El VOL. XIII. COUDERSPORT ACADEMY. Mtn Trustees of this Institution take plea. ante in announcing to the Public hat they have eapiged the services of the Rev. I. lIENDRICK, as Principal. This gentle man comes to us well recommended as being able, talented, and experienced. lie has been 4s gaged in teaching a large share of the time for 1 1 1 een years; and from among the large number of his pupils, about 500 have gone out from under his instructions, as teachers in ..idirent parts of the country. It will he his Ab j ect to make Our Ac idetny one of the most .de-irablo schools in the co nary, for those who w.sh to qualifv themselves for teaching or for .other responsible stations in life. and also for Abose who desire to prepare for college. THE WINTER TERM •Will commerce on Monday. Deeember 3d. 15S-'x. The Academic year will be divided in to Four Terms, of eleven weeks each term. The Spring Term will commence on Monda••. February .25, 1ii.56; the Simmer Term will -commence on Monday, Mny 26th, IKi6; and the Fall Term on 31anday, the lit, day f September, 1,56. TERMS. 'Tuition par tense of alarms weeks ae follows; iPrimary studies—Reading, Spelling, ?dental Arithmetic, &c., - - $2.00 ,Common English branches—Geognt phy, Orthography, %rithmetic, and Grammar, Higher English Branches—Natural Prillosophy, Asz rono Inv. Chemistry, and First Lessons in Algebra, - - $4.00 Higher Mathematics--Algebra, &c., Latin, Greek, French, and German Languagea, - $5.00 Drawing extra, $2,50 Piano Music, do. $8.09 Use of Instrument, $2.00 112" Payment strictly in advance. All scholars who can write legibly, will he required to preieut an original Composition 'nee in two weeks; and all scholars to rieelaiot once in two weeks. Though the Terms of tuition ere consider ably lower than they have been heretofore relit is designed that the instruction shall de thorough in all the branches taught ; and those who desire to learn and are witting star will find it a Very PftOrITAELS Senor SORIF.SKI Ross, President.) LEWIS MANN. Treasurer, G. B. OVERTON, Secretary, y Trustees. lI.J.OLMSTED, ELI REES, Board can be obtained in private Fatn ilies in the village, or rooms can be had in the Academy by applying to the Trustees. Coudersport, .Nov.'2.lnd, Orntratinfarmation. UNITED STATES GOVERNMENI Presiileat—Franklin Pierce ;ice President--<de ricto) Jesse D. Brigat Secretary of State—Win. L. Morey. Secretary of Interior—Robert McClelland. Secretary of Treasury—James Guthrie. • Secretary of Ft 'ar—Jetrerson Davis. Secretary of Nory—Jarneg O. Dobbin. Post Master General—James Campbell. Attorney Generees--Ca!en Cashing. Chief Justice of United Stutcs—R: B. Taxed STATE GOVERNMENT. CorersJr—James Secretory of State—lndsew G. Curtin- Deputy Secretary of State —J. M. Sullivan Surreyor General—J. Porter Brawky. .Anditor General—Ephraim Banks. Treasurer—Eli Slifer. Siare.me Court Judgts—Ellis Lewis, W. B Lawns, G. W. Woodward, J. C. Knot, J. S alask. Snit Officers, with Post Office Address. Presidtnt Jud!fc, Alum G. Mitre., Wei.4.)co, Tiers Co Associate Atizcs, ORA4q./ A. Lrwis ' Clysses JOSILIPII MANN, Miilport. District Attorney, To sztis W. lisos, Couderiport. Sherif. rjIDIRRI Srkasin.s, Coudersport. Protkostotorg and Clerk of the Courts Tuoxes ES, TYLER, Condersoort. Register and Recorder, ANDREW ECDR , N. Coudersport county Commissioners, PRICY Wpirrt.r., Ulysses Center ganattsos Rosa, Whites Corners, • liastr %VtAiti Countsj Auditors, WILLIAM S. GitirtY, Cla m HARRIS LYMAN, Roulette. H. L SIMONS, Allegany.. Eli Commissioners Clerk, Illrr!elAnyens, Coudersport • . • Trtesoirer, Henry Ellis, Coudersport. County Surveyor,. Z. F. Robinson, Harrison Valley Biperietendent of Common Schools • J. B. Pradt, Coudersport: • T"Cythara, the Lute: or .Zinn, and Berland Girls' Singing. Ririe, at the • .70i_TRNAL BOOK STORE: Machine Ott Ilifill.Ownenwill always find supply o OiLfosloarliineri at aatisfacwry price!, and lisamAtosatity,st I't S'S, D rag Store. :-.SELLING OFF AT 49044E* Orodenport, You. 1441,18 N. ......., ~ • ff, . 