New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-02-03
TIE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE

|
The congressional committee met yeste
day at ten o clock. the Hon. Mr.. ScOteld j
the chair
The examination of George +. Bove'
former Secretary of State, related to hi
suspension from the office of Secretary
State by Governor WarmOth, and also
the charges against the administration
The witness stated that up to the twenty
eighth of August, 1871, ne performed tn
duties of Secretary Of State OF Louisiana
to which position he had been elected b.
the people. That day, visiting his office a
usual, he found it in possession Of Genera
| +. J. Heron and squad of MetrOpolita
| police. The General handed him lette
from the Governor, suspending him iron
office. While attempting to resume tn
functions Of his Office he was arrested an,
carried to the police station by Captain
Edgeworth, of the police. The cause 0
the suspension lay in the PRONUNCIATION 0
a law in accordance with the dutios OF hi
| office, which, it had been asserted, was not {
| law, nor had it became one, and hence, thai
| the Secretary had no right to prOmulgate it
| 1t was an act transferring the City Water
works to private corporation. 1t was hif
impression, cOncurred in by the Attorney
General, that the bill had passed. The bill
had been presented at the Governors private
residence and receipted for by lady.
The witness went on to say that he had
known of no other case where bills had
been received in the manner described. He
had first consulted with the Attorney Gen
eral, and received his opinion after stating
the facts, before he had promulgated the
law. In regard to the steps he had'taken
to regain his office. he went on to say that
he had brought the matter before
the courts, and the Eighth District
Court, Judge Emerson Sitting in
place of Judge Dibble), had decided it
against him: he had taken an appeal to the
Supreme Court, but the case had been dis
missed because it had not been brought
within the legal ten days.
Mr.. Packard having submitted to the
committee written charges against the Gov
ernOr, Mr.. BOvee was then examined in
reference to the charge of frauds cOnsum-
mated under the election laws, as he was
one of the witnesses whose names were ten
dered in the memoranda of Mr.. Packard
The witness stated that a regular system
Of frauds was inaugurated by the Governor
to return certain men as elected to office.
AS to the tampering with the poll IN
the parish of Ascension, but two were re
turned out of the seven; the parish of Rich
land had been thrown out, and so were
those from Iberville.
Upon the charge OF legislative corruption
the witness said that bribe was offered to
Mr.. Tureaud of $1,000, by n Underwood,
aud bribe had been offered also to Mr..
kearson, both being offered to influence the
support of Governor Warmoth. The wit
ness also mentioned the names of Messrs.
Bickham and Lynch. both Of whom had
been offered bribes, according to their own
statements. In regard to the charges of
corruption against the Governor himself,
Mr. Bovee went on to say what he was re-
ported to be worth. and to give hearsay
opinions that he had 'protited largely By
legislative acts The witness, who had
been friendly to the Governor. was not so
now, as he believed he was bad man; all
his acts seemed to indicate it, and in his
own expulsion from office, it was owing to
friendly to him. On being pressed to spe.
city the legislative acts in which the Gov
ernOr had prOtited largely, the witness fell
into the charges made by Marshal Packard
in his testimony, and went on to
describe the funding bill Though he
had no idea the Governor had boen
paid to pass the bill, but that he had prof
tied by it he felt convinced The lottery,
and funding bills were all
unpopular, and, in the opinion of the wit
ness, the Governor controlled the Legisla-
ture, either by patronage or corruption
The Chattanooga railroad law had author
zed the issue of $3,OOO,OOO, of which the
railroad was to receive $750,OOO and S.. $780,
300 of unregistered bonds in addition to the
$4,000 mile authorized for the construc-
ton of the road. The Governor had vetoed
the warehouse bill before the constitutional
limit had been reached on this ground, and
before the issuing of the $500 900 bonds in
The railway matter. In regard to the ap-
Dointment of Evans at Tangipahoa, the wit
ness charged he had been convicted of en-
Dezzlement, but pardoned by the Governor,
md reappointed. The witness himself had
Deen interested in a paper in st. James
whereof Mr.. Hunsaker was editor, and he
lad a printing contract at one time. Had,
llso, held slight interest in law book
store, which had only netted him about $50.
n the way of his own receipts, he had
sometimes received fees for copying laws
lie had been interested in the sale of books
,aper.''
Mr.. Packard was recalled, and testified
more in relation to the Wilderness affair
The ship where the Senators were on board
lad been visited from time to time by him.
elf in the business of affOrding consolation
o them in their trials. and of assuring them
f the sympathy of the people in their
These consisted in being de-
rived Of communication with their families
nd in being imprisoned on board. He had
card something about the Senators being |
urnished with mattresses and blankets |
AIKEN from vessel while under seizure. |
hat, he did not know about, but if done at |
II, was accomplished under the supervision |
f one of the deputy marshals, who was
out of town. at present, but would, he |
opposed, IN answer to question, return in |