strong a presumption, from the evidence before them, to reject their votes as illegal. The remonstrant further contends, that there was no meeting legally called in Bancroft at the last trial for representative in said district; and also, that at the meeting of the selectmen and assessors of the several towns and plantations for the purpose of comparing the lists of votes thrown in said district, the return from Bancroft was not signed by the clerk of that plantation, and was otherwise informally certified. In support of this allegation, Joseph E. Shorey deposes, that he was clerk of Bancroft plantation for the year 1847,—that at the annual meeting held in that plantation in April that year, it was voted that the warrants calling or notifying plantation meetings should be posted up at the clerk's office, and at the dwelling-house of Samuel Cleaves. After the fourth trial for representative, which was on the fifteenth day of November, 1847, despairing of effecting a choice, the assessors determined not to notify any further meeting for that purpose. There was none notified, that he is aware of, and no warrant was posted up at the clerk's office or house-and there is no record in the clerk's office, of any meeting held after the fourth trial. Daniel Cummings deposes, that at a meeting of the selectmen and assessors of the several towns and plantations held at his house on the twentieth day of January, for the purpose of comparing the lists of votes, Seth Spaulding appeared with the return from Bancroft, which was not signed by the clerk of that plantation. Spaulding claimed to be the clerk of the meeting held in Ban croft, and as such he then signed the return. The certificate from Bancroft, presented by Haskell, is attested by Seth Spaulding as clerk; and by this certificate it appears that six votes were thrown in that plantation for George W. Haskell, and two votes for Thomas J. Brown. The most important question which puts in issue the legality of the meeting held in Bancroft, relates to the vote which is represented to have been passed at the annual meeting in April, pre scribing the manner in which subsequent meetings should be warned, of which vote the usual and proper evidence would be the record itself, or a copy of the record. Neither has been produced. Your committee, in view of all the evidence before them, report the resolve which is herewith submitted. WM. H. LOWELL, Chairman. STATE OF MAINE. Resolved, That George W. Haskell, having been 2 legally and constitutionally elected a representative 3 from the district composed of the towns and planta4 tions of Hodgdon, New Limerick, Linneus, Weston, 5 Amity, &c., is entitled to a seat in this house. |