1., ............. .... .....•_ ..,...... ..: ...,.. ~ ... ...: , .. .:. ..._... .... .. ~..,,...,,... ... ~, . . ••,... •.,..,... THE JOURNAL • • Terms—ln Advance One espy per annum, $l.OO Village subscribers, 1.25 - TERMS OF ADVERTISING. square, of 12 lines or less, Linsertion, $0.50 " " " " 3 insertions, 1.50 " every subsequent ingertion, .25 Rule and figure work, per sq., 3 insertions, 3.00 Every subsequent insertion, .50 1 column, one year, 25.00 I column, six months, 15.00 Adm:n;strators' or Executors' Notices, 2.00 Sheriff's Sale., per tract, 1.50 Professional Cards not exceeding eight lines inserted for $5.00 per annum. - IV" All letters on business. to secure at tenion, stimuli! be addressed (post paid) to the Publisher. The gent'eman who, after an unex ampled contest of nine weeks' dura tion, was elevated on Saturday last to the office of greatest political influence under our government, next to the Presidency, is one ofthe most favor able specimens with which our na tional history abounds of what are de nominated " self-made men." In the twelfth year of his age Mr: Banks graduated from the only schnol that be ever attended, and entered a cotton factnryin his native village of Waltham. Massachusetts. He subse quen:ly assisted his father, who was house carpenter, and then leatned the •• trade of a machinist' which be prose cuted flur some time in Waltham and in Boston. His employment did net prevent hii finding time to cultivate his Understanding,. while gratifying a constitutional taste for intellectual pleasures and in. 1845 he entered the office of the late R•rbert Rantoul, then U. S. District Attorney in Boston as a student of law. He was admitted and commenced practice at the bar of Massachusetts in IS4S. Mr. Banks bad always been - a firm and consistent supporter of the demo cratic party and its policy, and the year that ,he was admitted to the bar he was ehosea a member of the state, legislature by the democracy of his native town. He was one of about twenty democrats in the House, among. whom the present Attorney-General of the United States figured quite prominently. in ISSI Mr. Banks was again elec ted both tri the Senate. and the Howe He chose-to accent a set in the latter, and was chosen Sneaker of that body by a coalition of the freesoilers of Korth the old political parties. As a presidine.office.r he hen.. the distinc tion of heirs?, a better Sneaker than Robert Winthrop. who prereed and who was tinicersalty esteemed as the hest Speaker they had ever till then. - - - $3.00 - SS.OP Tn 1552, he was re-elected Speaker of the House in 1853 he was a mem— ber and president of the convention which was elected to revise the con stitution of the staie. and wag at the same time member elect of the Thirty third Congress.. In the latter body he made himself the object of assaults from the administration party and its agents by his opnosition to the Ne braska-Kansas Bill, and every effort was made, to prevent his re-election but without success. He . was re-nomi 'nued by the regular democratic con- - veption of his disttict, and elected 'to the present Congress, of which be has just beep chosen Speaker, by about 7,000. majority ; Om, 'largest majority, we believe, ever cast for any candidate n his district. • Mr. Banks was born in 1816; he is now. thelefore just forty 'years of age. His motheris a descendant of the Pren tiss family, of New Hamshire, from whom he derives his middle name. He has a wife and two -children. He is a man of dignified presence and dep tment, deliberate, but precise and fluent in his speech, and repriatk able for perfect coolness and self-con trol, asyras abundantly.proven during the long contest from which he hal come out with a reward far more, flat tering than mere success; the 'Univer sal.couvictinn of all parties .thar . he was,vr?TkliY.:q;4;t4. l 4o4: ?..4 to.the, duties em4cri pe;sitiga ; to ithicitilik-hal Sew • DEVOTED . To PRINCIPLES OP -DEMOCRACY, AND T H E TIISSEM)NATION OF 'MORAL LITERATI:RE, A4IIIINEAVIL •. COITRERSPORT