New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-01-16
BY TELE GRAPH.
WASHINGTON.
Report of the Congressional Suh.Con
ali,teo ON Louisiana Affairs.

ReuoRe of the Congressional Sub.Com
1,iitee on Louisiana Affairs.
| WASHINGTON, January l5.-Representa
tive George F. Hoar, in behalf of the specia
committee on that portion Of the President
| message relative to the condition Of tn
South, reported today as follows:
In pursuance Of the order of the full
: committee of December q, special com
mittee of three visited New Orleans, ant
proceeded with an investigation, the result
OF which they report to the general com
mittee, as follows:
In pursuance of the order of the commit
tee Of December 22, the undersigned visited
New Orleans, and there proceeded, with al
| diligence, to the examination expected by
the committee. During the eight days they re-
NAMED they we're attended throughout theil
sessions, which were public, BY the counsel
! OF the Republican and Conservative State
committees. In that period they examined
over Iinety-five witnesses, besides TAX
ing q large. amount of documentary
evidence amounting in all. it is estimated.
to more than 1900 printed pages. In view
Of the exigency that now exists in the at.
fairs of that State, and OF the delay of
weeks which must elapse before that testi-
mony can be written out and printed, your
committee has determined to state the
conclusions at which they have arrived 80
far as they are unanimous in reaching their
conclusions.
The committee undertook no investiga-
tion Of the election of 1872. Much evidence
has already been taken by other commit
tees of Congress upon that question, and
the time allowed both for their action and
for the session Of Congress seemed to be
too short to call for their then entering on
that investigation. They announced this
conclusion, and that therefore they would
L Pof t.No - IT,.
Of the Returning Board of the State in
respect Of the election, and then to an in
quiry in reference to the White League.
The law provides that the board shall
consist Of tive persons, representing all
parties. It consisted at the opening of
| their last session of five Republicans, upon
the resignation Of one OF whom General
Longstreet) Mr.; +, Arroyo. q Conservative,
| was chosen to ill the vacancy. After pro-
| testing the action Of the board in secret
| session he resigned before the conclusion of
| their labOrS, and his place was not filed, so
that your committee think the Law as to
the constitution Of the board was not com.
Piled with.
The election laws of Louisiana provide
for supervisor of registration, who ap.
points his own deputies, for each ward in
New Orleans, and tor one supervisor of
repatriation for each parish in the State.
These officers were all appointed by Gov
ernOr Kellogg 10 addition to these super
visors, the police jurors, the local author
tiles Of the parishee, appointed three com.
mlssionera Of election Tor each poll in the
parish. and there we're also two United
States supervisors appointed by the district
judge of the United States for each poll
The law further provides that in case of
such violence, intimidation or corruption at
ornear either poll either during registration
or election, preventing far, peaceable and
full vote, the cOmms ,ioners of election, if
the occurrence WAS on election day, the
supervisors of registration, if on the day of
registration, should make a full verified
statement Of the occurrence, forward the
same with and annexed to the returns,
and further provided, that when the Re-
turning Board. in canvassng the returns
should come to any poll where the returns
were accompanied by such protest. they
should not canvass, count or compile the
statement of votes from such poll until the |
statement from all other polls had been
canvassed and compiled.
The Conservative counsel objected that |
the board on reaching The returns from
such protested polls read and became in |
formed Of those rel urns before laying them
aside to take up the other polls. They in |
sisted that the purpose Of The law was to |
prevent the commissioners from knowing |
what the result at the polls protested |
against were, in order that when they came !
to examine the poll protested against they |
might do So without being biased BY know.
ing what as the result returned, and they |
objected that in these cases of protest 5he |
board had proceeded t. read the returns,
add up and compile them and then defer
their determination Of She case after having !
acquired knowledge Of Low the returns
protested against would affect the election.
On the other hand, the Republican coun-
oal vato hat L
ticable; that the Object vf the law in de.
ferriDg any determination Of the results Of
the polls protested against until the returns |
from the other polls were eanvassed was
merely to enable tho board ~ ascertain I
whether the result o1 the disputed returns |
would affect the election, however decided, !
20 that If they would not, tho board might
be spared the labor Of considering this pro.
test. Your committee have not found it !
necessary u come to any determination
upon that question. The election en- braced
but one State officer.
The chief struggle was over the election l
Of members VI the. ! ate Legislature and !
parish officers. and in these elections local
and personal considerations as well as |
national and State politics entered. The
returns by she commissioners of election. |
complied and forwarded by the supervisors
)f registration, gave the Conservatives a
Of twenty nine members out Of q l
olaI OF Ill members. In only three in. |
'tances were there any protests accompany.
ng the returns.
The Returning Board was in session for
many weeks. As finally announced. their !
indiDgs gave, As Governor Kellogg
eekoned 1t, fifty three members to the
republicans aud fifty members to the ,
Democrats, Of whom, however, one WAS
egarded as not ''staying Democrat" The
board made 10 decision 10 the remaining
i've seats. The public sittings of the Re. |
urning Board were attended by the counsel I
# the Republican and Conservative State ,
Committees. Objections we're received from t
ne counsel OF the respective parties to the c
eturns from different polls. The obi-cting q
'arty was generally allowed to produce ,
thdavits to support the objection, and the +
ther party to reply by affidavits. A day ras I
xed when these proofs were to b. closed. | {
After these public sessions the beard +
rent into private, or, as they were called,
sessions where the proofs and | Y
lattars in dispute were discussed, and '
eoisiOn arrived at. The minntes Of the n
osrd are very meagre. They contain little h
lore than a record Of its meeting. going a
ITO executive session and its adjonrning, e
I'D some formal public orders. They con. O
lin no minutes. whatever of .h. proceed. ii
gs IN executive session and furnish, there. f,
re. little light upon the findings OF the .
oard.
The parish Of Rapides chose three mem. 81
ars to the Legislature. TIE returns 81
ected all three Cbns.rvatiyes When the il
'oots closed the on:y paper flied w,,h the /!
turning Board Was The affidavit g: the r.
nir.d States supervisor that tine election IL
az in all respects tull. fair and free. /. O.
as not known IN the parish that an: Con. Fl
st existed against these menbr. rhy s,
# their homes and proceeded to N. W Ok Il
ans {" be present rs the opening of the fi
,gislafure, no intima,lOn at confesti.g K
cir Seats or al i-cl inp tO their c.,.u ! K