Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-03-12

ton which has been moo,cd in reference to
the constitutional provisions relating 10 the
counting and rcrtifca,ion Of votes for STATE
officers. Gen. Grandcy's lons legislative g.
pericncc and legal ability give cspeeill
value To his opinion on such llesiions
"Thc only officers IN Vermont elected hy
the people are Governor Liculcmnt-Govtr-
nor and Treasurer. The constitution is very
brief upon the subject. Ii requires the con-
stables of the several towns 10 receive the
votes or ballots for Governor. Lieutenant
Governor and treasurer, and To seal them up
| nhe paper ballots and send them. by the
| Representatives oi the respective towns. to
| be by them delivered at the next session of
the General Assembly. To the canvaSsing
committee provided for 10y the constitution
to receive, sort and count them, and declare
| the result to the joint Assembly. The con-
stitution does not require any certificate 10
accompany these ballots. l. requires the
constable To write on the envelope contain
| ing said votes or ballots the words, y otcs
for Governor but it does not require him L"
write thereon the name of the town IN which
| the inClOscd ballots were cast nor Ia lnci"sr
| therein any certificate oil the votes given.
| Neither does the constitution authorize any
person, hoard or authority TO count. canvass
sort or certify any votes givcn for Governor,
! Lieutenant GOvernor or treasurer, except tn"
canvaSsng committee I" he appointed 10y the
| General Assembly at the session succeeding
snch election The votes for Governor.
| Lieutenant Governor aud treasurer cannot he
| LEGALLY snrted counted or certified in the
manner prescribed hv the constitution until
| ho,h Louscs of the General Assembly shall
| cb,ns,. ia. ,,nv.ssin.r cnnu,ittr. inns an
Vented 10 receive s,id votes and sn,t and
-, H., al ,,,,,,,, Tho ,..s,,lt T., ia. i,,iut
,,a,II, m. ,,,..,i,,,,i,,, ,,,.,,,.,iI,,s hi.
$50 :, i, 49,, ,,''',. r.ln,,,,ft,s any.
o,I'.'r ,,o,i,,,r or s,r,i,,r ,u.,,;r'r nr ,any.
I, a.. -, - s.;I ,.,,,,,e.i,,,, com
-, =, H., IN, ,c.ar,IJ,. shnv.s Inn no
,,arsar no. r.c,ivnL n r,ni,,i,v of thr y,t,..
-, Cor a,,,. ar ,.i,Ior 81 s,iJ nGic,s the CON,
sti,u,io, rrnvidrs ,hot Tho Joint Assembly
| I'LL ;,,,,,a,li.t,I,- ,n,l,. tho clrction
s.oIrJ n,i. I,,,,r, h,s n.ssad s.,n,, ,lir.,tary
s,,,,,ne in ,,.r,rJ ,o rcc,.;vin,r countino c,.r-
I'D ,;,e,;,,;,,,r ~. ,,,,ns la, IN
,',;si9,t,,r,. Los ,,,,,. ,,.,ssnd ,ud ofca,rsr
Ill ,,o, Ill. nass ,n,. s,,,tnt, law wlr,
,,o,,lI a., - ,,i,l ar infrir,r,. NM, tLr
INDEPENDENTLY ro,,,;r.,,,a,,t ~. .t.uut,..
Ar, ti,.,, ,ho ,r,Siin'r n,,;c.r If ,, frcr-
,,ar,s ,'',,;r,, win, he Town cI,,k srlrct-
Nom and i,,s,iI.s n,.,cI, Town sb.lI snrt and
,,,,,, H., ,.,,,n. si,., f st,f, o,ficr,t md
n,olo =, Iiet nf No norsnrs voted far and The
,,,,,,i.,'. 90, 60, o.,,,.L ,,.,s ,rJ ti,, - ,..r
,;t;,a,, ,Ior,.,,f sboll Ia. nod. Lv the nr.sid
;n,r I,,ic., .nJ town ,lc,t and recorded in
~ ,n,,,, ,i,rl',s n,,ica .md ,hrv shall also
,,al III, ,ro,, ;,io,t,s a, Tho nuu,h.r Of votes
on, for ooch ,,,.,s,,n and shall ipclns,. said
oar,i,;oat., i, ,h,, sn,,,, ,,ofl.,rs ,nrt,;,iu,
the VOTES or IalIois Tor said STATE oilers,
and shall seal Them IN together with those
VOTES and write ON each OF said three
envelopes the names of the town.
