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406 JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS [Feb. 15,
appealing to the House to vindicate the freedom and purity
of the election franchise, by setting said election aside.
The facts on which alt these memorials were founded, were
so bold, glaring and notorious, that the late Executive of the
State, Governor Groome, in an official paper, filed by him in
the contest for the Attorney-Generalship, had declared, with-
out hesitation, as he did in his official answer to the petition
for mandamus filed by Mr. Gwynn, in the Circuit Court for
Anne Arundel county, in December, 1875, that in his judg-
ment, as Governor, there appeared sufficient reason to induce
a hearing of the charges reiterated in the memorials, which
were the same, set out by Mr. Wallis as the grounds of his
contest. Nay, Governor Groome went still farther, and ex-
pressed his own determination to examine officially into these
charges ; and take evidence in regard to them, unless re-
strained by the Courts. With all these memorials and facts
before us, justifying an investigation, if such a thing ever
was justified or required; and the leading members of the
successful party in town-meeting assembled, in Baltimore
city, confessing the necessity for investigation—and pledging
their party to make it complete and thorough; this Honor-
able Body was nevertheless pleased to deal with the returns
of the election for Governor, as if they were wholly unim-
peached, unquestioned and uncontested.
The Senate was invited to the opening of the returns.
They were opened and read in this Honorable Body, and the
Speaker of the House, by wl at authority of law or Constitu-
tion, the undersigned have never been able to discover, as-
sumed to declare forthwith that the Honorable John Lee
Cairoll was duly elected Governor of Maryland. The Senate,
which by the Constitution, is excluded from all jurisdiction
over the subject, then transmitted a message to the House,
requesting us to join with them in announcing to Mr. Carroll
that he was elected, and inviting him to be inaugurated.
This House, with all the questions then before it, touching
the election of the 2nd November last, and bound by the Con-
stitution to examine and decide them, saw fit altogether to
ignore them for the time, and to join the Senate in placing
Mr. Carroll in the Gubernatorial Chair in spite of them.
But the House will remember that this action was accom-
panied by repeated and emphatic declaration on the part of
leading gentlemen of the majority, that it was not meant to
stifle or preclude inquiry; that it was purposed by the ma-
jority, fully and fairly to investigate the charges of Mr. Har-
ris' memorial; and that the installation of Mr. Carroll, in no
wise established, or was intended to establish, finally his right
to the Executive Office. In pursuance of these assurances,
the subject was referred to the Committee on Elections; and
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