Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-12-14

to contest the right Of the Hon. Van II. Man
ming 10 8 seat in the Forty-eignth Congress,
and Mr.. Manning has accepted service. The
following is Chalmers's Letter in full
Gen. Chalmers TO Col. Van III. Manning.
WASHINGTON, December, 1852.
Hon. Van H. Manning:
SIR You will take notice that will con-
test your pretended claim to a seat in the
Forty eighth Congress of the United States
the member-elect from the Second d strict
of Mississippi, to which I was elected and
you were not, and shall insist that you have
not even a prima faeie right thereto. l
charge
FTra.-That the pretended credentials you
hold are illegal and void, because not such
credentials as are authorized by the laws OF
Mississippi.
Second-The certificates, which have fled
with the clerk of The House of Representa-
tives, from the secretary of the State of Mis-
sissippi, show that have the prira faeie
right 10 said seat.
1hird.-That the pretended credentials
which you hold are not only informal, but
issued illegally and frauduleutly, in pursu-
ance of conspiracy originated by you and
your immediate parusans IN charge oil your
canvass. And in this connection / charge
that you and your friends gave instructions
to tine inspectors and clerks OF election not
to sign and certify the returns where you
supposed / would receive msjorities, and
that these instructions were carried out at
FIVE precincts in Marshall county, and vari-
GUS precincts in other counties. L charge
that your friends attempted to make frandu-
lent changes in the registration books and
that at various precincts, notably Holly
Springs and Byhalia in Marshall county,
and Olive Branch in Desoto county, your
partisans in charge thereof refused to allow
the United States supervisors 10 scrutinize
the registration books. That when the
election was over your friends at Chula-
homs, in Marshall county, at night, blew
out the lights, tore up the tally sheets,
and were only prevented from stealing
the ballot-box by the courage and
GOODNESS of the United States supervisor.
That at the Lauderdae box, IN De-
soto county, one of your partisan inspectors
wss csught IN The act of changing the ballots
as they we're put In the box, and that at
Eudora and Lake Cormorant, 10 said county,
the boxes were secretly stuffed, thus chang
ing the result in Desoto county from ma
iority of several hundred for me to a u ajor-
ity of l35 for you. That at the three pre-
cinets in TsIlahatchie county, namely:
Grabsll, Hybernia aad Bufords, where
would have obtained 500 or more majority,
and al Nesbitt precinct, in Desoto county,
where would have received 100 majority
or more, your partisan inspectors refused 10
hold any election, and dissuaded others from
90 dong, and l charge that this was done
under instructions from you and your politi-
cal managers. That when the election re-
turns had been sent by the inspectors at each
precinct to the commissioners for canvass,
and when the result had been published
showing majority of over 1900 for me, you
and yeur friends sent messages and tele-
grams to leading Democrats in other coun-
ties stating that you could have five boxes in
Marsha ll county thrown out for Irregularities,
thus reducing my majority in that county TO
450from ] 060, and urging your party M anagers
in other counties TO SO change the returns in
their counties as to give you majority.
That the Democratic leaders in other coun-
ties, and especially DeSoto county, refused
to obey your instructions and thus defeated
the conspiracy. That the commissioners in
Pamela county declined 10 certify the returns
from Pleasant Grove and Pleasant Mount
precins, which gave me POP majority, be-
cause in one seven more votes were found
than voters and in the other one less vole
than voters, and on this himsy pretext these
boxes were thrown out of the count by the
secretary OF state, thus depriving me OF 202
majority. That the commissioners of Mar
shall county threw out the Jacksonville box
which gave me sixty-seven msjority, for
want of a tally-sheet accompanying the re-
turns, and counted the East Holly Springs
DOX, Wnlcn gave lnirly -Sl1 majority IOr you,
although there was no tally-sheet with the
returns therefTom. That the Commissioners
of Election of Marshall county made out re-
turns of election and certified the same, and |
directed the clerk in my presence TO
seal up these returns and forward the same |
to the secretary Of state, on Monday, the 18th |
Of November, and then adjourned, making |
no protest of any kind with the returns. |
That the secretary of state pretended that |
the returns from Marshall county did not |
reach him until Friday, the 18th OF Novem-
Der, though ii sent as directed they should |
have reached him on the 18th. That when |
opened a protect against their own returns
was found in the papers, and said to be in |
the handwriting OF w. M. Strickland, chair
man of the Democratic Executive Committee
of Marshall county, and signed by the two
Democratic commissioners, which protest con-
tanned false statements OF pretended facts. |
That the secretary of state fraudnlently con-
cealed from the inspection Of myself and my
friends the returns from the Second Con-
gressional District, while he permitted the
returns from the other districts to be inspected
and published, aud while he gave notice in
advance to your attorney OF an ambiguity
in the returns from Tate county. And
charge especially that p ice Porter, the
deputy secretary OF state, has said that the
returns from Tate county were opened Sun
day before the canvass was made by the
secretary of state, and when the ambiguity
was discovered IL was communicated to Gov.
Lowry, and that after consultation with and
upon the advice of Gov. Lowry, the returns
from the Second Congressional District were
locked up and concealed until they were
ak up to be canvAssed; tn at when the Sec
AIRY OF state canvassed the returns, in con-
empt OF a writ of prohibition from the Judge
u the Ninth Judicial District OF Mississippi,
le illegally and fraudulently counted the
Az votes from Tate county for J. r. ChdsI-
Ness that were certified to have been cast for
ames Il. Chalmers, under pIetense that the
wac the essential part OF the re-
urns, although the returns from Union,
l1ppah and Desoto counties, where you have
nsJorities certified, have no tally-sheet ac-
,ompanying the certificate.
Fourth.-1hat the holding of an election
It the Graball precinct, TalIahatchie county,
where would have received q large major
~, was openly resisted BY your partissns,
Irmed with Winchester rifles, under pretense
II lear OF smallpox, although the voting
precinct was some distance from the region
injected by smallpox, and although the in
ecied region was then and had been for
ong time previously safely quarantined and
ut lherefrom.
FTh-That in spite of the frauds at
emPted and practiced by your friends, re-
eived majority OF 1882 votes as member
1 the fortg-eighth Congress Of the United
itates for the Second District of Mis-
lssipPi, as certified and returned by
ne Inspector and clerk OF the sew
raj election precincts to the Commits
Toner OF Elections in their respective couu-
les, aud but for the fraudulent and illegal
'fsciices OF your friends my majority would
ave exceeded 5000 votes.
JAMES R. CHALMERS.
A Direct Denial Prom Gov. Lowry.
pecial TO the Appeal
JACKSON, Miss, December 13.-The fol-
swing telegram from Gov. Lowry, TO the
Ficksburg Herald, will appear in that paper
B-morrow:
Jackson. Miss, December 10, 1850.
Mss:
No such conzultation was had with noe :
I'D no such advice was given by me as 10 !.
be Tate county returns, as is referred to in
In. Chaimers's notice 10 Col. Manning Of
contest Of his seat in Congress, and any
Ie1lzrstion to that effect il without the
llEhtesl Ioono alton. ROBERT 10 WHY.