POTTER. COUNTY, PA., FEBRVARY 21, 1856 From th• Ere. Post NATHANIEL P. BANES. • MZEEZI lOBEI GROVE Friday. Jan. 11, 1556 The road which leads from Fort Leavenworth to Fort Laramie, runs tnrnugh the prairies to the hack of Atchison and Doniphan, at a distance of Some six or eight miles. Along this road the attention of the traveler is often arrested by the graves on the wayside. The frequent occurrence of these is sad evidence of many a pain ful story, long deferred perhaps, hat sure and sorrowful, conveyed to the relatives of those who thus sleep be neath the prairie sod. The rumbling of the emigrant wagons or the Govern ment train Makes their resting-place a busy thoroughfare. -A. few of these graves have a fence around them, but most of thein are marked only by the mound and broken sod. Some of them had been torn up-and. the prairie wolf had made a banquet on the poor relics of mortality. There is a road leading from Atchi son into this military road. This is now the route for the Mormon emi gration on its way to Salt Lake,; and here, at the•distance of some six or seven miles from Atchison, they have a starting station. I was on my way from Doniphan to Ocena, when I came in sight of Mormon Grove. It stands on high ground in the prairie, and is of young hickory trees, which can be seen at a -great distance, their feathery outlines giving the scene a picturesque effect. I had intention of stopping but something in the appearance of the place arrested me. There was a large farm, :some 160 acres. neatly fenced with sod. I had often seen sod fence before, hut never . had occasion to admire it, as the hogs and cattle al ways seemed to honor it " more in the breach than in the observation r but this appeared to be constructed on a more scientific plan, and is, I think, worthy of imitation in a prairie court try. On the outside there is a ditch some three feet deep by four . feet wide, sloping to a point at the bottom ;- from . this the materials of the dyke have been taken. The sods from the sur face form the face of the wall, which' is only two-and a-half feet high. The earth frorn the trench is- thrown • be hind these, and slopes away very grad ually. When well built, this will, I mink be very dui able. • The hogs and cattle are prevelitedfro'm knocking it down by the trench, and - cannot jump I t he trench for the wall. I was told t h a t a man could put up from three to four rods of this fence per day, . There are oneor two Mormons lirr ing at the Grove and its vicinity. •hut as I have stated, this. is merely an out fitting station for the Salt Lake trains. Whether the - Polygamy feature of do mestic bliss flotirishes here, is a prob lems . which my observation had net enabled .me to solve. The people ap pear to be very quiet, and seem to possess some little' inteilligence: One elderly lady had quite a matronly and dignified appearance, and one girl was rather pretty—in fact, decidedly good looking. For the first time in some weeks Ihave heard a " blessing" ask . ed at table, and in the quaint and semi-religious conversation of hos t I ht .. • . I almost forget the few peculiarities that startled me at Mormon Grove. • 0TT;: . :11 COUNTY DIECERWMISED. In the'. matter of the contested elec tion ofJol C. M'Ghee, the following proceedings were had ia.the Legisla ture of this State, on the 7th i.nst.:• Mr. Foster, (Select,) from the Com mittee to try .the . contested :election case of John: C. .14.'G.hee; •ttiacie the following written report : in favor .of the right of John - . 4. to, his -seat as • me m b er of this liouse;. -.•- John C. M'Ghee, the sitting_ mem ber, received, in the county lot - . comings two thousand and. thirty • one votes On the county of .Clinton one thousand and, tweßty-eight, _vote.? ; in the County of Potter s ix4undred and fifty-three votes ; mating : _hisentire vote in, the district,_three thousand. !VC Kr: A 3 1 1 114T4 pO, ‘ Fc'te9t77! John B. Beet received. ie the ...c.9*,47y. Of Lycoming, two thousand three hun dred and eight votes ; in the county of Clieton nine hundred and forty-eight', votes; in the County of Putter four hundred and forty votes; making his entire vote in the district three thous and six hundred and ninety-six votes. This result is arrived_ at by counting the votes from all the election districts in the three counties, as returned by the officers of the election, and shows! a:majority for .John C. I‘ll.lrhee, the 1 sitting member, of sixteen votes .