Kansas according to the best of my ability, and according to the law; and that I will strictly endeavor to prevent fraud, deceit, and abuse in conducting the same. JOHN MONTGOMERY. I, Richard Mendenhall, do solemnly, sincerely, and truly declare and affirm that I will perform the duties of clerk of the election in the 17th election district of the Territory of Kansas according to law, and to the best of my ability; and that I will studiously endeavor to prevent fraud, deceit, and abuse in conducting the same. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, RICHARD MENDENHALL. I hereby certify that John Montgomery and Richard Mendenhall, clerks of the election held in the 17th election district of the Territory of Kansas, on the thirtieth (30th) day of March, A. D. 1855, (eighteen hundred and fifty-five,) were severally, the first named sworn, and the last named affirmed, as the law directs, previously to entering upon the duties of their office. SAMUEL D. LECOMPTE, Chief Justice, Territory of Kansas. We, Cyprian Chouteau, C. B. Donaldson, and Charles Boles, do solemnly swear that we will severally perform the duties of a judge of an election, in and for the 17th district of the Territory of Kansas, according to law, and to the best of our abilities; and that we will studiously endeavor to prevent fraud, deceit, and abuse in conducting the same. CYPRIAN CHOTEAU. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, sct: I do hereby certify that Cyprian Chouteau, C. B. Donaldson, and Charles Boles, judges of the election held in and for the 17th district of the Territory of Kansas, on the 30th day of March, A. D. 1855, were severally sworn, as the law directs, previously to entering on the duties of their office. SAMUEL D. LECOMPTE, Chief Justice, Territory of Kansas. EIGHTEENTH DISTRICT. Jesse Adamson, Thomas J. B. Cramer, and John Bellew were sworn as judges-printed form of oath. Adamson administered oath to Cramer, and he to other two judges. Poll books of election at the house of Wm. W. Moore, on the Nemeha. 1 S. J. Cramer 2 Geo. H. Baker 3 Joseph H. Walker 4 Robert Sate 5 Wm. Cain 6 G. Dorriss 7 Jeremiah Vardeman 8 William Hayter 13 James C. Gwynn 17 P. Cooper 18 James Simpson 19 W. Owen 20 R. L. Kirk 21 John Johnson 23 James S. Durnall 27 John Wilson 28 John Bellew 29 S. J. B. Cramer 30 Elbert O. Walker 32 Edward Horner 33 Samuel Crozier 40 Jesse Miller 41 Daniel Yolt 46 Thomas Lincoln 49 Richard Garths 61 James O'Laughlin JUDGES' RETURNS. We, the undersigned, judges of an election held on the 30th day of March, A. D. 1855, at the house of W. W. Moore, in the eighteenth election district, for the election of members of council and the house of representatives for the Territory of Kansas, do hereby certify, upon our oaths as judges of said election, that the following is a true and correct return of the votes polled at such election by lawful resident voters, viz: For Council. John W. Forman.......... 61 For Representative. R. L. Kirk...... Joel Ryan..... Witness our hands this 30th day of March, 1855. JESSE ADAMSON. THOMAS J. B. CRAMER. 48 50 1 14 13 EXTRACT FROM THE EXECUTIVE MINUTES OF THE TERRITORY OF KANSAS. April 5, 1855.-The governor, with D. Woodson, secretary of the Territory, and J. A. Halderman, executive clerk, proceeded to open and examine the returns of election for members of council and house of representatives in the several districts of the Territory, held on the 30th day of March last, when it appeared that the following returns and other papers had been received: Oaths of J. B. Abbott, Hugh Cameron, Theodore E. Benjamin, and Robert A. Cummins, in form prescribed. Return of Hugh Cameron, Robert A. Cummins, and Theodore E. Benjamin, in form prescribed, with an erasure of the words "by lawful resident voters," showing— Oaths of David Pultz, Thomas Mockabee, and J. B. Davis, omitting as follows: "That I will reject the votes of all non-residents who I shall believe have come into the Territory for the mere purpose of voting; that in all cases where I am ignorant of the voter's right, I will require legal evidence thereof by his own oath or otherwise; and that I will truly count and record the votes received, and make a true and faithful return thereof to the governor of said Territory.' And adding in lieu thereof the words: "That we will deliver, as soon as possible, the paper to the governor of the said Territory." Return of same judges in form prescribed, omitting the words "by lawful resident voters," showing Oaths of Judges C. B. Donaldson, Charles Boles, and Cyprian Chouteau, that they "will perform the duties of judges of election in and for the seventeenth district of the Territory of Kansas, according to law and the best of our abilities, and will studiously endeavor to prevent fraud, deceit, and abuse, in conducting the same." Return of said judges in form prescribed by proclamation, show ing Protest of Samuel F. Tappan and twenty others, claiming to be residents of the first election district, to declare void, to set aside the returns and election in said district, or that certificates be given to Joel K. Goodin and S. N. Wood for council, and to John Hutchinson, E. D. Ladd, and P. P. Fowler; for the reason that six or seven hundred armed men encamped in the vicinity of the polls on the 29th and 30th of March, collected around said polls and kept them in their possession, on the day of the election, till late in the afternoon, and who left the district during the afternoon and the ensuing day. Said persons were strangers, believed to come from the State of Missouri. Citizens of the district were threatened with violence and prevented from voting. Affidavit by all the signers, together with affidavits of Harrison Nichols. Edwin Bond, David Conger, N. B. Blanton, and Samuel Jones, tending to prove threats, violence, and non-resident voting. Protest of Perry Fuller, E. W. Moore, judges appointed to hold the election, and twenty-nine other persons, claiming to be residents, complaining that the said election was opened by unauthorized judges at eight o'clock a. m., and at a place different from that prescribed in the proclamation, and that non-residents surrounded the polls with fire-arms and voted indiscriminately.-Affidavit of Benjamin Fuller and E. W. Moore. Second Council District.-Third Representative District. List of voters.. ..........341 Oaths of F. E. Lehay, Paris Ellison, and Sherman J. Waful, in form prescribed. Affidavit before G. W. Taylor. Return of same judges, showing the following result: Report of Harrison Burson and Nathaniel Ramsey, under oath, stated that they entered upon their duties as judges of election and polled some few votes, when they were driven from the room by a company of armed men from the State of Missouri, who threatened their lives and commenced to destroy the house and beat in the door, demanding the right to vote without swearing to their place of residence; that having made their escape with the poll-books and certificates, they were followed by said persons and the said papers taken by force. Protest by A. B. Woodward and nineteen other persons, claiming to be citizens of said district, against the election in said district of A. McDonald, O. H. Brown, and G. W. Ward, for the reason that several hundred men from the State of Missouri presented themselves to vote at said election, and upon being required by the judges to |