The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1896-03-07
NO NEW REGISTRATION.
The Democratic Senators Carry Their
Point.

ANNApoI1s, MD. March 4.-To-night the
Democratic Senators carried their point in
amending the elections bill in several partic-
ulars. The important one was that doing
AWAY with the proposed new registration in
the counties.
With regard to the new registration i'll the
counties the Democrats take the ground that
il is unnecessary, as the books are now rea-
sonnhIy clean and can be made entirely so by
a strict revision. There are ia the counties
about 164, 900 voters. 1t is estimated that it
will, on the average, take each OF these half
day from his work to get registered. Inc
Democrats argued that nothing but the great
est necessity should compel all these men to
90 to the trouble and expense OF registering.
Another important amendment adopted by
the Democrats is that making the canvassing
board bipartisan and TO consist OF one Dem
ocrat and one Republican election luogc IRON
each district or precinct This was strongly
opposed by the Republicans. Ia the oriS'nal
bill the canvassing boards are the states
Attorney. the presiding judge OF the orphans
Court and the Supervisors of Election Inc
Democrats objected to this because the Judges
Of the Orphans Court may refuse to act and
in any event it would he bipartisan board
The great objection to the amendment urged
was the large size of the canvassing board.
IMPORTANT AMENDMENTS ADOPTED.
Senator Crothers offered to substitute for
section "a of the bili, which provides ior
new registration in the counties a new sec
ton providing that eight weeks before the
election this year the registers snail trahscflos
the names into new books from the old DOCKS,
eycept those challenged by one OF them on
oath; that these names shall he placed on
separate list, which. with notice to the per-
sons on it to appear, shall be sent TO the
superyisors of elections and by them he pub
lishcd in all the newspapers in the county;
that if only one newspaper, they shall aiso
he published in handbil form; that these lists
shall also be sent to the States Attorney, the
clerk of the Circuit Court, the register OF
wills and each constable in the county, and a
copy be mailed to each person named on
them: that any of the persons on them ap-
bearing and satisfying the registers oil his
right to be be registered shall be put on
that any citizen shall have the right 10
appeal from the registers to the Circuit Court
and from there to the Court OF Appeals; that
after finishing the transcribing the boards of
registry shall meet again for four days live
weeks before the election and for two days
three weeks before to register and note
names to be stricken off. This was adopted.
Senator Crother- offered another amend
ment to take the place of section 70 OF the
bill. which relates to the canvassing boards.
It proyitIes that the board in Baltimore shall
consist of two Of the judges OF election of op-
posite political opinions from each precinct
to be designated by the supervisors ut the
time of thoir appointments, and in the coun-
ties of the two judges who had acted as
registers in each election district, ard that IN
case of the illness or inability to act of any OF
these Judges the supervisors shall designate
another of the judges to take his place. This
was adopted.
Another amendment to make the return
dav the Thursday after the election instead
of the next Tuesday was adopted, as also
were amendments to provide that the State
canvassing board should make their returns
to the Secretary Of State from the certified
copies of the statements made by the boards
of city and county canvassers only; to strike
out the provision that it should declare who
was elected and insert that it should deter
mine from said certified copies what persons
have been by the greatest number OF votes
elected.
Senator Westcott then offered an amend
ment to provide that ballots put in the box
without initials on them shall be counted.
Senator Randall offered an amendment to
this that after they were counted the judge
should write on them counted and sign his
initials.
This was debated by Senators Westcott,
Michael, Crothers and Randall, reference be
ing made in the debate to the ballots that
were in the box in Calvert county without
the Clerks initials on and were rejected. 1t
was adopted by a unanimous vote