New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-01-12


O. Grant Parish, and George A Kelly OF Wynne Parish
The status of these persons was the follow
ing: Tho RETURNING Board had declined pass
ing Judgment upon the election In the four
parishes named, and expressly referred the
claims OF the Ave persons, whose names nave men
Toned to the Legislature ITSELF thus distinctly reeog'
nizng the possibility OF their beng legally elected men,
bers OF that LEGISLATURE The question the resou-
ton to seat them put nd declared carried thus ad
hitting them seats subject TO further contest Iney
were sworn in. Motions were made to proceed to the
election OF permanent officers. l. A. Witt was
nominated for Speaker by the Conservatives
and Mr. Hahn and Mr. Lowell by the kepuo-
leans. The motion declared carried MI.
Lowell declined. The roll was called ana
IS votes were cast for WITT Speaker and for Hahn
legal quorum voting and IA members present refusing
to vote Mr.. Witt was In, and the roll being
called the members were also sworn In by nun al tno
Speaker's stand 50 In ALL among them five Republicans
Messrs Hahn, Baker, Drury. Murrel. aud Ihonas VINO
participated In the proceedings A permanent CierR
and Sergeant-at-Arms were likewise declared elected
Upon notion Mr.. Wilt, as Speaker, then announced
that the House was permanently organized and ready
for business Upon motion Of Mr. Dupre a Committee
OF Seven on Elections and Returns were appointed In
the time considerable disturbance and CONFUSION
had arisen lobby, which the SergeantatArms did
not succeed in queling Mr.. Wilt. the Speaker then
sent for Gen. dc Trobriand United States Army, VINO
his soldiers, and requested him TO speak to the
disOrdery persons in the lobby that conflict might be
prevented The General did So aud order restored
The House proceeded with business. The Com
mittee on Elections and Returns reported and upon
their report the following persons were seated as men,
bers and sworn in: John Aquina OF the larish OF
Ayoyelles, J. j. Koran, A. d. Hand, and Thomas b.
Vaughn Of the Parish OF Caddo; j. Jefres, r. L.
Luckett and G. W. Stafford Of the Parish Of Rlpdes,
and william F. schwng Of the Parish Of IBERIA then.
at 8 o'clock p. m, Gen. de Trobriand Of the Uuted
States Army entered the legislative ball In fu uni
FORM and with HIS sword by his side accompanied by
his staff Mr. vlgers. the Clerk OF the late House OF
Representatives, exhibited the following documents;
STATE OF LOUISIANA, EXECUTIVE DEPARrMENr,}
hEw-ORLBANs, La, Jan. 4.
Gen. DE TRoBRIAND Commanding: Al Illegal AS;
semby OF men having taken possession Oh tue nHs or
able to dsodge them, respectfully request that you
will Immediately clear the hall and s!a!e House OF az
Representatives by the Returning Board OF the STATE
W. p. KELLOGG. Governor OF the State OF louisiana.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT NEw-OBLEANs, jan
Gen. DE TRoBRIAND; the Clerk OF the House, Who has
IN ms GG tSo uea p5 vii
point you those persons now in the aal VI the
'' p. KELLOGG, Governor OF the State.
The Chair refused to permit Mr. Vlgers to read these
documents to House and to call the roll Of MEMBERS
whereupon Gen. dc Trobrland, United States Army,
had pointed out to him by one Hugh j. Campbell and
one f. c. Anderson. the persons holding seats to be
elected from the Legislature Of louisiana and those
persons refusing to 80 out, he ordered file Of United
States soldiers with fixed bayonets into that legislative
hail. who zed the persons pointed out to them against
their protests elected them by force from their seats In
the legislature OF State And who were those
personsf When the Legislature convened they were
claimants for seats the ground OF the votes they had
received OF them presenting claims so strong, on
the ground of majortes so large, that Returning
Board such Louisiana had did not dare TO decide
against them and they had been seated in Legis-
lature organized 1 have described. United states
sollers with fixed bayOnets decided the against
and took them out OF the legislative hall by force
When that had been done, the Conservative members
left that hall in a body with solemn protest Tho United
States sodery kept possession, and then the Repub-
cans under their protection organized the Legislature
to suit Themselves This Is what happened In the State
House OF louisiana on the 4th Of January.
THE FREEDOM OF LEGISLATIVE BODIES FROM Ex-
ECUTIvE INTERFERENCE.
Sir there Is thing which every free people
living under constitutional government watches with
peculiar jealousy the most essential safeguard OF rep
resentatIye Institutions IL is the absolute freedom OF
the Legislature from interference tue part OF Execu
tive power, especially by force. And, therefore, in
truly constitutional government whether the proceed
ipgs Of the legislature be good bad, such interior
euce especially ne concerns tho admission Of its
members most emphatically condemned and most
carefully guarded against, whether 1t proceed
from Governor, President, or
King, under whatever circumstances or prctext;
and whenever such interference is successfully carried
out s is always and justly looked upon symp
tom OF the decline free institutions There is another
thing which especially the American people hold as
sacred as the life element Of their republican freedom
Il is the right govern and administer their local af
fairs Independently through the exercise OF that self
government which lives In the organism OF the States;
and therefore find in the Constitution OF the Republic
the power National Government: TO interfere In
State affairs most scrupulouy limited to certain we'll
defined cases. and the observance OF certain strictly
prescribed forms and II these limitations be arbitrarily
disregarded by the National authorities shall surely
say that our system of republican government Is in
danger.
We are by the recent events in Louisiana, forced to
inquire how the cause OF local sefgoverment and OF
legislative privileges stands to-day In the United States.
Before laying their hands upon things so important and
sacred the authorities should have well assured them
selves that they the cleares most obvious. and
most warrant Of law for their doing. What
ia that warrant In the Constitution nnd but one
sentence referring to the subject II says In Section
Article w. The United States shall guarantee to every
State in this Union republican form Of government,
and shall protect each Of them against Invasion And
application Of the Legislature, or Of the Executive whsn
the Legislature cannot DO convened, against DOMESTIC
violence" There two statutes prescribing the
mode In which this is to be done the statute OF 1795 and
the statute OF 1907 Tue former provides that In
OF insurrecton In any State against the
thereof 1t shall be lawful for the President Of the
United States application Of the Legislature Of such
State or Of Executive when the Legislature cannot
be convened to call upon the militia Of other States to
sappress the Instruction" The statute Of 1907 author
ICES the President employ the regular and navy
for the purpose. having first observed the pre-
requisites Of law. That ALL There had been 10 Lous