ELECTIONS AND ELECTION CONTESTS
On motion by Mr. CHAPMAN, the constitutional rule was suspended and the bill [H. R. 225--see page 39 of this volume] concerning elections and the contest thereof, being a compilation and revision of existing laws on subject, was read the second time by title only.
The Committee substitute for Section 1, changing the day of the general election to conform with the recently ratified Constitutional Amendments, was adopted.
The Committee amendment to Section 17 being read--
Mr. CHAPMAN stated, in case any authorities see fit to adopt such a box as is referred to in the bill, the Committee amendment provides that no ballot should be counted except such as is stamped, and strikes out all else in reference to the patent ballot-box.
Mr. TRAYLOR did not think the section ought to be adopted as it is. He moved the section be referred to a Select Committee of three, which he named.
The motion was rejected.
Mr. MARVIN moved to strike out all in reference to a ballot-box.
The motion was agreed to.
Ten or a dozen Committee amendments were adopted.
Mr. LANGDON moved to reconsider the vote by which the Committee report was concurred in, making the voting Precincts to consist of 500 instead of 350 voters. He was satisfied one of the greatest safeties of the ballot-box is in making Precincts so small that respectable citizens may know every one entitled to vote in the Precincts. The greatest frauds are perpetrated in Precicts where there are so many voters it is impossible to know them all. There will be no need of devices in patent ballot-boxes where the Precints are small.
Mr. GRUBBS thought substantially the same guards can be thrown around Precincts of 500 as around Precincts of 350.
Mr. BELL--While it may be contended that it is more trouble and more expense, yet he hoped the motion would prevail.
The motion to reconsider was agreed to.
The question occuring on the Committe report making voting Precincts to consist of "500" instead of "350" voters--
The report was rejected by yeas, 15; nays, 21.
Some seventeen other Committee amendments were adopted.
Only such sections of the bill as are proposed to be amended by the Committee report were read.
The amendments were ordered engrossed.