---.1 John B. Beck, the contestant, alleges 1 in his petition that the vote in Sharon 1 township, in Potter county was illegal and ought not to he counted for eith er party. In this township John C. M'Ghee received i sixty-one votes, and John B. Beck received twelve votes. which, if attngether excluded, would ! leave a majority iii the District for John B. Beck, of thirty-three Votes. I By the actor assembly passed . the sth of April, 1849,. the general elections were to be held in Sharon township, 1 in Potter county, at a school house situate between the houses of Jonas Wood and Simon Drake, at the school house known 'as the Leroy i school house. The general elections i were held for that township from the i passage, of - that act, except that held on the 9th of October last, 1855. which' was held at a new school house sitna- 1 ted one half mile east of the old school house, and not between the points in cluded in the act of assembly of the ; sth of April, 1849. The school house referred to in the act. was sold in IS -52, by the school directors, to Mr. i Burdick, who moved it a few rods 1 from its former location. The gene- ral elections were held in it, however. in 1853 and 1854. On the Inn• hing of, the general election in 1855. Mr. Bur- .dick informed one of the officers of ' the election that lie would not permit the election to be held there. °wine to sickness in his family. The evi dence clearly established that the last general election was not held at the place required by the act of assembly, but at a new school house half a mile distant, by some known as the Leroy school house, and by others - as the ' Sharon Center scherd. The act of the 15th of April, 1849, fixed the place of holding the election, which. was im perntive on the officerS. The 22nd I section .of the general erection .laws 'provides that the inspectors and jugd es shalt meet at the respective places norniwed for holding the election .in the district to which they respectively belong, at nine o'clock nn the morning la the second Tuesday of October in ' each Tear. This act the officers of , the election had no right to disregard. llf they timid change it to a place one half mile from that appninted by law. they would haVe the same right to change it five mile^. or to any other l I point within the district. • The legis -1 , , 1 inture certainly never ilitended to rest lin the officers of the election the poW- - ~ 1 er to change the place ef. holding the i election fixed by law, at their discre i ti!in,ol" for, causes which they might ! deem sufficient, although it is not pre tended in . this case that the change I was made from any improper -motives on the part of the officers of the elec ltion.'erthat the .election was improp erly conducted at the place where it was .held. Yet the great evils that ! ... Might resultfrom the exercise of such .. .• power, by the officer of elections, would he . sufficieut , fo : bring its exer ' cuss under - the 'emideconation' of the . lawrand prevent the legislature, rom ... . .. .. establishing such, a Precedent.: To' *thew that the exercise ersaeh a pOw er by eleetion officers, wis never Cott .. templates) ' . by ;the legislattire, it, will onfy le* tieeessary te'refer to the : loBth •._ . .