New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-12-01

ORLEANS TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1874
The Returning Beard.

The Returning Beard
The board was called to order yesterday
as half.pass eleven o'clock by President
Wells. All the members being present the
minutes Of Saturday wero read and ap'
proved.
Mr.. Arroyo asked whether the communi.
cation addressed to the Attorney General
of the State in accordance with resolution
that passed the board some days ago had
met with any response from that officer.
The president Of the board said he was
not aware that the Attorney General had
taken any action in the matter.
Mr.. Arroyo thought it strange that so
important a matter should not have re-
ceived some attention.
That gentleman was then informed that
the Attorney General was absent from the
State.
Mr.. Arroyo made some further inquiries
| in regard to the seturns from Do 500,
which had been the cause Of the passage OF
the resolution instructing the Attorney
General Co institute proceedings in the
Superior District Court for their recovery.
He wanted 20 know whether any informa-
ton had been gsined as to what steps wers
necessary to be taken in order to to avert
the Injustice that would be done if the re.
turns from De Soto were not placed in pos
session of the Returning Board.
President Wells answered this inquiry
by stating that in = conversation with the
Attorney General some days since that Of.
ficer. in spe sking OF the missing seturns
! from De Soto, cited similar case that had
occurred in this city some years ago, and
showed how justice was obtained in the end.
! This was the case Of John n. Bell against
Joseph Hufty. Bell was the Democratic
candidate for sheriff Of the parish Of Or.
! leans, and Hufty the Know Nothing can.
| didate for the same Office. The vote Of the
| parish was pretty close. and in order to
! elect Mr.. Hufty the Know Nothings smashed
! the ballot-boxes Of two or three polling
places in tho seventh ward before the re-
| turns were completed. scattering and dc.
| stroying the ballots ana seturns. As a
| consequence OF this violence no returns
could be made from the polling places in
| question, and Mr.. Hufty was declared
elected by bis violent adherents and in
Quoted into office. In that case Mr.. Bell
| sought his remedy at tho hands OF the
Legislature. When that body met he ap-
! peared with the necessary evidence. and
| having made out a case that satisfied the
Legislature that Mr.. Bell had been defeated
by depriving him Of the votes of certain
polls where it was known large Democratic
majorities had been given. Mr.. hufty
was addressed out OF Office by the
Legislature. and Mr.. Bell became the
! sheriff. The Attorney General was of
| the opinion that Mr.. Moncure and whoever
else might feel aggrieved in the end BY the
| non production Of the returns from De Soto
| re medy, as Mr.. Bell did, through the Legis-
| lature. In the case of Bell against Hufty,
! the cause Of action was the violent deten
I ton Of certain returns from the parish OF
| Orleans. IF the returns from the parish of
De Soto are not produced and canvassed by
the Returning Board, and it should appear
! that the exclusion Of the votes Of that par
! ish has defeated any candidate on the State
! or parish ticket, according to the precedent
set in the case Of Bell against tiufty. he
| may find his remedy in The Legislature.
With this explanation Mr.. Arroyo seemed
satisfied. aud, on motion, the board pro-
ceeded to canvass the returns from the par.
] ish Of Cstahoula. At the end Of this work
it was apparant that Mr.. Moncure had re.
! ceived for State Treasurer $40 and Mr..
Dubucles :s6: Tor Congress. Norey st2,
Spencer S3S.
The board then took up the feturns from
the parish Of Concordia and proceeded 70
| canvass them. There was protest filed by
! Democratic Conservative counsel against
the complement Of poll five Of this parish.
The canvass of the other polls met with no
opposition. The sote for State Treasurer
| in this parish was; Moncure l5i, Dubuclet
| 2043; Dubuclets majority. 1889. For Con-
gress: Morey lo0!, Spencer 4S9; Morey's ina
| Jority, lll2.
| In the Carol, parish, contest. additional
| afiidavits, signed by J. E. Burton. 7. S.
! Barton. Nicholas Burton and w. A. Biount.
were handed in by Democratic Conservative
| counsel. with request that they be filed.
Nothing further than this was done in this
| case yesterday. l. is understood. however,
that evidence ;s being gathered by Mr..
Benham in support of the returns that are
before the board from Carroll parish. When
that 10 subm1tte the case will be concluded,
90 far as the receiving Of testimony is con-
cerned, and held until the board il ready to
give decision upon The subject.
At half-past three O'Clock the board took
. recess until six o'clock in the evening.
Tho board met last night and canvassed
the returns from Caldwell parish. Accord
ing to these re turns this parish has gone
Democratic by very small majority; but
as several protests have been filed against
their complement. it Is possible that the
vote Of Caldwell may be considered doubt
full.
At nine O'Clock, on motion, the board
adjourned until this morning at eleven
O'Clock.