New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-03-03
OF THE SENATE
WHEN sIrTIRG As A COURT
OF IMPEACHME EMIT,
SATURDAY, February 26, 1871

took the chair.
The roll being called by direction of the
Chief Justice, the following Senators
answered to their names:
Messrs. Anderson, Antoine, Bacon, Beares,
Blackman, Brrnghn, Campbell, Coupland
Darrall, Day, Egan, Foute, Futch, jerks,
Jewell. Keiso, Lewis, Lynch Monette, Offutt,
Ogden. O'Hara, Packard, Pinchback, Poin-
dexter, Ray, Smith. Thompson, Todd,
Whitney, Wilcox, Williams, Wittgenstein.
By direction of the Chief Justice, the
Sergeant-at-Arms then opened the court
by the usual proclamation.
On motion of Senator Braughn, the
reading of the journal was dispensed
with.
The Chief Justice: The Secretary will
inform the members of the House OF Rep
resentatives that the Senate is now ready
to proceed with the trial of G. NJ. Wick
life, Auditor of Public Accounts of the
State Of Louisiana.
The honorable managers on the part OF
the House appeared and took the seats
provided for them.
T. j. Semmes and Henry Gray, Esq,
appeared as counsel for respondent.
The Chief Justice: Gentlemen managers,
are you ready to proceed with the trial.
The Chief Justice: The Senators will
please give their attention to the testi-
money as offered:
Mr.. Gray, Of counsel for respondent:
May it please the court, before the court
proceeds with the testimony We wish to
present an answer.
Mr.. Semmes, of counsel for respondent:
Mr.. Chief Justice, will make the follow
tho IL ha
original warrant No. 7071, worn to
before Justice of the Peace.
This answer was then received and read
by the Secretary and fled, to wit:
Senate of the State of Louisiana, sitting
as Court of impeachment.
Now comes George NJ. Wickliffe, Auditor
of Public Accounts, and for answer to the
order to produce the original warrant, No
7071, and the coupons upon which said
warrant was issued, says that he can not
produce the same, because they were de-
stroyed after he regained possession of his
Office in May. 1863, and after his acquittal
in the First District Court for the parish
of Orleans.
G. NJ. WICKLIFFE.
New Orleans. February 26, 1870.
Sworn and subscribed before me to-day
A. SHELLEY,
Second Justice Of the Peace.
TESTIMONY OF R. W. FRANCIS.
r. w. Francis, witness for the prose-
cution, was called and duly sworn by the
Secretary.
Examination in chief by Manager
Lowell.
Question. State your name and resi-
dence,
Answer. Richard w. Francis. I live at
Houma, Louisiana.
@. Are you the proprietor of the Tefre-
bonnie Patriot?
A. Yes.
@. Do you publish the laws of the State!
A. Yes
@. With whom do you settle your ac-
count for this. printing?
A. have done SO with the Auditor, &C
cording to the law.
@. Did you ever have any difficulty in
your settlements with the Auditor?
A. Yes, always.
@. State what the difficulty was.
A. The first difficulty was in 1869, in the
month of February. when applied to him
to have my bills for several months au-
dited. He put me off from day to day
with the excuse that he (the Auditory had
no time to attend to this. Finally, was
told to come at four o'clock certain
afternoon, and we then had long con-
versation, and he told me that we boys
must "come down" if we expected to get
ANYTHING done, as the Governor. had in
structed him to cut us down in the meas
urement; and he said that if we expected
him to do anything for us, we must "come
down." if we expected to get him to do
anything.
Q. Go on and state what other CONVEX.
sation you had.
A. After parleying with him for some
time, and protesting against it, l was in.
duced to give him one hundred dollars ia
United States currency, and, in return, re-
ceived my warrant. l believe the war
rant was for 500.
O. When was this?
A. In February, am almost certain
@. Did you have any further transac-
ton with the Auditor?
A. Yes, the following month, in March,
the same thing TRANSFERRED, my bill was
then three hundred and seventy-fiye
dollars.
Q. How much did you give him at that
time?
A. Fifty dollars Il believe that was on
the day that left for the North.
@. Was this in money?
A. Yes, sir.
@. Did he make the same objection!'
A. He did, he said that we boys-tha'
is the printers must ''come down" or we
could not get our warrants audited.
@. That is not in your own name!
A. Yes.
@. You could not get them audited al
all.
A. That was what he said, that we could
not, unless we "came down" meaning
that we must pay him; as he had no time
to attend to it.
@. Did you have any further transaction
with the Auditor
A. Not personally, but through agents
have.
@. What agents?
A. Different agents; I never could get
my bills audited unless employed some
body else.
@ Whom did you employ?
A. Major Robertson principally; can
think of nobody else at present
Question by Manager McMilen: Whatdid
you understand by the expression "come
DOWN."
A. That must pay him for it.
Q. Is that common phrase?
A. Yes.
Cross examined by counsel for respond
ent.
@. Do You mean to say that Mr.. Wick
life either intmated or required that you
should pay something to have your account
audited at all, for anything?