New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-01-30
THECONaREssIONAL COMMITTEE
SEVENTH DAYS PROCEEDINGS


All the members of the committee ant
counsel Of both sides were present at ter
o'clock, and but few spectators.
Mr.. George Foster. called by Mr.. Zach
arie, being sworn says: He has resided il
Carroll parish and every thing was peace
able; was foreman of jury before whom
evidence of contested election was broght
the election was peaceable; there was nc
school fund of the parish because $50, 600 OF
it had been squandered; the tally sheets OF
the election could not be produced, never
having been filed; there was great com
plant of high taxes, but no luminosity OF
opposition TO Republican principles.
To Mr.. WheeIer-The statement of the
debt has never been made up: it is about
S1O,0OO; have no account OF parish scrip;
none Of it is of debt before the war: $4,000 is
for courthouse, $4,000 tor Jail, $4,000 for a
bridge: there were no extraordinary OK.
penses; the parish jury is all Republican;
the complaint is both Of the nature of the
tax and extent; believe the parish jury may
create debt without limit in their discre-
ton; the general complaint is of the jury
and other officers; highest rate is 100 per
cent over the State tax; the practice is for
any one who has a warrant to obtain a
Judgment against the parish and the tax is
levied on that; We have now fourteen and
half mills for State tax, about double
parish tax, and ten and half mills judg-
meht tax for 1873; don't know what the
taxes will be for next year; parish scrip is
not worth five cents on the dollar; don't
know that any particular officer is com
planned OF; complaint is generally of acts
committed; the relation between the races
Is amicable; contracts are observed honestly
and fairly; when the colored people com
plain there is reason; twO-thirds OF the
whites are from the Northern States
during the war; and there are about ten
blacks to one white in the parish.
To Mr.. Marshall-There is a want of con-
fidence in the administration OF the govern
ment; the complaints Of the colored people
are when they become indebted under their
contracts, or are injured by their own mis-
conduct.
To Mr.. Frye-The law does not allow the
planter to take bed and bedding; never
heard the colored people complain Of it; my
parish is the most northern on the river;
did not hear Of any murders for political
causes; there are no sch0OlhOuses il the
parish, but some private schouls; don't
know that the money has been squandered,
but heard so.
To Colonel Field-Judge Cutter is
universally esteemed; the district attOr
ney, Mr.. Steele, is a good man-very mod
crate Republicans, as Democrats say; the
parish judge is q colored man; people have
great confidence in the integrity Of Ola:
Benham is a man of large property; the
Democrats have denounced him, but would
have voted for him; Mr.. YOrke is carpet
Dagger; don't know that he is a man OF
property or has plantations: know that he
resides in the upper part Of the parish;
wouldn't have voted for him; don't remem
horo na1b I,
of many murders in Richland; murders
have been committed in Carroll parish, not
for political reasons.
To Mr.. Hoar-The population is about
10000, mostly engaged in agriculture; if a
murder concerned me, l would remember
it; don't read anything about them if they
don't concern me.
Colonel Field-Cotton is the principal
product raised by negroes; very few whites
do the manual labor.
Mr.. Ray-Am not familiar with the law,
and only know that have heard that the
$50, 900 Of the school fund has been squan-
dered.
To Mr.. Zacharie-There is no antagonism
between the races; they live AMIGA bly,
together -
-Gevernor w. P. Kellogg called and
sworn-TO Mr. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES two
or three distinctive points made by the op.
position in denying the exi stence of the
White League and its objects, and charging
the government with being oppressive.
The Governor then read statement, COM
mencing with the Legislature OF 1865, 1866
and 1867, when no colored mao voted, and
the fourteenth amendment rejected and the
culored people reduced to q system OF
peonage' by the passage Of the laws ap-
proved December 20 and q, 1865; the
vsgrant law and the law imposing tax Of
S. to SIS per head, which caused the blacks
where they numbered two to one white to
pay twice the tax of the whites, who owned
all the property; this Legislature was ex-
cusively white, all white, except about
500, voted for it; it created JOBS which
are now charged to the administration,
and expended $l3,O00,00O over and above
diverted the revenues of the State; the
Governor briefly referred to the cOnstitu-
tional convention OF 1864, its being recon
vened, the death of 200 people, the conven-
ton OF 1868 and the cOntemptuOus treat
nent Of it by the papers; to Frank Blair's
letter as being supposed to represent the
sentiment OF the law and the hostility
developed against the constitution and the
laws; he referred to the election Of War
moth in 1868, and the denunciation of his
government and the terror inspired, SO that
Of the 1898 votes cast for Warmoth in
April, in New Orleans, only 240 were cast
for Grant in November, and of 36,278 in
twenty-five parishes only Ills voted; the
OF Warmoth and the origin
of the Returning Board were detailed; the
Governor then offered to show that all the
the levee bill, etc, could not
have been passed without Democratic sup
port; that Democratic members were paid
$1,000 each, and every vote in detail; he tes-
4; sod nix Of thcv TO
not to pay taxes, and the denunciations Of
WarmOth's administration as an usurpa-
ton. Extracts from the Picayume were
offered by the Governor, containing reports
of the meetings and resolutions Of 1872, and
filed. A committee of fifty was appointed
to wait on Governor Warmoth, whose an
swer|was read, which referred to the "bank
bill" lobbied by the presidents OF the banks,
the NicolsOn pavement and other bills on
which brides were offered him.
Mr.. Hoar said it seemed to him that the
statements of predecessor of the Governor
Of brides, ETC.. made to a committee we're
not proper to be received. A hnanclal state
nent would be proper to be offered. 1t is
proper to show that the feeling against one
government il the same as shown to others.
Governor Kellogg, continuing, detailed
The side issues Of the end OF Governor
Narmoth's administration, his impeach-
nent, his new allies among those who had
denounced it as infamous, bis pocketing
bills at their request, but the steady OPPOSE
ion among them to the PRINCIPLES OF State
government. The frauds OF 1877. used IN
OF the failure Of violence in
S63, the armed attack on the government
If May 5, 1873, the loss of several lives and
DISPERSAL of the Odd Fellows Hall Legisla-
ure by the police the next day were spoken
#. There had not been single Republi
an supervisor or clerk or commissioner at
he election of 1872, Marshal Packard's re-
uest for their appointment: being refused.
The Grant parish massacre, failure OF the
Democratic press to censure it, resolutions
ustainirg the criminals, the conviction and |
la unrds of symnafhv for them. visits to |