The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 1868.

Westport Times, Volume 1, Issue 143, 15 January 1868, Page 2

The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 1868.

It does certainly seem a great hardship, not to say injustice, to miners living at a distance that there should only be one polling-place for voters in the Westport district, because, of a necessity, a fair expression of opinion relative to the merits of the various candidates cannot be obtained. It is not to be supposed that miners and storekeepers living at Addison's Elat can afford the loss of time to enable them to come from that township to "Westport to record their votes. Every fine day in that neighborhoood is precious, and miners are busy either in repairing damages or taking measures to prevent a recurrence of the disasters which have visited that locality. Should the day happen to be wet, as it will in all probability, the state of the river would render it almost a matter of impossibility to cross. The Caledonian, while tot laboring under the same disadvantages as Addison's is still almost too far to expect that men will leave their avocations for the sake of voting for a particular candidate. It may be said that if miners valued their privilege, they would put themselves to some little inconvenience to exercise their rights, but it is too much to ask a man to lose a whole day's work, especially in these times, for this purpose. Polling places should be so placed at convenient distances, that it may be in the power of anybody to exercise his privilege if he feels so inclined without subjecting him to much loss or inconvenience, and not in places difficult of access. The case of Addison's is particularly hard, possessing as it does a population almost sufficient to return a member, in fact it is doubtful whether it does not possess a greater number of voters than Westport itself, and yet by reason of its situation it is almost disfranchised. We hope that some provision will be made in this case, for it certainly would not entail much expense on the G-overn-ment, while it would undoubtedly be a great boon to the inhabitants. If the Government confer upon a community the privilege of electing representatives, it certainly should place the polling places at reasonable distances, and not interpose a broad and rapid river, which at times is not only difficult but dangerous, and expensive to cross, between a large portion of the community and the place where their votes are to be recorded.