The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1874-02-13
LOUISIANA ELECTION BILL.

LOUISIANA ELECTION BILL.
Senator Carpenters bill to restore the
rights of the State of Louisiana com
mences with a long preamble, declar
ing that there is no Governor, Lieuten
torney General, Auditor OF Public
| Accounts, Superintendent of Educa'
ton, or Legislature, elected by the
legal voters of the State Of Louisiana,
according to the constitution and laws
thereof, and there is no provision III
said constitution aud laws for the cleo
| ton of sac. State officers before 1876 ;
! that said offices are now filed de facto
by persons claiming to hold them un-
der pretended fraudulent and void
canvass of the votes given at the last
general election; that a pretended
legislature has been organic in pur-
suance of illegal orders issued by a
Judge of United States circuit court.
That the P, dents proclamation re
cognizing said persons as legal officers
of said State, was issued upon the rep
resentations of said persons, who it
now appears are not legal officers that
the people of louisiana are in danger OF
OOALlS OppECoSCA1 AAu AAA AAA S~<Ass
tious litigation by acts of pretended
legislation, and that the public peace
in Louisiana is now preserved during
the existing state of things, at the
expense of the United States, and by
retaining a part Of the army in said
State. Therefore the bill provides for
holding an election in Louisiana on
the 4th Tuesday of next May for the
above State officers, and for such men,
oers of the Legislature as ought to have
been chosen on November 4th, 1872.
The President Of the United States is
required to appoint some person or
designate some officer of the army, not
below the rank of Major-General, to
act as Superintendent Of said election.
The Superintc .ident is to appoint two
citizens of Louisiana of opposite po-
litical parties to be State registrars.
Their registration to be commenced
within twenty days after the enactment
of this bill, and to be completed ten
days prior to date of election. These
Registrars are required to appoint two
of Registration of opposite
politics in each parish except Jefferson
and Orleans, for the TO cr of which
there are to be four Supervisors, and
for the latter two each ward. The bill
proceeds at great length to describe
details of registration and election.
These provisions being substantially
the same as those contained in Carpen-
ter's bill of last year. In case the
President appoints civilian to be SUI
perintendent of election the latter is to
receive $4,000 for his services, and if an
army officer shall be appointed super
intendent and shall wilfully fail to
perform the duties prescribed by this
bill, he shall be fined not exceeding
$1,000 or imprisoned at hard labor not
exceeding one year. 1t also provides
that it shatl be lawful for the President
to employ such part of the land and
naval forces of the United States as
shall be necessary to aid in the execu-
tion of judicial processes, carry out
and enforce its provisions, and to main
tain public peace, and to sustain the
officers appointed under this act in the
discharge of their duties; and any act
done by any person claiming to be an
officer of the State of Louisiana, or any |
process issued by any State court or
officer to enjoin, to interfere with the
execution of the act, is to be treated as
absolutely void.