68

TO THE PRESIDENT

OF THE SENATE OF MARYLAND.

STATE OF MARYLAND,

Allegany County, to wit:

I, Joseph M. Strong, a Justice of the Peace of the State of
Maryland, in and for Allegany county, duly commissioned
and sworn, do hereby certify, that after application made to
me by Charles H. Ghr, claimant of the office of Senator for
Allegany county, I caused to be served on Alfred Spates,
contestant of the election of said Ohr, as such Senator, notifi-
cation, (a copy of which with the admission of service by said
Alfred Spates, endorsed thereon, marked "Claimant's Ex-
hibit A," hereunto annexed,) requiring him to attend at the
Court House in Cumberland, in said county, on the day and
at the place specified in said notification, to cross-examine the
witnesses therein named.

I further certify, that the witnesses whose depositions are
herewith returned, begining on page 1, and continuing by
consecutive pages to page 53, were first by me duly sworn to
testify truly and fully in the matter of the contest referred to
in the notification hereto attached; that I caused the testi-
mony of the said witnesses together with the questions pro-
pounded by the parties, or their attorney, to be reduced to
writing in my presence, and in the presence of the parties or
their attorneys, by the witnesses themselves, or by John Gep-
hart, who was first sworn, fairly to write down and transcribe
the deposition of witnesses; that the deposition of each wit-
ness was taken down in pursuance thereof, and at the time
and place mentioned in the notification aforesaid, that each
witness signed his deposition in my presence, after the same
had been read to him.

I further certify, the papers marked "Claimant's Exhibit
A," was filed by the claimant on the date marked thereon.
In testimony whereof, I here unto subscribe my name and
seal at Cumberland, this — day of December, in the year
of our Lord, eighteen hundred and sixty-six,

J. M. STRONG, [SEAL.]

A Justice of the Peace for the State of Maryland,

in and for Allegany county.