New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-11-19
NEW ORLEANS THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 49, 1874
The Returning Board.

The Returning Board.
The president called the board to order |
yesterday punctuaily at eleven o'clock, and |
Messrs. Anderson, Wells, Casanave and |
Kenner were present.
After the minutes Of thNprevious day
had been read and approved, Mr.. 7. I. Al |
lain, of West Baton Rouge, appeared before
the board in search of information. lie
said i. was rumored that the returns OF that
parish were not in the hands of the Return
ing Board and that they were being manip-
uated in the interest Of certain parties.
He desired to be informed whether the
returns OF the election in West Baton Rouge
were in the hands of the Returning Board
President Wells asked the secretary for
.ne desired information, and that function
ary produced his receipt book and showed
that the returns of West Baton Rouge had
| been in the hands Of the Returning Board
since the fifth of November.
Mr.. Anderson here arose and said that as
! infcrmati0 had been asked for in regard TO
the St. James returns, and excitement
existed about them, he moved that they be
brought before the board at once.
This motion beving put and carried, the
che safe o. the Secretary Of State. wore
! sen: for.
! Mr.. Arroyo, a member OF the board. here
appeared and took his seat.
The returns Of Sc. James parish being
! before the board, they were opened and
1 oh Eo w
| royo arose and stated that he deemed it .
duty. before goin further, TO state that he
| did not feel Justified in remaining as
member unless there was another Conserva-
| tive Democrat chosen upon the board. lie
said the responsibilities We're very grave
and he did not wish TO encounter them
alone He would give the board twenty
four hours to determine what course it
would take in the premises. In the mean
time he would continue 10 act as member
OF the board.
President Wells observed that the board
could not elect another member from the
Conservative Democratic party unless there
was q vacancy on the board.
Mr.. Arroyo repeated that he would give
|
whether it was possible to have another
Conseryati ye Democrat on the board; and
unless it could be done he did not feel at
liberty to remain, and would insist on the
acceptance of his resignation. He said at
the time he consented to become . member
of the board he did so under peculiar cir
cumstances, and with view only OF sub.
serving the public interest. Since that time
he had had an opportunity Of consulting
his political friends, and as many of them
were Of the opinion that he could do bu,
little good OF the board as at present con
stituted; he had respect enou gh for them to
insist upon the appointment Of another
Democrat on tho board before consenting
to remain q nembeg Of it TO the end of it'd
labors.
The board then resumed the examination
Of the st. James returns. In doing this ii
was discovered that the vote for justice OF
the peace, ia some instances were given al
large in the parish, when it should hsve
been confined to the district in which the
candidate for that Office was running.
Mr.. Zacharie desired to know whether
the board would decide to count the votes
that had been given candidate by voters
living outside of his district As it was
possible that the same thing may have been
done in other parishes, he would like to
knew wha: course the board designed
taking in the matter.
Mr.. Arroyo thought the board would De
compelled to take the course pointed out by
J the law.
His v.sw TO. being iissen,ed from, the
board proceeded with the investigation Of
the 81. James returns.
At the conclusion Of the examination OF
the returns of poll Nc. Z, from st. james
parish, Mr Zacharie arose, and protested
against their being received as correct, and
charged that they had been criminaily
changed since they were firss deposited in
hundred votes mad been added to what i;
known az the "Bovee ticket"
Nr. Lowell asked that ic be taken down
As charge made by Dem ocfa:ic counsel
not only against the commissioner Of cleo
ton and CLERK OF the district court, bu,
agains. the Secretary OF State and Return
ing Board.
Nv. Zacha..e said it was not meant as a
charge against the Return in. Board, bu,
was intended az a charge against the com
missioner Of election and clerk Of the dis
trict court in the parish Of st. James.
Mr.. Whitaker suggested that the charge
be made in writing, and Mr.. Zacharie &C
cordinsly reduced j: to whiting and left j;
with the board.
The board then examined al! the tally
| iis.s-pumbe,ing :en-foE the parish OF St.
James, and found that tho first, second,
third, fourth, fifth and sixth were correct.
There was evidently an error, from some
cause, in tally list No. :, as it did not sgree
| with the other returns, but tslly list No. 9
did agree with the commissioner returns
of poll No Z, and the Returning Board de-
cided to correct what seemed TO them an
error. By substituting the tally List OF poll
No. 3 for that of No..
Colonel Lowell asked il the tally list was
signed. and being answered that it was not
| he asked if the board had determined to
receive the tally list not signed in prefer
euce to the eworn statement Of the commits
sieners This question also being answered
in the affirmative. he desired 20 have the
action OF the board in regard to this matter
recorded. lie then asked permission to
! intYoauce festimony "a shou thar the 70.