New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-02-03

1
Mr.. Murrell, of Lafourche, thought if
there was so much work to do. the commit
tee had better go out OF the House and do
nothing else until they had accomplished it.
! Mr.. Montaldo, of Orleans, favored the
resolution. He was surprised at hearing it
| suggested that members OF the committee
should do the work of clerks. They were
elected as legislators. and not as clerks.
| He moved to lay the amendment OF the
| table.
The House tabled the amendment.
Mr.. Mathews, of Tensas, moved to amend
| the resolution by allowing the clerk s. per
| day for twenty days. He was opposed in
general to giving committees clerks. but
| this was such an important one that it was
| necessary. They dill not need one f,r the
whole session. and limiting the tim. 80
twenty days onght to be satisfactory
Mr.. King, of Orleans, said the examina
ton of the multitude of accounts required
an expert. He doubted if he were com.
petent to unrayel all their intricacies withs
| out assistance. IT the House did not al :
low the committee a clerk. it would be a
| virtual resembling of the resolution ap-
| pointing it.
Mr.. Estilette considered It very I'm.
| portant that the committee should have
! clerk, and hoped the House would allow it..
The morning hour having expired, the
| Chair announced the order of the day.
which was the reconsideration of the re-
port Of the Committee ON Elections seating
Mr.. 0. P. Fernandez, from the fifth repre-
sentative district.
| Mr.. Demas, of st. John hoped the motion
to reconsider would prevail. He thought
the committee had not had sufficient time
to make a proper report, AID the one before
the House was certainly not such a one IF
the House examined the case he believed it
would tind that the gentleman was not eli
| gible. He never had been heard of before.
If he were elected he would receive his
| support, no matter what his opinions
were. But if the House would re-
open the case they would fad that
it was an utter impossbiIity for
Mr.. Fernandez to have been elected. Mr.
King, who occupies seat in the House to-
day. is from the same district Mr.. Fuse
| lier. whose seat Mr.. Fernandez contests,
| ran 500 votes ahead of his ticket. How
! could Mr. Fernandez be seated if Mr. King .
who received less votes than Mr.. Fuseiers
was elected. Both slr. hing and Mr.. usee
| lier were legally elected, and he could not
vote to seat any contestants 60 their seats
| when he knew they were NOT entitled 60
them He proposed to do justice to every.
body, according to his oath. Besides, it
was first necessary to declare Mr. Fuselier's
seat vacant, and that requires two-thirds
vote. which can not be got. The adoption
Of the repors is not sufficient The mae
ority Of the House, Zoo, had better conside +
| that once in power was not forever. and
sometime this action would Sesurn 80 p.ag ue
its authovs.
Mr.. Iou1: OF Coacociia. desired - iis.
cuss tho question and not havo iebate 9
shoked Oft by the previous question. and if
it is sprung on the House by any mem ber
from New Orleans he wanted tbs country
members to vote it down. Put tn. mem.
bers of the committee on oath and not one
OF them will say he believes Mr.. Fernando.
was elected. Members are not resDo5ible
to New Orleans for their votes, but in few
days will have to go back to their IN sti.
tUents and tell them how they have ob eyed
the obligations of their Oaths. The city Of
New Orleans is Of no i'm Hortance comp ared
to the country. and We. they come here
and, by the operation of the previous Gres.
ton, force measures On the country me m.
bers which :her would be ashamed Of as.e1.
ward.
;Mr. Mathews. cf reas.,. in the chair;
MI. Stewart. Of Tensas. said tia. from,
the time man was created no such PIE pos.
ferrous action had ever been taken ia :.
legislative body; no parallel to til. loin gs
OF this House in the dangerous precedents it
was setting. Leading members o: the
House have sneered and scotf9d at hon est
members who have endeavored 10 prevent
thi. wrong. Every honest man in the
House should be opposed to seating M en- on
party grounds He would be govern ed by
the report of the returning board Before
the contestant was seated the presen mem
Der must be expelled. 1t is the duty of the
committee to have the evidence prin ted and
laid before the House. The papers have
called this body an unscrupulous one. and
actions like these would prove the charge
lie hoped the committee would have the
matter referred to them again, and would
take the proper action. If the House
chose to admit this gentle man when he had
not the shadow of case; when not a scin- |
tilla of evidence had been presented when |
every member knew he had not been elect !
cd, when each individual member of the |
committee knew he had no case. in the face
't the facts that the other Democratic Rep
from that ward had been seated
when he got less votes than Mr. Fuselier: in
ieflance OF precedent and of law, it would
ustlfy the charges that have been MADE. No
'ase had ever been presented with less show
# justice or right than this one, and he
mplored members to throw aside consid-
rations OF party and act honestly and
Justly. II this man were admitted no
member was safe in his seat ANY one
Eho opposed him at the polls, no matter
ow few votes he got, could rally his
riends in the House, and by mere report
a committee be seated by force of
majority. There would be no help
Or him if he happened to be a
and even the conscientious Re
ublican who might oppose some party
,easure would not be safe from such as
aults. He had sat quietly in his seat
'hen other contested cases had been
rought up because there was some show