The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-01-18
louisiana.
Repor, of the sub-Commi,iee.

The following are the important portions of
| the report OF the subcommittee composed of
Messrs. Phelps, Foster and Potter, who have
| been investigating the condition of affairs in
Louisiana. 1t presents only conclusions upon
| which the committee were unanimous:
In pursuance of the order of the general
| committee of Dec %, the undersigned visited
| New Orleans. During the eight days they re-
mained there thev exsmined over ninety-ive
| witnesses, besides taking large amount of
documentary evidence, amounting in all, it IS
| estimated, to more than 1900 printed pages.
The committee undertook no investigation OF
| the election of 1872. We first proceeded to an
| examination of the acts of the returning board
of the state in respect of the last election, and
| then to an inquiry in reference TO the White
League. he law provides that the board
shall consist of five persons, representing all
parties 1t consisted at the opening of their
| last session of five Republicans, upon the res
| ignation of one of whom (Gen. Longstreet) MIR.
| Arrayo, a Conservative, was taken TO fill
the vacancy. Alter protesting against the
action of the board in secret session, MIR.
Arrayo resigned before the conclusion of the
| labors of the board, and his place was not
| filed, so that, as your committee think, the
| law as to the constitution of the board was
| not complied with The election laws of
| Louisiana provide for a supervisor of re gis-
| tration, who appoints his own deputies for
| each ward in New Orleans, and for one super
visor OF reg Stratl0n for eacn parish IN the
state. The officers were all appointed by
Gov Kellogg. In addition to these super
vsors the police jurors, the local authorities
| of the parishes, appointed three commissioners
of election for each poll in the parish, and there
were also two United States supervisors, ap-
pointed by the district judge of the United
States, for each poll. The law further provided
| that in case of such violence, intimidation or
corruption, at or near either poll, either during
registration or eec ion, preventing fair free,
nd ful m m SSH Of
election, if the occurrence was on election day
the supervisors of registration, ii on the day
of registration-should make full, verified
statement of the occurrence, aud forward the
same with and annexed to the returns; and
| further provided, that when the returning board
| in canvassing the returns should come to any
poll where the returns were accompanied by
such protest, they should net canvass, count
| or compile the statement OF votes from such
polls until the statements from all the other
| polls had been canvassed and complied.
THE RETURNING BOARD.
A statement is then made of the returns by
| the commissioners of election, giving the Con-
servo stves a majority OF y members OF the
| legislature. In only three instances did pro-
tests accompany the returns. Ihe returning
board was in session for many weeks, conduct.
in , its decisions in private session. As finally
announced the findings gave 53 Republicans,
10 Democrats, and one doubtful The records
of the board are very neagre, and throw little
HguI uPoH ieS h"NHSS'
FAIR ELECTION.
The committee proceed to give the results of
their invest cations. Rapides Parish is taken
first, where the returns elected all three conser
vatives. When the proofs closed the only pa
per filed with the returning board was the atfi-
davit of the United States supervisor that the
election was, in all respects, full, fair aud free
1t was not known in the parish that any con-
test existed against those members AT one OF
their last sessions the returning board declared
the Republican members elected on the ground
of intimidation. No opportunity was given TO
the conservatives to disprove intimidation, for
they did not know that the charge was made
The committee find no evidence of intimida-
ton and declare that beyond question there
was was full, fair, and peaceabe election.
The action of the returning board in this
parish alone changed the complexion of the
lower House, and their action in other par
ishes. detailed at length, was equally objection
able
A CONSERVATIVE MAJORITY.
The committee say without now referring TO
the other instances we are constrained to de-