and COun
ell refused correction under the law of 1877
/ by allowing proof that the votes were in fac
cast for George S. Hill. and that G. S. ant
George S. Hill were one and the same person
and decided that there were four different
persons voted for and issued a certificate to
|
in the whole district had voted.
The Improper use aud Expenditures o
/ Public Moneys under the Control o
the Governor and Council.
Your committee have explored this subject
so far as to disclose great irregularities ant
misuses of public moneys. The accounts o
the several members of the Executive Coun
ell which are submitted and make part of the
| sbn, hot tho .pp,nhnrS lost
opportunity OF making charges against the
State and drawing pay from the public treas
ury.
Attention is especially called to the extrf
charges made for work as members OF th'
collection committees while the work of tab
ulation and preparation was being done, which
resulted in the "cnInting out" In some
| cases these extra charges, as in the accounts
of Mr.. Focg and Mr.. Brown, amount to con
siderable sums of money, and the payments
were received in addition to the regular PEI
diem nav which was received for the samt
time.
The charges of this kind sho"
that the tabulation and preparation
the returns cost the State about eight nun
bred and fifty dollars. If any part OF the nv
hundred dollars paid Mark Harden for his ex
tr, services in addition to his salary wa
!
greater than the sum named. Ordinarily TN
extra expense of tabulation has been less thai
one hundred dollars.
No doubt the extraordinary work performed
nv the Council in connection with the returns
was onerous and wearing, but it is question
able whether the people who furnish the mon
ev will be gratified to find that so much OF
was spent to accomplish such result.
The Appropriations.
yonr committee have examined into tn
condition of the various appropriations maze
for the wear 1879, for specific purposes: an'
And that they have generally been strippe'
and exhausted The course of business toi
lowed appears to be that an account IS KEEP
with each appropriation, and that every sun
drawn against it by warrant OF the uo.e.ho
and Council is charged to the appropriation
and the account is KEEP; on the ledger IN TN
Secretary of States Office. so that glance a
each account may show at any time the con
li,ion of the appropriation
When an account or claim by any o'nc.
or emplove or contractor Of the government
or by any outside party is presented, II soc
IN the governor and council and Is reierre'
~ IT'S proper committee, which usually re
norts If favorably, advising the governor .
Draw his warrant on the state treasurer 10
the sum allowed. and that the sum De enarse'
L. sxI.