New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-01-17
DEBATES OF THE HOUSE.
MONDAY. January IL. 1871.

The House met at - NJ
Speaker Carr in the chair.
Eghty-eignt members present.
Prayer by the Chaplain.
| The report of the Committee on Elections
! relative to the eases of Mr.. cny. of st. Ber.
| nard, and NJ. Brown, of Ascension. having
| been read, and motion made 70 adopt it
Mr.: Mahonety. of Plaquemine: BIZ
! Speaker. ! would like to have the yeas and
nays upon that resolution. IN the commit
L.. there We're three voted FOR it and three
against: OF the three that voted against it
l vas one. think, sir, we come here to do
]u.;ic' {" Democrats ant! Republicans and
| all me!: 40 matter what they are Now. 81
tar a. Mr. Cng is concerned. the testimony
before the committee makes the election
null and vOid. Commissioners were not
sworn ii. III the frs: place. and the COM
misSi0ners themselves have brought in the
testimony that they have no: been sworn in
III the manner that they should have been,
and that they did not accept the civil and
political equality OF all men, and con>e-
Iuently they could not be sworn. move
that that election 20 back to tho people. be-
cause it has been illegally held.
Mr.. Rinsgold. Of Orleans: Mr Speaker:
The testimony was read in that committee to
the satisfaction of its ma Ority. The legal
voters of the parish Of ST. Bernard voted
for Thomas Ong and don't see. nor can
l understand why they should ba deprived
OF their rights of suffrage, because some OF
the commissioners were not daily sworn.
The validity of the election Of its members
is a question fox the House to decide; there
fore. move TO lay tho resolution Of Mr..
Mahoney on the table. and call for the pre-
viOus question.
the gentleman from Plaquemine lMahOneyl
is out of order.
Mr.. Harry Lott. Of Rapides: As = mem
Der OF thai committee. and as one OF those
who voted for the confirmation of Mr. Oug
III his seat have a word or two to say. The
only testimony brought before that com
mittee to vitiate the election of Mr. On. is
this: that two of the commissioners of cleo
ton, as they aftcrward swore. failed to
qualify i'll the proper mode. The election
law prescribes that where an officer fails to
qualify he Is subject ~ penalty. but it
does not say that because you or |. or any
gentleman o. this House. went up to the
polls and voted innocentiy. supposing the
comm ssioncrs were duly and properly
qualified. that our votes should 60 for
nanght. They do not allege any frauds. in
timidation. violence or anything of the kind,
but simply that the commissioners Of cleo
ton did not qualify according TO law. Now.
sir. my position is this: that the people who
voted innoccntly supposed that they had
qualified according to law. and their will
should not he set aside because Al individual
who shsuii have qualified failed t" do
II. The law prcscribts penalty
That party should be prosecuted before the
proper court and should have the penalty
meted ont to him: but the people of Louis
lana should not. under such circumstances,
have wrong done to them, merely because
an officer OF the law has failed 20 so his
duty.
The Speaker: The Chat. desire. ~ state
to the gentleman from Pla4ucmnr iMr
Nahoney, that in order 10 accomplish his
motion il has ~ ne presented III the form Of
resolution. and in order to accomplish
that the report of the committee would have
to be lad upon the table Or disposed of in
come manner. Then the adoption. III his
resolution would be- in order.
Mr.. Thompson. Of 81. Tamlnauy: Mr..
Spca ker. "a there seems tn be Il disagree
Mcnt between the members nf the Commit
tee on Elections, on .he subject Of this re-
port. | don't think tho House should be
called upon to act upon this question. where
tho course is almost equally divided. with
out an opportunity of seeing the papers and
testimony upon which they could form their
opinion. therefore move that the report
of the committee and the evidence be
printed ana laid upon the desks OF the men,
bers and that the matter be made the
special order Of the day On Thursday next.
at one o'clock.
NJ. Abel. Of Bossier: A. chairman of the
Committee on Elections. would state that
the resolution in the committee was simply
this: That the chairman be instructed to
report that Mr.. Ong. the sitting member
was entitled to his seat. Upon that ques-
ton the yeas and nays were called, and the
vote stood four to three and by that vote
was instructed to make that report, which
have done. Mr.. Mahoney is entirely mis-
taken.
BY Il recorded vote Of tiftv-tilrce to thirty
five the resolution of Mr.. Thompson, Of st.
to postpone until Thursday. was
tabled.
Mr.. Davidson. Of Livingston: Mr. Speaker,
rs there is present a large number of men,
bers Of the delegation Of Western editors,
now visiting this city. move recess of
twenty minutes i'll order to extend to them
the inequalities of the House.
Motion adopted.
Upon the reassemblins Of the House, the
'eport of the Election Committee was
adopted By a recorded vote OF - to 81.
On motion of Mr.. Matthews. of Tensas. in
aspect to the memory OF Hon. Joshua w. |
coleman, member elect from Tensas, re-
emily deceased. the House. at l:iO L. NJ.
adjourned until tomorrow at noon.