The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-01-24
THE FUSION STATEMENT.
A Disingenuous and Evasive
Document.
MOST OF THE IMPORTANT
FACTS LEFT OUT.
Nothing Said About the Counted
In Members.


statement drawn by the committee of the Flu
sion Legislature to be submitted to the SUI
preme Court, with questions, and reported to
the Legislature this afternoon. The statement
was unanimously accepted, but the questions
were laid ON the table until Monday by vote
of al to 21. The statement is as follows:
STATE OF MAINE,
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Augusta, January %, 1880.
The committee appointed to consider the
question of the constitutional organization OF
the House and the present condition of affairs,
and which has been instructed to prepare and
present to the House statement of facts with
Questions appended thereto, to be presented to
the Judges of the Supreme Judicial Court,
have attended to their duty and ask leave to
report.
mittee the committee Efnd the following facts
in regard to the Governor and Council IN rela-
ton to the returns OF votes Tor members OF the
Senate and House Of Representatives OF the
59th Legislature OF Maine.
On the 10th day of November, A. d. 1879,
the Governor and Council commenced to open
the returned copies of the lists OF votes for
Senators and Representatives to the 18th Leg
islature which were made and forwarded to
the office of the Secretary OF State by the OIL
GERS of the several cities, towns and plantations
in This State, and were found by the Governor
and Council The Governor and Council then
nroceeded to examine said returns and said
comics of said lists of votes for the purpose of
ascertaining what persons thereby appeared to
be elected to the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatlves by plurality OF all votes returned.
After careful examination OF the returns
themselves they entertained all the evidence
offered in which it was proposed TO snow that
a return from any town or city dld not agree
with the record of the vote OF said town or city,
which was made up in open meeting as the
constitution requires, in number OF votes, or
names of persons voted for. They did not al
ter about Nov. %, 1879, exclude or refuse to
hear or consider any such evidence, but held
open sessions and gave all persons ample OPP
nortunitv to present such records and to be
heard there upon, except at such times as the
Governor and Council were engaged on official
business. Until the day on which they were
required by the constitution to issue summons
to such persons as appeared to be elected by a
plurality of all votes returned to attend and
take their seats, they heard counsel in argu-
ment in all cases in dispute that arose during
their examination OF the returns whenever IL
was desired at such times as was convenient
for the Governor and Council, and in no in
stance was any party interested or their coun-
sell precluded from a hearing, except for few
DAYS after the Governor and Council had COM
menced to open the returns and before they
had themselves sufficiently examined them to
perceive upon what points doubts might arise
as to the correctness OF returns, and they de.
clined all hearings until about the the 25th Of
November. after which time their sessions
were open and all interested parties were free
Nv heard. Copies of xrecords made up in open
meetings as the constitution requires, were
presented to them from a large number OF
cities and towns of the State, all of which were
carefully examined by the Governor and