offered thesr ballots and were wilfully and illegally refused
by the judges, and on whose ballots were the names of the
contestants. The number of voters thus unlawfully excluded
in this district was, as mentioned above, thirty; but while
coming to this conclusion, the majority of your Committee
cannot withold the expression their deep reprobation of a
practice so surely calculated to impair and utterly destroy the
freedom of elections, by inspiring in the minds of quiet and
peaceable citizens, well grounded fears of personal peril in
approaching the polls.

The purity and freedom of elections are essential to the
preservation of republican governments. Without these,
institution however free in form, are but a mockery and a
delusion.

In glancing over the testimony presented to the House in
this ciuse, one cannot avoid being painfully struck by the
fact that the demoralizing practices that have too often for
years past characterized the elections in large cities, are
spreading with a vicious rapidity of growth into the small
town and and among the rural population. If they cannot
be arrested by some stringent legislation, or by an improved
and a more wholesome condition of the public mind, emanci-
pated from the fears and hates engendered by the recent
civil war, then indeed is the future of our country a gloomy
one. For their prevalence and diffusion will demonstrate a
deep and incurable disorder in the body politic, which sooner
or later, despite the change of parties, the mutation of men
and measures, will work out its dissolution and death.

In conclusion, your Committee submit the following resolu-
tions for the action of this House, as embodying the conclu-
sions at which they have arrived:

First: Resolved, That Charles Gilpin and Samuel M. Hal-
ler, were not duly elected as Delegates from Allegany county
to this House, and are not therefore entitled to seats in this
body.

Second: Resolved, That William Devecmon and William
A. Bryden, having received, including and counting the votes
of the legal and qualified voters who offered to vote, and by
the judges were unlawfully refused, and on whose ballots were
the names of William Devecmon and Bryden, and which
should been received; a higher number of votes than the said
Charles Gilpin and Samuel M. Haller; are hereby declared
duly elected, and are entitled to seats in this body as Dele-
gates from Allegany county.

A. LEO KNOTT,

Chairman.

JOHN Q. A. ROBSON
RAYMOND W. BURCHE,
HORATIO BECK,
JAMES CLARK.
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