50 JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS [Jan. 16,

On motion of Mr. Yotlng,

Leave was granted to the Committee on Corporations to in-
troduce a bill to incoiporate the Potomac Falls Gold Mining
Company of Maryland.

Mr. Maddox from the Committee on Elections, submitted
the following

REPORT:

To the Honorable the Senate of Maryland:

The majority of your Committee, to whom was referred the
petition of Alfred Spates, of Allegany county, contesting the
election of C. H. Ohr, to a seat in this body, as a Senator for
Allegany county, and claiming the same for himself; re-
spectfully

REPORT:

That they have read carefully, and have attentively ex-
amined all the testimony which has been submitted, both on
the part of the contestant and the sitting member, and which
is herewith filed as part of the report of your committee.

The grounds on which the contestant denies the right of
the sitting member, and claims the right for himself, to rep-
resent Allegany county in this body, are:

First. That the Judges of Election in many of the Election
Districts refused to receive the ballots of a large number of
registered and legal voters, who tendered their ballots to the
said judges, upon which ballots so tendered and rejected the
name of A. Spates, was printed for Senator.

Second. That armed men were at the polls, conspiring with
the judges, and acting under the counsel of the sitting mem-
ber, threatening force and violence, with intent to overawe
and hinder the election; thereby preventing a large number
of duly registered and qualified voters from casting their bal-
lots for the Contestant, for Senator.

Third. That the Judges of the Election, through inadvert-
ance or otherwise, miscounted the ballots, and made errone-
ous returns of the numbers of the votes cast, both for the sit-
ting member and the contestant.

. Fourth. That the Judges of the Election conducted the
same on a theory, which was in violation of the Constitution
and Laws of this State.

There are four points which are submited by the Contestant
as the foundation for his application for a seat in this body,
as Senator from Allegany county, against the right of the
sitting member.

Your committee in proceeding to examine the testimony,
as is applicable to the first, point raised by the Contestant,
have discovered that thirty-one (31) legal voters, who were