The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-02-25
CONSERVATIVE CAUCUS.
A Lively Debate.
The Question Of Secret or Open
Session.
The Wheeler Compromise Adopted
Those Who Voted for 1t.

At 10 o'clock Speaker Witt called the
caucus to order and call of the roll dis
closed the presence of forty three members
A motion was made by a country member
to go into executive session, whereupon Mr..
Booth came forward and said that he could
not understand this apparent contrariety
could reconcile assertions of certain gentle
men with their actions relative to the matter
which has been under consideration tor some
time. They claim to be burdened with a
desire that their actions should be open and
aboveboard, but it invariably occurs, when
deliberations are in order, that majority vote
for session with closed DOORS
Mr.. Booth affirmed that the gentlemen had
no right whatever to hold secret session.
"This body, he asserted, "is denominated
caucus, but is, in fact, regularly organ
lied branch Of the Legislature, with a
Speaker presiding 1t is a House of Repre-
sentatlves, and as such is not vested with the
right OF celebrating in secret, that being
common alone with the Senate, and that only
when nominations are to be considered
Mr. Booth maintained that the people have
of a body having under consideration their
(the people's) most important interests and
to keep the public in ignorance at this i'm
portant Juncture in the political affairs of the
State is calculated to disturb that confidence
which Representatives now enjoy in the esti-
nation of their constituents.
MIR. Young thought that Mr.. Booth was
somewhat inconsistent, and persistently adj
vocated a session with closed doors.
Mr.. Dupre said that the object of secret
session heretofore was to keep the delibera-
tons from our opponents and not from our
friends
The latter are now clamorous to be made
acquainted with the proceedings of their
Representatives, and it was high time that
they should be made acquainted with all that
is done.
MIR. Schwing suggested that the lobby be
cleared, and that only members of the press
be allowed to remain during the session.
This was not acceptable, and division being
called for on the question, considerable ma
jority voted for closed DOORS
The executive session was enlivened by a
most animated debate upon the question of
compromise, and the outlook, at the close of
this report, was that direct vote upon the
would be arrived at before ad-
tournament.
ington, one of which from our Representatives
there contained the intelligence that, despite
the resolutions offered by Mr.. Hoar chairman of
the Louisiana Investigating Committee, re-
commencing the immediate seating of Con-
servatlves in majority to their seats in the
House. Congress will do nothing.
Lengthy speeches were made by Messrs
Booth, Walker and Billieu, denunciatory of
the proposed compromise, and Gen. Young
advocated it most strenuously
During the session a dispatch signed by
Senator Gordon and Congressman Marshall,
was received, advising the acceptance of the
Wheeler proposition.
At halfpast o'clock P. M direct vote
upon the question was taken, and as
public curiosity has been so excited over
the compromise movement and as to the per-
sonnet of its supporters, we give the names
of the Conservative Representatives voting
for and against it in the Caucus
In favor of the Wheeler Proposition.
Baily, Blaffer, Bower, Beasley, Brice, Car
Carlos, DUR, Estillette, r. B. Ed
wards, Hall, Jones, johnson, Kidd, Kelly,
Lafargue, Mcclellan, Mitchell, McAlpin, Mar
tin, Meredith, Nunez O'Quin, Pipes. Rich
ardson, Seaman, Scales. Selph, Smith, Stat
ford Schuler, Webb, Walters and Young-34.
Against 1t.
Aldige, Booth, Byrne, Burckhart, Billieu,
Cousin, Collins, DeBlanc, Dupre Dehomer,
Dunn, Elliott, B. Edwards, Gilmore,
Hammond, Horan Jeffries, Kountz, Kummel,
Luckett, Land, NIaginnis, Mathews, Pascal,
Roman, Sibilsk, Scherk, Schwing, Vaughan,