The Monmouth inquirer., 1926-10-21
WEN COMPELLED 10 voTE.
Extra Taxes FOR Negligent Virgin
lars over a Century Ago.


lars over Century Ago
In the clerks once in Mecklen~
burg / find an old copy of the Acts
Of the General Assembly Of Virginia,
says writer in Richmond Times
Despatch. In it an act is found pass
ed by the Assembly on Dec 20, 1885,
which requires all persons entitled to
vote to do so This is the bill Any
elector qualified according to this AcL
failing to attend any annual election
of Delegate or of a Senator, and il a
poll be taken to give or offer to give
his vote, shall pay one-fourth OF his
portion OF all such levies and taxes
as shall be assessed and levied IN his
county the ensuing year. And tor dis
covering such defaulters, The sheriff
or other officer taking the poll, shall
within ten days after the said eIec-
ton, deliver to the clerk of the coun-
~ or corporation court. as the case may
be, copy of the poll by him taken,
to be kept In his Office, who shall
suffer and candidate or e!ector to take
a copy thereof and the said clerk is
hereby directed to cause a copy OF the
same to be delivered to the next
Grand Jury to be sworn for the
county corporation who shall be
charged by the presidig magistrate,
to MAJ 6 pTesentmeDt OF all such per-
soHs Qualified to vote residing in the
said county or corporation. who shall
have failed to have given TIER votes
at The said election, agreeable 20 law
Ard ior tie better information e he
said jury the sheriff Of tbs coamy
is, hereby commanded. under peaaisy
OF $40. to he recovered and aaprogri-
atoa as the penalties for other neglsa.ss
If his duty. 10 lay Before them a list
o. all the landholders resident there
in
There are fled in the clerks office
many certified excuses to the court Ier
failure to vote. begging to be excused,
Ey voters who had been indicted fer
failure to vote sofae of these ex-
cpses are novel. as we'll as amusing.
One fellow writes that election was
held on his fishing day. Another one
says re was working in meeting
house then another says he was ig-
norant of the day of the election. Still
another said he would have had to
walk eighteen niles as his mare was
very lame and his plough horse very
poor. One says II copy him verba-
tim): That he was ready fixed to start
to the court house of said county to
vote when he was informed that
certain COW Of his, which had young
calf, was missing, when ! set out to
look for her and did not find her that
day, and several days after / found
her drowned in the river. This excuse
satisfied the court. as the paper is
marked excused.
Sir Peyton Slzipwith, Bart, of Preast-
would, settled in this county from Eng
land in the eighteenth century. makes
his excuse In his own handwriting,
dated June 10, 1893 "P. Skipwith's
reasons for not attending the two last
elections in Mecklenburg.
WIS " aJLCAAQ tIS
High Court of Chancery early in March
and did not consider myself legally
dismissed until after the 18th day of
the court, which happened on We'd
nesday, the goth of the month. so
that it was not in my power OF attend
the election of member Of Congress.
md on my way up from Richmond,
unfortunately broke one Of my car
rage wheels, so that could not with
any degree Of convenience, get re-
paired in time to attend the election
Of member of the General Assembly,
and in consequence Of an injury l re-
ceived some years ago in my back
and loins, cannot ride more than
three or four miles at a time, and
the very short rides on horseback
that 1 sometimes take about my plan
tation, for never attempt to ride
anywhere else, is succeeded by vio-
lent pains and sometimes fever,
which was the last time ! attempted
to ride to our court, and trust and
believe that the worshipful court has
more humanity than to desire man
at near go years of age. to do what
60 certainly injuries his health and
feelings