constitutional oath of office, which was administered by Hon. Frank A. Hooker, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. During the calling of the list of the names of the members-elect, when the name of Gideon T. Werline, member-elect from the Menominee district, was called, Mr. Gallup of the Delta district arose in his place and presented the protest of William F. Waite to the administration of the oath to Mr. Gideon T. Werline. The following is the protest: To the Michigan House of Representatives: Comes your petitioner, William F. Waite, of the City of Menominee, County of Menominee, and State of Michigan and says: First, That he was the nominee on the Republican ticket for Member of the State Legislature in Menominee County District at a general election held on the 4th day of November, 1902, and opposed to Gideon T. Werline, who was the nominee for Member of the State Legislature on the Democratic ticket in said district. Second, That the Inspectors' statements of the various voting districts in said Legislative District show that there were counted for said Gideon T. Werline at said election Fourteen Hundred and Seventynine (1479) ballots as against Fourteen Hundred and Seventy-seven (1477) ballots for your petitioner, but your petitioner alleges that there was fraud and mistake in the counting of the ballots cast at said election for Member of the State Legislature in said Representative District of Menominee, and that there were a large number of votes counted for said Gideon T. Werline that ought not to have been counted for him, and that the Inspectors' statements returned to the Board of County Canvassers in said County of Menominee show a larger number of votes cast for said Gideon T. Werline than were actually voted for him, and had the votes cast for Member of the State Legislature in said Menominee District been correctly counted and returned, the returns would show a larger number of votes cast for your petitioner than for said Gideon T. Werline. Third, Your petitioner further says that he was employed as counsel for the petitioner in a recount of the votes cast at said election in the Township of Nadeau, in said Menominee County District for the office of County Clerk, and as such attorney had the opportunity to and did count the votes cast for Representative in the State Legislature in said Township, and your petitioner alleges that there were only One Hundred and Fifty-seven votes cast for said Werline in said Township instead of One Hundred and Seventy-three votes as credited to him by the Township Board of Inspectors, so that if the returns of said Township had been correctly made the entire returns for the county would have shown that your petitioner had a majority of the votes cast in said Representative District of Menominee and was entitled to his certificate of election as Representative for said District. Your petitioner therefore protests against the seating of said Gideon T. Werline as a Representative in the State Legislature for Menominee County District and asks that an investigation be had and a recount made of the votes cast for Representative in the State Legislature for said Menominee County District to the end that said mistakes and frauds be corrected, and that said Gideon T. Werline be credited with no more votes than were actually cast for him; And if it appears from such investigation that your petitioner received a majority of the votes cast for Member of the State Legislature in said Menominee County District that he be given the seat as Member of the Michigan House of Representatives. WILLIAM F. WAITE, Petitioner. State of Michigan, County of Menominee—ss. WILLIAM F. WAITE. Subscribed and sworn to before me this 23d day of December A. D. 1902. Notary Public for Menominee County, Mich. The Clerk announced that the protest would be received and would be referred to the Committee on elections, when appointed. Mr. Byrns moved that the House take a recess until 2 o'clock p. m. AFTER RECESS. The House met and was called to order by the Clerk. 2 o'clock p. m. The Clerk announced that the first business in order was the drawing of seats in accordance with the statute. The procedure being explained, and a lad, Harold Steele, being blindfolded for the purpose, the drawing was proceeded with, with the following result: The Clerk announced that the next business in order was the election of a Speaker. The roll was called by the Clerk and the members voted as follows: . The Clerk announced that John J. Carton, having received a majority of all the votes cast for the office of Speaker, was duly elected Speaker of the House. Mr. Wade moved that a committee of two be appointed by the Clerk to escort the Speaker-elect to the chair. The motion prevailed. The Clerk named as such committee, Messrs. Wade and Hemans. The committee performed the duty assigned it and through its chairman introduced the Speaker-elect, who then addressed the House as follows: Fellow Members of the House of Representatives:-You have placed me under renewed obligations by again electing me to preside over the House during the present session. It is a very great honor indeed to be chosen once to preside over the deliberations of the House of Representatives of the State of Michigan, but, to be chosen a second time without opposition, is a much greater honor, and I assure you I appreciate it more than I can express. I trust that my conduct towards you and in the transaction of the business of the House during the session just beginning will show the depth of my gratitude for the treatment accorded me. The position to which we have all been called is one which does not bring to us much remuneration in a financial way; nevertheless, few positions in the State within the gift of the people are more important. |