and on one of them the words.
| .Notcs for Governor on another Votes Tor
| Lieutenant Governor. on another. Votes for
treasurer as the case nav be: and the pre-
siding officer * rruuirrd To- deliver slid back
orrs 10 the town representative. to Le ny him
delivered 10 the committee appointed hv the
General Assembly Ia receive. and canvass
tbcm This st,tntc is in no decree in con-
dict with The constitution. Indeed it was
Indispensable furnishing rs il always has.
a MAN and necessary .riilc 10 town officials
in ,,trmntinr to disch,rgr their duties \
statu,c was messed in 1865 recurring the
,nu,n cI,.rl,s Ia n,,L,. =, c,rfificntt. of votes
niven for Governor Iicutcnaut- Governor
AMI treasurer in their r,.sprctivr towns. and
transmit the same bv mail 10 The secretary
NJ S,oIc yhn i therein rruuircd 10 make a
vi 7ta.t' VIM i m -,
roIic'' VI al -, NV ',,,...i,,,,
con,pit,e, when tla, committee. shall hr an
non,cd bv The General Assembly. This
lt,tnr,. is If cnursc intended to facilitate
the cnrly busincss of the session. am! aid the
c,nv,ss;rn COMMITTEES, in thrir duties
..Tlcr,. is rn law ar statut,. in Vernon;
| which removes inc 'o"h au' nus '..'', .''
duly ihlposcu upon iheih ny '''' ''''9' 'l'''"n
10 seal up al tlie paiIo's "i N",N '"9' AT .''H
lrecnich iice'inS i"i '.a't "i'i'''S' "'',. i'
Waiu 'hti'i 'aIeiuils ~ ''io''
10 ne "'h'cieu =" INT ','iN "99'i'T
as inc tohsutu''"hicp'ii' VI N,'' !. ~
Inc cail'ass'hs commute nom mn M
tuliohai uu'y ~ receive. S"i' ''i'' I'm ga
the ballots lhci"S'u III iit Pd'Ais'S t"'S
lI'ereu 10 thei', uiiItSS 1t "c Id" i'''''''''
upon ti'c "',i Nh, 'iiit ''ii'i''"'' -
common IL" ih' i,i"i''i'.' Vi
sliuil"h III i'Sa'" ~ INT 'O"'.,i"S ~ ''
lots by the canvasSln% committee mas never
been obeycd 10y ihein,ahd hrlih'f the i'"l'''
the Lcslslalur c, nor any p"llllcal parry mas
ever treated That inprac'lcanie PI"''7''" ~
the constitution win any'hihS "ui ;"",
naturcd contempt anG chrome dlSr'Sdi'', A'i'l
the canvasslnS committees nave hi'it i"'"
reports solely upon an Inspection "l tue '''
tihcatcs furnished Them nom lhc 81 vera"
towns ny The picsldih% officers ana '"""
clerks y" person mas ever INSIST" ''r'''
tins cnnvasslnS committee upon ,h' ,''"'''
being counted ny lheih- III 80" " i''iI'
cratic Governor, l-ltul'il'illi -,''Ncln"i' ana
treasurer were ci'cteu ny lhc JOINT -,s>''''''',
the only Democratic "o'tfh"r vermont
has had since lSll. Inc ciiiNa>NihS com
mittcc, consisting OF II Representatives ana
II Senators, reported TO the JOINT Assembly
! that there Was no election ot State officers hN
the people. y majority OF the committee
were Democrats, and lhIs bclh"'ril'c com
mittec proceeded IN the same manner as AL