[2] Partisanship split the select committee into a majority (Democrat) reporting in favor of Norman H. Purple (Democrat) and a minority (Whig) reporting in favor of William J. Phelps (Whig). Phelps had won over Purple by a slim majority of seven votes. Purple's contest of the election hinged on a claim that fifteen illegal votes had been cast for Phelps, whereas only eight illegal votes had been cast for Purple. Also, Purple maintained that two of his would-be supporters had been rejected at the polls without proper cause. These two votes provided the margin of victory for Purple, upon which the Democratic majority report sought to seat him in place of Phelps. The upshot of the contest was that Phelps retained his seat and the testimony in the case was ordered to be printed.
Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Volume 1 [1824-Aug. 28, 1848].
About this Item
- Title
- Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Volume 1 [1824-Aug. 28, 1848].
- Author
- Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865.
- Publication
- New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press
- 1953.
- Rights/Permissions
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- Link to this Item
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http://name.umdl.umich.edu/lincoln1
- Cite this Item
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"Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Volume 1 [1824-Aug. 28, 1848]." In the digital collection Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/lincoln1. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 1, 2024.