- • .. • - sectionn . of .the . general . election lath, which proviciesas followS :: "It slia'fl he' lawful for" tire' Governor' of this dontinonwealth,,On the represeUtatiOtt' of the beard of health, or of:die : Mini cipal authority of" any 'c4;_barough; toWn;tii-'iric;Wi;pOiaia"digtilet iri*.thiS Coninicitiorealth;iliat l froth" the -pieva- I leae - Of a ny itialiiitint : Of : Cetttiiitibits: Aliliiie iii:sliCll Kty;liciiißikktivir. or' - ~. ~;..,:"; :::, ,-,.:4.11-47..1., • - dist riel,the Irves ,of the'eleetors may be in danger by attending at the places fixed by law' for holding elections within the 'mine, to direct the sheriff of the- proper county to . give notice that the election for such city, borough, town, or incorporated district, will he held at such place within the limits, or in the neighborhood of the same, or ;IR he, the Governor, 111117 judge the most safe and convenient o and it shall be the duty of such shetifl to gibe public notice of such place, in thr. manner hereinbefigo required, seven days before the election," &c. It is not,important now to consider 1 whether this section anolies to all election districts in the.Commnnwealth or net, as it is only referred to for the purpose or shnwine that the legislature never intended that the right to change the places of holding elections shoUld rest in the discretion of election Offi cers, even in cases of the mnst press ing necessity. The act of assembly of the 20th April, 1854, provides an easy and convenient mode in which changes mny . be made in the places of holding elections in any district in the Commonwealth, by application to the courts in the manner prescribed in the act. If there ever could have been an argument in favor of such changes, from the existence of circumstances which might.seem to make them nec essary, they are - greatly weakened by the facility afforded them since the passage of the act last referred to. Belejving the election held in Sha i rnn township Moen!, the committee has adopted the follnwing resolution : Regolred. Thar John B. Beck has received the highest number. of local votes. and-is entitled to his seat as one of the members of this House from the district comonsed -rif the counties of Lycominc. Clinton. and Potter, which is respectfully submitted. S Bscaus H D FOSTER Jesse PeAasos .Tony TuomesoN StMt:EL HILL JAMF.9 13 ORB, G H 13nesu Joey F.scsnt D Mr. Beck then appeared, was sworn, and took -his seat. Mr. PURCELL,. from the same committee, presented to the chili the following minority-report : The constitution of this State makes each House the judge of the qualifica tions of its own members. It further provides that contested elections shall he determined . bya committee, "to be selected, formed, and retruls . .ed in such manner als.shall be directed by law." The act of the. General Assembly passed July end. A. D. 1839.. provides the manner of selecting, forminz and regulating the committee as content plated in the constitution. . •. The 142nd section of said ort. pro vides.that sail committee "shall decide ne.t only on the validity of such elec tin: but alsn.whieb of the ra'ulirlates had 016 greatest number of votes." It is also provided ill the same art. that each member of the - committee slialTtake the follrovinsy, oath. to trit : To ttv the matter of the netition. and to . .give . a'true jagment flirrenn accord ing to the evidence. Unless the com mittee AO be di!isnlred. The powers of this committee are only- Tearned'from the above referen- The first dutii devnlvimy, - tipon the committee, ati indicated by the 142nd section of the act of 1829, is to decide ,upon the validity of the election - in 'Potter county. - constitute - an _invalid election, it must be Stuiwif iltht frail& has been prakticeil•or that . illegitithate" Means have bec;il used in.seeurino=a•popular decision at the ballot:4)oX.. In this cage it:•is not claimed that the. election was dr - should be deilared invalid: It is intimated that there - was fraud connected with the election iti = Sharon townshili, or:-that illegiti mate ineins were in any-way made-to afrect'the Wishes of the peOple. There: fore the question of Validity is at once dismissed. -.