The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-01-12
SPEAKER w1LTz's STATEMENT.

Speaker Wilt, Secretary Tresevant
and he Conservative members elect of
the House of Representatives Of Louisi-
ana, in all sixty.four persons, sign de-
tailed statement of the occurrences of
the 4th inst, which we condense as
follows:
When the roll was called on the as
sembly Of the House, there were pres
ent 100 members. A temporary or.
ganization was effected by the election
Of Conservative nominees. A scene Of
confusion followed during which the
Speaker pro tenn refused to entertain
any motion until order was restored.
That being done, resolution was
passed declaring James Beree, Jr., of
Bunville, Charles Schuyler and John
l.. Scales of Dosota, G. G.. Lunn Of
Grant and George A. Kelly Of Wane,
to be duly elected member of the House
and as such entitled to their seats,
reserving to their opponents, if any, the
right of contest. These five were men,
bers from four parishes, the returns
from which the returning board did not
promulgate but referred to the Legisla-
ture for it's decision. They were duly
sworn and took their sfats.
The motion was made by both sides
was declared carried. Upon this the
same roll was called as by the former
clerk, Mr.. Vigors. at the opening. The
Conservative candidates were elected
and three Republicans remained and
participated in the proceedings. No.
tees Of contested electiops were then
given and the committee of seven on
elections and returns appointed.
Meantime an additional number Of
police with a crowd of disorderly per.
sons entered the lobby and engaged in
menacing alterations with the Sergeant
alarms and his assistants. The speak
er wished to procure additional SER
geants-at-arms and therefore addressed
a note to the officials who controlled
the barricaded doors Of the State
House, asking that certain citizens be
admitted for that purpose. This re-
quest was refused. Finally the dis.
turbance in the lobby grew SO serious
that conflict was imminent and in Or
der to avert a collision Gen. DeTrobri-
and, who had sometime before entered
the State House with soldiers, was sent
for and asked by the Speaker to say
few words to the disorderly persons in
the lobby. The General spoke to the
crowd, which then disp ersed and order
was restored.
Business was then resumed and the
committee on elections reported, and
upon their report eight members not
returned by the returning boards were
admitted. About o'clock, while the
House was quietly proceeding, Gen. De
Trobriand entered the hall in uniform,
his sword at his side, accompanied by
his staff and Mr.. Vigors, who was clerk
of the House Of last year. The General
addressed the Speaker, producing the
letters from Gov. Kellogg to Gen. D.,
which have heretofore been published.
On the refusal Of Speaker Wilt and
Mr.. Tresevant, clerk, to point out the
persons, and refusal of Speaker Wilt
to allow VIM. Vigors to call the roll for
the purpose of identifying the members,
Hugh j. Campbell and 7.
W nAO|I6OA doo.StVN OVAs ~
in identifying the members to be elected.
Gen. D. then ordered his soldiers, fully
armed with fixed bayonets. into the
hall from the lobby, and approached
the members successfully. while in
their seats, namely: J. Quinn,
Vaughan, Stafford, Jeffries, Luckett,
Dunn, Kelly, Haran and Land, and one
by one he caused them to be taken from
the hall by his orders, each gentleman
first rising in his place and uttering his
SOLEMN protest in the name of his con-
sttuents, against the unlawful expul.
sion. Thus were these gentlemen igno.
miniously arrested, aud despite their
public protests and their appeals to the
Speaker and House for protection,
which neither could afford, were taken
from their seats and forcibly elected
from the hall at the point of the bayo.
net by officers and soldiers of the
United States army. Gen. D. then
proceeded to eject the clerk and arrested
the proceedings of the Assembly, and
for that purpose brought file of SOL