New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-12-24
LETTER FRO1I WASHINGTON.

/
EDITOR REPUBLICANS:
The readers of your paper have been
kept informed by the dispatches of the AS
ISOLATED Press of the progress Of the Louisi-
ana case. Nothing special happened after
| the date of my last letter, the seventh, until
! the argument before the Senate Committee
on Privileges and Elections on Friday, the
| tw eltth. The committee met on that day
and gave five hours close attention to the
discussion The first argument was made
| ny Mr.. Billings, who made clear and
| mastery statement of several legal propo-
sitions involved. He discussed the authori-
ties cited in the brief which had been fur
| nished the committee, dwelling with par
ticular power upon the effect of the recog-
milton of the Kellogg government by the
President. Mr.. Pinchback was entitled to
his seat upon the prima facie showing now
legally made under every precedent hereto
fore made in the Senate. His argument
evidently made profound impression.
Mr.. Billings was followed BY Messrs.
Ogden and Mari, who presented, 10 an
able and eloquent manner the views of the
Democratic side, so often presented in their
press in New Orleans.
Judge Dibble closed the argument,
speaking a little over an hour. as had each
Of the other counsel. He passed over the
whole ground, but especially directed his
argument to the point that the departments
of the federal governnent-the Senate, as
we'll as the Supreme Court-were bound by
the decisions of the Supreme Court of Lou
isiana, made in cases involving the inter-
probation of the constitution and statutes
OF that State. He also specially discussed
the legal effect which followed from the
returns having been opened by unauthor-
lied persons, arguing that, in contempla-
ton Of law, they were destroyed, and that
the board had authority to take secondary
evidence.
Although the committee did not make a
majority report in favor of Mr.. Pinohback
the action of the committee was deemed
here a triumph for the Republicans At
the last session Mr.. Morton stood alone in
his views; he now has three members with
Sh"hSO W Just tudo OAteHt.
To-day, when the motion of Senator MGR
ton came up, the Democrats made strenu-
Gus effort to obtain delay, but Mr.. Morton
prevailed, and the argument proceeded.
His speech was one of the most mastery
efforts that has been made in Congress for
many years. In breadth of grasp and elo-
quence of statement it was Websterian. At
the same time he exhibited most thorough
acquaintance with all Of the details of the
controversy. He was listened to with
marked attention by the Senate and by the
very large audience gathered in the gal
leries to hear him.
Throughout the discussion Senator Nor
ton adopted and presented the legal views
and authorities urged by Mr.. Billings and
Judge Dibble in their briefs and arguments
before the committee. The distinguished
Senator was waited upon in the evening by
number of prominent men who con-
graduated him.
The New Orleans PicGyune of the thir-
teenth contains, in addition to the regular
dispatch of the Associated Press a telegram
This dispatch contains d gratuitously imper-
tinent insult to one Of the counsel who ap-
peared in the argument. The agent of the
press association voluntarily assured the
gentleman referred to that the dispatch was
not sent from his Office, and that. as far as |
he knew, it was not sent by the regular cor
of the paper. The regular dis |
patch of the Associated Press appeared in |
the paper the same day as in the others. |
The friends of the counselor here were in |
dignant, and the opinion was expressed |
that the dispatch was manufactured in New |
Orleans.
The argument Of the case in the Senate |
will be proceeded with tomorrow. 1t is
not likely that a vote will be reached before
Thursday or Friday, aud it is not impossible
that the discussion will be carried On to
But that Senator Pinchback
will be seated seems now only question of |
time.
The writer had an interview with Presi-
dent Grant yesterday. The President said
that the proper solution of the Louisiana
difficulty is the seating of the claiming
Senator. He thought that if that were
done, and, he said, it ought to be done at
once, there would be no more trouble.
General McMillen is here. He did not
arrive, however, until after the case had
been presented to the committee, and he
has had little to say. Noon here. not even
the most sanguine Democrat, imagines that
he has any chance whatever.
1t is expected that the members of the
Republican committee will start for home
Nv the end Of the week MILO |