• •:' -The next duty devolving upon the eointnittee; is to decide which ' ofthe eaad~Jstes hid the ireeiest number of EEO =::I 12=2 legal Notes. - • _ . The legal qualifications of a voter,. are defined in _the - first section of. the third article .of the constitution of this State, which reads as folic - 4s : " In elections by the citizens every white freeman of the age of twenty one years, having resided in this State one year, and in the election district . where he offers to vote, ten days im: mediately preceding such election, and within two years paid a State or county. tax which shall have.been assessed at. least ten daysbeforethe.electiou, shal4 . enjoy the rights NC an,elector." . The. last clause here quoted is Ira.. perative. Citizens being legally qual 7 ,. _ ified. as in this ecti o n required, pos:.,' seas rights thnt cannot be taken aWay, or even \impaired by legislative enact= ment. Nor can any irregularity in the manner of holding an election, or of election officers, be used as a pre text to deprivethe citizen Of his sacred rights at the ballOt-boi. In this eis'is it is alleged that the election Was held at i place not designated by law. ; Until the passage of the actOf tlok 20th of April, 151 . 5, there was no general law pro . viding fur fixed places of holding elections. `G ~. s:~"=" Z") , t) , ra - t2 lOW ..„ • 4 ... • ....;'..:. .11.1:ingt .•~ Jr ..„ BE By the act -f the second of July. 1839, section 1.3. th, of e yeei• county is required to give notice or the general' elections by adveitisinent, .&., and in that advertisment he is re-' quired to „ designate the place at . which the election . is to be held." By the 35th section of an aet rego lating election districts, passed the ;Ith day of April, 1819, it is proVided, that hereafter the qualified voters of Sharon . township, in th'.:!'county of - Potter, shalt hold - their general elections at the Scho . ol House . situated between the housei o: Jonas Wood and giinou Drake. This act fixes no place for holding. . _ the township election in said township. The school hotise relerretl . to abova was school house No. - 3, in-Leroy sub. district, Sharon township, and-Usually . called Leroy school- house. - In .1851 the school directors for Sharon toms- ship, contracted for the building of a 1 new school Wise in Leroy sub-dis 7 trict, and at the same time sold the old one. The new schoOl house was built on ground owned by Lewis Wood, and , a short distance east: of Wood's house. The old schdol house stood on ground. west of Wood's, and - a little more thus 140 rods fiom the new location. new school house was designated by , the directors the same as the old_one.. I 'school house No. 3, in Leroy district," and was fin all public ptt.. , poses the sameschool house. Immediately after the general tiuu_ in 1854, the old house. was moved by the rosu who owned it ft4iim.. the property on mach it stood to othe z - ; ;, property, and a private knaily into it. The simple question is ..now. su7s.. ;. mitted, were the -a votes of Sliatow,. lownship legal or illegal. The .elei— tiun was held in the new.scbool housi2.. It was the. only. election held. in Altar. township on that day, and there yv,i tin objection on the part of oy citizens. to the holding of the- election, at-that. place. . The Sheriff's proclamation and plainly designated . the place -at.:l which the election should be held.- .It. , required the citi4vis to nazet.at the, ' Leroy School ;Reuse." . • There - was butone Leroy i I _ 4 in SharontownsNpi,andtbere but* axe school house .i!? Hence no nruncol4l4haCeb4cii mis taken in did Sheriff', *there was no evideric% whatever befu'reibe pomm4tery.ibi;t_rx. sin kW citiaCn taken or ` iiiii~eii WYit ; inure than thin;' there was no evidence beforlitt; eoaa mine"e ' that'~by citizen' ortliitoiingihtp. ; viantedibe bidctiodheltrit 'any . bitiek: pteee. - sib • •.. -Then,-by *hat rule,' - are` . ire . to "4,4- . . —.1 ciae:theils ArOtes4lletal. i Nbt . NV rule, gatlitria•ftbar tfiedonistitufiki-?t 'I! 'the-Stittel, not bylitit of this si kt of The ant=ef 1839; and 'eel-till:AV mile -, II ,:4; 41. 7 , : C°l/ ME r ~: -. . NO. 4I
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