New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1856-07-07
Abstract OF the Report of the Kansas Com
|u mittee.

Abstract OF the Report of the Kansas Conn.,
# nlittee.
The report states that as soon as the bill to organ
ize the Territory of Kansas was passed, large num-
Der of the citizens of Missouri went into the Territory
and held squatter meetings, passed resolutions de
nouneing Abolitionsts and declaring that slavery eX
listed therein. In the autumn OF 1854, secret polt
ical society called the Blue Lodge was formed, the
plan Of operations oaths etc OF which are given by
the report This Lodge controlled all the subsequent
movements and nvasions on the part Of the Missou-
rians. .-z,a2,
At the election on November 30, 1854, for q dele
gate to Congress- there was no fraud except in the
sparsely settled and remote districts, where citizens
Of Missouri appeared and voted. Details in relation
to these facts are given in the report which says 1t Is
reduced to mathematical precision that seventeen
hundred illegal and nonresident votes were cast by
citizens of Missouri, and that the remainder were
eleven hundred legal votes Whitfield received plu-
raty and would have been elected without the aid of
his Missouri friends .
During the winter, very great excitement existed
on account of the invasion, public meetings were held
and much bitter feeling was manifested. In Febru-
| arv, 1855, a census was taken, and the number OF
legal voters was ascertained to be 2905. 1t was also
discovered that the 50th of March, 1856, several
days before the election active preparations went on
in Missouri where complete organization was effect
ed. Leaders were appointed; tents, provisions, am
munitions and distributed, and the forces were
divided into companies in Missouri and on the day
Of the election at least 5000 citizens OF Missouri, 1t is
testified took up their line of march for Kansas.
Companies wentnto every council and representative
district of that territory but one. The great mass of
testimony consists in detailing the acts and sayings of
these companies.
The investigating committee had before them the
poll books census rolls, ETC., showing who were legal
as well as Illegal voters; and from accurate and al
most absolute proofs it appeared that of about $500
votes five thousand those Of non-residents. The
majority of the members Of both houses of the Legis
lative Assembly, the committee say, would have
been free State men had there been no invasion OF
Missourians. The Governor set aside the result Of the
elections in some of the districts account Of nfor
maties. A new election took place therein on the
the ed of May, but this did not affect the result.
s. $ Free State men were
chosen in these districts, except Leavenworth where
there was illegal voting.
The committee took large mass of testimony re-
garding the proceedings of the Legislative Assembly,
which they say are characterized by reckessness and
injustice, They likewise speak of the crimes such as
murders and robberies, which were frequent, saying
that in no case with the exception of McRae, "a Free
State man, there any arrest, indictment, OF pro
secution for those offences.
The report contains full and complete details of
everything connected with the Territory of Kansas,
prior to the 18th Of March last and says it is clearly
and distinctly proven that Samuel JONES' the Sheriff.
was the cause of recent disturbances in which he so
prominently figured. Mr. Oliver, of Missouri, Zone
Of the investigating committee,) made speech in
the Fifteenth District, but did not VOTE although he
went over with of the companies from that State
into Kansas.
| The conclusions of the committee that each 0
the elections in Kansas carried by nvasons from
Missouri that the Legislative Assembly is an Illegal.
constituted body, and therefore, has no power to pas
valid laws For these reasons its enactfnents void
The election Of J. w. Whitfield was not held unde
any valid law, the election of Reeder held il
accordance with law. The committee suggest II
remedy.
i The report treats Of distractions thrown in TIL
way Of the committee and of the general yolenc
which prevails in the Territory 1t is very vouminou
and is signed by Messrs. Sherman and Howard.