Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-02-11
WASHINGTON.
Report Of the Senate Committee
IN %bo Clooto-oI Vo{o Of Iouisiaun.
Marshal Packard on the Stand.

I
lev electors was certified by the Gavernor,
/ but the official returns of the election have
not been counted by the returning board
created by the laws of Louisiana for that
purpose, and the persons who in fact made
1 the examination and count, bad no legal
authority to do so. The election Of the
Grant electors is certified by the Lynch re-
turning board, but the board did not have
the official returns before them, and their
election was not certified by the Governor
of the State as required by act of Congress.
The Committee says further that the
claims of each board of the right to count
| the affidavts of persons refused registra-
ton, under the law for the enforcement of
the fifteenth amendment is unfounded.
| The law contains no such provision. In
| the 23d section of the oct it is provided
that if any person has been defeated in OBJ
tanning an Office by reason Of such denial
to any person or persons of the right TO vote
on account Of race, color or previous coDdi-
/ ton of servitude, such person may bring
suit in a court Of the United States to re-
/ cover the Office; but the section expressly
| provides at its benefit shall not extend to
candidates for State Legislatures, nor for
Congress, Elector for President and Vice
| Pr5 sident.
The report also says that Gov. Warmoth
under the act of 1870 had the whole mach
| inery Of the elections in his own hands.
| He had the appointment Of Supervisors of
| elections and registration in the different
| parishes, and the appointment Of commits
sioners OF election, and these officers with
| few exceptions were appointed from the
ranks Of those who we're opposed to the
| Republican party, and We think from the
| informal evidence before the returning
| board and from what this committee has
| learned in the cause OF this investigation
| there is little doubt but that those advant-
| ages were used to advance and every means
resorted to in order to secure the triumph
of the patty with which Gov. Warmoth
| acted. Great difficulties were thrown in
the way of registration. The Republicans
| in many parishes were put to great incol-
yenience to find the register, aud in many
| instances were unable to do so. The places
of regi gistering and of voting in many parish
es were fixed at points remote for the center
of population, often without notice Of the
place being given. False registration,
double voting, stuffing of ballot boxes and
] other frauds and irregularities are charged
| in q majority of parishes and there is not
much room to doubt that the Lynch return
ing board were OF opinion that upon fair
election the Republican party wodld have
carried the State and has been cheated and
hindered in every way possible by the pow
er that controlled the machinery Of the
election. Bat notwithstanding al this, the
| Lynch returning board with the sort of evi-
dence which was before them had no power
under the law of the State to Investigate
/ Sraud and injury, or to act upon their con-
vic, Sons of the wrongs that had been suf-
fered.
.be senate on the United States nor both
houses Jointly have power under the Con-
stitntioH to canvass the returns Of an elee-
tinn. and count out or determine who have
hae1 elected Presidential Electors, but that
the mode and manner Of choosing Electors
are left exclusively to the States.
As to the other questions upon which the
committed were instructed to report touch
inc the existence of a legal State Govern
ment in Louisiana and the admission OF
Senator from that State, they ara not now
prepared TO report.
TFumbuII DIsEents.
TrumbuI dissents from that portion O
the report in which the opinion is expresses
shat the Lynch board believe that on Iail
election the Republican party would nav
, ! carried the State, and had been cheated an
hindered in every way by the party tina
controlled the power and machinery OF th'
election.
Marshal Packard on the Stand.
I The Senate Committee resumed the Lou
ssana investigation this evening. L.. /
Packsrd, of New Orleans, Chairman OF tn
,2ssluolican Executive Committee OF Lou
s;aTsz. testified. He said that there was
settled conviction among the Republican
| that the election was to be carried by FRAUD
In a majority of the parishes the electlo
1 was fair, though in some parishes 1t wa
| not. In New Orleans the count was prett
| fair, but the registration was not SO alto
| oether. r, Il. Bennett & Co. were printin
limitations of the Republican tickets, bear
ing the names Of the fusion candidates
was his opinion they were Intended fo
s,ufing ballot boxes, though they were
1 closely watched that they were not use'
Witness had deputy marshals at varlot
polls. Appointed upwards Of six hundre
: in New Orleans. He thinks the majorit
iofthem only served one day, though soia
Sc rved seventy days.
Pending the examination ot FacKard u
COMMITTEE went into secret session on u
! ,Hald we'll examination, and adjourned u
to- VG2TroW.
1,1;,. akley, President of the Phil'
d.i0Soa % PRtatiiics,+ Company, was before IL
anronriafion an a Com, ittee to-day, on the su
ject of railroad postoflicl- "a on fbo lee
were, it is represented, place 1ise nv Il
ing rOats in 1864, under prom, mid
) | department that the companies shC n
paid for their use. This promise has
been complied with.
The Credit dObiItcr Committees.
The Senatorial Credit MobiIier Commit
tee met this morning, but nothing was dom
for want of complete copies of the testi
mony furnished the Committee of tn
House. Copies are expected to be fur
] nished day or tomorrow. 1t is prob
able several days will be occupied in eX
, amining the evidence before further actio
. is determined ON. The committee will asl
leave TO sit during the session Of the Senate
, Cakes Ames has returned to be examine,
tomorrow.
The Wilson investigating committee bell
, | a special session this evening and examined
| Judge G. T. Sherman CT Ohio. The wit
/ ucSS iLiOugOb 1kiC-C otlOWSO uLASA So
Anes contract were double what they
should have been. at one half Of tina
{ price the contractors could have made fai
! profits. The Hoxie contract was the onl!
one entered into while witness held tht
position Of Government director. TIL
manner in which the road WAS construcSe
under the Hoxie contract was satisfactory
Radical Caucus-Hsye had a Surfei
of Investigation.
4 caucus of Republican Senators wa
held this morning, Auth0ny presiding, on tn
) subject Of the business now pending befor
the Senate. A committee was ordered tC
be appointed by the chairman to report a
as future meeting as to what measure
should have preceden &c, the general obiec
being to act upon those of the most p6bli
necessity with view Of avoiding a call 10
: an extra session. The prevailing seDti
ment was against any extra session
Some Senators declare the President shoul
not be forced to call an extra session OWN
to the fault or negligence OF Congress t
transact necessary legislation.
A Tug.BOat snagged-FOur Live