Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1875-01-08
The Louisiana Legislature.

THE following is a summary of the AS
sociated Press dispatch of. the 4th, giving
an account of the proceedings attending
the organization of the Louisiana Legis-
lature:
At twelve o'clock several members had
assembled in the hall of the House,
and the Chief Clerk called the roll and
announced that 102 members were pres
ent. A motion was made that l.. A.
Wiltz Conservative be made temporary
Chairman, and he Immediately took the.
chair, when the utmost confusion pre-
vailed. Sergeant-at-Arms and a tenn
porary Clerk were appointed. Several
motions were made amid great con-
fusion. Col. Lowell protested against
the manner of the temporary organiza-
tion, and the Speaker replied that the
manner of organization was Identical
with that of 1868, in which Mr. Lowell
participated. FIVE members, not re
turned by the Board, were declared, by
resolution, members of the House and
took their seats. Motions to go into per
manent organization and to seat the
members from the contested parishes re-
ferred to the Legislature caused great
excitement. The members from four con-
tested parishes were admitted to their
seats, and the motion to go into
a permanent organization was put
and declared carried. Wiltz and ex-
Gov. Hahn were put in nomination for
| Speaker. During the progress of the
vote Mr.. Hahn addressed the House, by
permission, protesting against the or
ganization as irregular and informal, and
declining to participate in the body
lfu
declared elected by vote of fifty-five
to two for Hahn and one blank, the
Republican members having gener-
proceedings or to recognize their
validity. During further proceed
ings and while the Sergeant-at-A
was seeking to obey instructions to allow
no members to leave the hall Gen. de Tro
BRAND made his appearance with two
staff officers, and bearing letters from
Gov Kellogg, which were read, one of
which stated to the General that an illegal
body was sitting in the House of Repre-
sentatives, and that Mr.. Vigers, Clerk,
would furnish him with list of those
members who had been duly elected and
returned as such by the Returning
Board. The other letter requested
the General to eject those members
not returned by the Board. To this
Speaker Wiltz protested, claiming that
the House was legally organized, and
he refused to point out the five mem
bers ordered to be elected as not being
returned to the House, and said they
would not leave the House until force
was used to expel them. Gen. de
Trobriand afterward said Vigers had
been represented to him as being the
Clerk of the House who had list of
the members returned as elected
by the Returning Board, and after
considerable objection and a pro-
| test on the part of the Con-
servatives such roll was called. The
military were then used to eject the
five members present not returned by
the Board. An attempt of Vigers to OBJ
tain possession of the Clerks desk was
objected to by Speaker Wiltz, and the
Sergeant-at-Arms, under Instructions
interfered to prevent Vigers from
acting as Clerk, when the military were
called upon and put HIM in the coveted
position. Speaker Wiltz then solemnly
protested against this interference on
| the part of the military of the United
States, and called on the members
| to retire with him before this
show of arms. The Conservative Repre-
sentatives, headed by Speaker sWiltz,
then marched out of the hall and State
House. After the Conservatives with
| drew the roll was again called, and, a
| quorum being present, ex-Gov. Hahn
| was elected Speaker, and the Governors
message was received, read and referred.
The Democratic members were not pres
| ent when the Senate organized.