The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-02-08

whether this was the case. Did not
the returns. They were counted
by the Supervisors. MIR. RAYS recoi.
lection was to the contrary.
70 Gen. McMillan-DOn't rempmher
how many polls there were in the mr.
lSh IN 1870. RecOllected that Gov Wor-
moth was pleased with theresJIt Don't
know that he denounced MMGPcffOn Of
the Supervisors in providing ONLY fonr
polls. The election in 1870 was the on
~ one since reconstruction, when That
parish Went Republican.
10 Senator Lewis-The REGISTRATION
list OF that parish was lost, and II vas
declared necessary to have Il new regis
t%ratiOn. Don't know positively. Int
understood that the Registrars WouId
not allow two cOlOred men to one white,
10 Mr.. MOrton-The count for Blnnt,
from the parish of Red River, in addi3
ton to the United States supervisors.
had atidavits of citizens and other pyi,
dence. nthecOuntO Of NatchitOches there
were certified returns to the board,
Counted some 10000 atfidayits. From
DeSotO there was no contest. In Sn-
blne they voted the Democratic returns.
10 Gen. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. was
TnroWn out upon sworn evidence that
,KKeepuollcanS had no opportunity tovOtc.
lhey dld not know where the polls
were until the day of the election, and
tllat tllcy were IN out of the way places,
ana Kept In possession Of Democrats,
mere seemed TO he a settled design to
prevent Republicans from voting, and
that there was not a fair election,
TO Mr.. Trumbull-The evidence was
all eX-parte. No witnesses were evan
med. Was not influenced bv ncwsna-
per statements or JUNIORS The afido-
Wits which formed the evidence We're
sworn to before authorized officers
were assured that this was the cnsn byI
certificates from United States courts.
showing who the Supervisors wpre'
Received them from Mr.. WOlHcv. the
United States Commissioner, and tho
Supervisor of Election of the State.
HAD no statements of any Supervisor or
other election officer that there had
been intimidation, bribery or corruD-
ton.
Mr.. Trumbull read the law recurring
Such certificates to authorize the board
to refuse to return the votes of anv
pole. ''
Mr.. Lynch thought the law should be
construed literally so as to let the
board get all the information possible,
To Mr.. Hill-Don't think the board
formally inquired whether they had n
right to accept anything but the returns
OF State officers to inquire whether there
was not bribery at the polls, but thew
practically concluded that they could.
10 Mr.. McRae-Submitted the Ma
tlOnal Republican Of New Orleans, of
December 7, as the record of the date
upon which the board promulgated the
returns OF the election, tO-wit: On the
evening of the day upon which the
board made the official demand upon
the Governor for the official returns.
Thought the shutting of the door in the
face OF the committee Of the board was
sufficient assurance that the returns
would not be delivered. Mr.. BOvee adj
mitted that the board did not wait for
an answer from the Governor to their
demand.
To Mr.. MOrtOn-Mr. Burch said that
the canvass OF votes was nearly COM
pleted before demand was made, Did
not wait to see whether he would obey
Judge DurelIs order for the returns.
but took it for granted from the treat
ment the committee received that he
would not. After Judge Durell made
the order above mentioned there was
no demand upon the court for O process
to compel the delivery of the returns So
far rs witness knew. In Mr.. Cages
district the returns from United States
Supervisors were the basis of the
boards return. In one parish in his
district the same registration papers
were voted on ut two polls, and one
hundred votes were thrown out. In n
other the State ~canvassers left the work
inc0mpleted. The votes upon which
the return was made from TerrebOnne
parish in the disputed parish above
mentioned, the returns came from the
u. 5. Supervisors.
Mr.. Morton said it seemed to him the
committee should not enquire so much
ab0BIt the decision of the board. It was
to find that the board, who was consti~
tllded judges by law, had certain evil
dence before them upon which they
acted.
Mr.. Trumbull's view was, that the
board had no right to count the vote MI
all, and that the witness did not know
upon what evidence they did act. The
witness was examined concerning each
disputed district, and each said that the
board acted upon the returns of the
United States officials, and afidayits
LullALOLSu NY UiIILlg GbAiN ttltU ltS uIu lou
know how these officers procured
said papers, except what the papers
themselves showed.
BY Mr.. Ray-Mr. BOvee stated that
in One-the parish of Rapides-the evil
denCe before the board showed that the
registrar kept the list in his own resi-
denCe, and refused to permit cOlored
men to come in to register.
The testimony Of Mr.. Lynch showed
that in all the actions of his board in
throwing out polls, counting affidavits
as votes, etc, and returning certain
parties as elected, the board acted on
what it considered sufficient evidence
of fraud, intimidation OF unfairness, as
the case might be, which evidence, as
above stated, was furnished by the
United States supervisors. The evil
denee upon which the board acted has
been sent for and is now on the way
from New Orleans. In no instance did
the board have the official returns Of
State officers authorized by law.
MI. Trumbeu directed Mr.. Lynch to
look over the evidence upon which his
Board acted, when it shall arTive-pick
out and present to the committee that
upOn which the committee acted in the
disputed districts aforementioned.
Mr.. BOvee, Ex-Secretary of State,
sworn and examined by Mr.. Norton
After his removal from Office by Gov.
Warmoth, he again came into posses
sion Of the Office December 6. Made q
list Of the Senators and representatives
in 1879, and submitted it to the Legisla-
ture. Sent in no original papers upon
which the count for Governor and
Lieutenant Governor was made, only
a duplicate of the returns. The Board
was present during the whole time,
when the board Of which he was q mem
Der was made. The evidence of fraud
before his committee came from all but
thirty parishes, he thinks, leaving twen-
ty-one parishes, and a new and unneces-
sary registration was given; had great