Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-01-14
The Louisiana Legislature.

The following is summary of the
Associated Press dispatch of the 4th,
giving an account of the proceedings at
tending the organization of the Louisiana
Legislature:
AT twelve O'Clock several members had
assembled in the hall of the House, and
the Chief Clerk called the roll and an
nounced that l02 members were present.
A motion was made that l.. A. Wilt
Conservative be made temporary Chair
man, and he Immediately took the chair,
when the utmost confusion pre-
vailed Sergeant-at-Arms and a tenn
porary Clerk were appointed. Sew
eral motions were made amid
great confusion. Col. Lowell protested
against the manner of the temporary or
ganization, and the Speaker replied that
the manner of organization was identical
with that of 1868, in which Mr..
Lowell participated. Five members,
not returned by the Board, were
declared, by resolution, members of
the House, and took their seats. Motions
to go into permanent organization and to
seat the m mbers from the contested
parishes referred to the Legislature
caused great excitement. The members
from four contested parishes were ad-
mitted to their seats, and the motion to
90 into permanent organization was
put and declared carried. Wilt 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
ipip ~ n hn1U
under such organization. Wilt was
declared elected by vote of fifty
five to two for Hahn and one
blank, the Republican members hav-
ing generally refused to par,ici
their validity. During further proceed
ings, and while the Sergeant. at, Arms
was seeking to obey instructions to al
low no member to leave the hall, Gen
de Trobriand 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 lille
gal body was sitting in the House of Rep
resentatives, 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 re-
turned by the Board. To this Speaker
Wilt protested, claiming that the
House was legally organized and
he refused to point out the five
members ordered to bes eJected
as not being returned to the House, and
said they would not leave the House I'M
til 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 mil
itary were then used to eject the five
members present not returned by the
Board. An attempt of Vigers to obtain
possession of the Clerks desk was OBJ
jected to by Speaker Wilt, and the Ser
geant-at-Arms, under instructions,
interfered to prevent Vigers from
acting as Clerk, wnen the military were
called upon and put him in the coveted
position. Speaker Wilt then solemnly
protested against the 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 Representatives,
headed by Speaker Wilt, then
marched out of the hall and
State House. After the Conservatives
withdrew the roll was again called, and,
a quorum being present, cX-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.