The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1875-01-06

NEW ORLEANS.
The CONGREGATIONAL Committee at
Work.

NEW ORLEANS Dec 30-The sub
committee, consisting of Messrs. Eos.
ter, Phelps and Potter, to investigate
Louisiana affairs, met at the parlors
of the St. Charles Hotel to-day.
| They decided to confne their investi-
/ CATION to the returning board and the
White League. Messrs Anderson
and Arroyo, members of the return
ing board, and John Ray, (Repub-
lican, and Frank G. Zacharie, (Con-
servative) counsel for the respective
commissioners before the returning
board, were examined as to the law,
and the mode of proceedings under il .
Nothing new was developed.
At the night session Messrs. Pack
ard, White and Burke of Orleans, and
Knoblock of Lafourche parish, were
examined. Packard stated that he
knew of the organization Of the White
League before September 14th, and
believed it extended throughout the
States; that there are from 5000 to
5000 white Republicans in New
Orleans less in proportion to the vo-
ters than in other portions of the
State. He believed that colored
voters We're intimidated, some by
threats of violence, others by threats
of discharge, refusal TO lease lands to
blacks, etc. He stated that he didn t
believe Republican State govern
ment could maintain itself in this or
any other Southern State without the
aid and protection of United States
troops; that on election day troops
| were stationed, one company at each
police station, one liz Gretna and one
at the Marine Hospital. He consult
ed with General Emory about the dis
position of troops. The reason they
were SO disposed was because there
was telegraph connections between
the police stations, and the troops
| could have been concentrated at any
point.
/ Mr.. White testified as to the regis
tration and election in his district.
He stated that l80 white Conservatives
were stricken from the registration
rolls, who were entitled to vote, and
that the authorities refused to strike
| off the names Of several hundred
| fraudulently registered negroes, al
though they promised to do SO.
! Mr.. Knoblock testified regarding
the recent registration and election in
Lafourche parish He stated there
| was no intimidation of any kind, and
! that 120 negroes voted the Conserva-
tive ticket. The Returning Board
refused to throw out 40 tickets that
were fraudulently stuffed in one of the
boxes. The Conservatives carried the
parish, notwithstanding, by a small
majority, but the fraudulent votes
were also counted for Treasurer.
Major e. A Burk was still testify
ing at IL p. NJ, giving an account of
the organization of the Conservative
marty for canyassing tho eit,- 80 -a-if,,
the registration; that they detected
$500 fraudulently registered names.
One of the parties had registered in
fourteen wards, and several others
were discovered to have registered five
or six times. They succeeded in get,
ting but few of the fraudulently reg
istered stricken from the rolls
The object of the committee evil
IDENTIFY is to investigate thoroughly the
recent election, beginning with the
registration and ending with the Re
turning Board One ofthe committee
stated in conversation to-day that the
/ President had recognized the Legisla-
ture of 1872, but not so with that elec
ted in November. They would there
fore confine their investigations to the
late elections, which was an open
| question.