Evening journal., 1897-01-06

my absence, purporting to be the
grounds and specifications on which
you propose to contest my election as
representative in the General Assembly
Of 1he State of Delaware. from New
Castle county. I beg to state in reply
thereto. or 50 much thereof as at pres
ent seems proper, as follows:
First In reply to the first speciti-
cation as stated in the said paper left
at my residence, | beg to say that l, the
contestee have no accurate or suffi-
cient knowledge with respect to the
matters therein alleged by you, but
that If the same should be true and cor
rect. ] am advised that the same are in
sufficient in law to entitle you to my
seat i'm the House of Representatives Of
the General Assembly of this state in
that no allegation is made that the
votes cast for me were not sufficient
to entitle me to a seat therein, and
further ] am informed and believe and
therefore expressly allege and declare
that the number of votes cast for me
legally and properly. and which were
legally and properly counted, or should
so have been, entitled me to a seat in
the said House of Representatives..
being one of the seven who received the
highest number of votes In New Castle
county at the election held i'm said
county onNovember 3d. A. d., 1896, for
the office of representative in the said
General Assembly from said county
Second. In reply to the second ale
CATION in said paper purporting to be
specifications and grounds upon which
you will contest my seat. | beg to say
that ! have no knowledge as to what
the true and accurate returns from the
districts therein named were or what
they should have been, and the same
objection as to insuficiencyof this allie
CATION is alleged as to that horeinbe-
fore set out with regard to the first
Third. Replying generally to the
other specifications and allegations in
said paper purpOrting TO be grounds
for your contest, ! beg to say that no.
where in any of them is il alleged that
/, John T. Dickey, the contestee in the
contest which you propose to institute.
did not receive a sufficient number Of
votes to entitle me to a seat i'm the
House of Representatives in the Cen
eral Assembly OF the State of Della
ware, from New Castle county, and
that the allegation therein contained
might be true. and nevertheless you,
the said contestant. Woodward W.
Cheairs. might not be entitled to oust
me from my seat to. which ! have been
duly certified i'm accordance with law,
and that while denying the allegations
contained in each and all Of the said
specifications, because / have no
knowledge which satisfies me of their
truth and accuracy. yet / particularly
and explicitly hereby declare that
was one of the seven persons voted for
for the office of representative in the
General Assembly from New Castle
county, who received the highest num-
Der Of votes for said Office at the gem
eral election, held on the Sd day of No
ember. A. d., 1896, and am therefore
entitled TO a seat in the said House of
Representatives from said county, and
/ expressly object and except to the
allegations of the paper containing
what purports to be your specifications
or grounds of contest as insufficient to
support q contest for my seat in the
said House of Representatives of the
General Assembly.
Fourth Answering further and gem
orally each and every allegation con-
tanned in the paper purporting TO be
| the grounds and specifications upon
which you say you will contest my
/ election as representative, / beg to say
as you well know, that the confusion
/ incident to the counting and tabulation
| of the votes by the Board of Canvass
1 for New Castle county on the 5th and
/ 5th days of November A. d., 1896 was
such that it is impossible for me as
well as for you. to determine or say
accurately the exact number of votes
which were cast for either of us or in
fact for anyone who was a candidate
for the office of representative in the
! General Assembly from New Castle
county, and that / am firmly convinced
that q proper count of the votes cas-
at said election tor me would show
that / am entitled to the seat to wnicI
my election has been properly certified
and while / greatly regret that ther,
should he any uncertainty in YOU
mind or i'm that of anyone else con
cerning the result as declared, yet I in
sist that [ am entitled to said seat a.
a representative from New Castl
county in the House of Representative
Of the General Assembly of the sal,
state. and believe that a proper an,
legal determination of the matter viii
so show
State of Delaware, Kent County SIS
Personally appeared before me. Pete
L. Cooper, a notary public for the Stat
Of Delaware, John r. Dickey, VIII
being by me duly sworn according L
law, deposes and says that he veril
believes that the grounds of objection
set forth in the foregoing specification
d OF document are substantially true.
JOHN n. DlCKEY.
Sworn and subscribed before me thi
fourth day of January, A. d., 1897.
PETER l.. COOPER, Notary Public.
The answer was referred on motto
of Mr.. Smith.
After notifying the governor an
/, Senate of organization and receivin
the governors message and hearing
read, 500 copies of the message weT
ordered printed and adjournment wa