The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-01-12


Ibsg the Senae to believe that approach the
subject before " in no partisan spirit. About to
retire TO privatestation, the SUCCESS OF 10 party
can benefit the iefe at OF no party injure me, ex'
cept IN those Arrests I have in common with all
! American citizets. whose chdrcu's fortunes are
| bound mp In thoH o. this Republic bavs formed
my opinions with elaboration ana IN an Impartial
manner shall ndeavor to express them in calm
and temperate language. The subject Is so grave
| that passion or rejudice should have no share In
| our judgment
| confess that the news from Louisiana has pro-
foundry alarmed me. thing has happened,
| which not only never happened before in this Re-
| public. but which, trust scarcely one OF US ever
thought possible. In the debates OF last week 1t
was frequently sud that no expression OF opinion
Tor that Os currence was right until ofical re-
port should have laid all the facts In detail before
US. ! do not think so. All the important crcum-
stances OF the cafe have come to cur Knowledge
through multitude OF concurrent statements,
among them the elaborate despatch OF General
Sheridan, and Measurements OF Witt and Kellogg,
and all the point, that have been mentioned as
srl to oe cleared up seem to me OF secondary con-
| sequence. All reports agree as to the following
acts:-
THE FACTS
On the Attn OF January the Legislature OF Louis
lana was to assemble and organize. The State
them troops Ct the United States Army. The
Legislature assembled without any disturbance
OF the public peace at the time and place fixed
by law. The Clerk OF the old House OF Represent
atives called the roll OF members returned as
elected according to the list furnished by the
Returning Board. legal quorum answered to
their names. While the result was being an
nounced, q motion was made by member (Mr.
Billleu) to appoint L. A. Witt temporary Speaker.
riea-not, however, by the Clerk. Mr.. Witt
took possession of the Chair. The oath OF
ONCE was adminis cred to him by Justice Houston.
motion was made to appoint P. F. Trevesant
Clerk and e. Flood Sergeant-at.Arms pro tenn.
The motion was declared carried. resolution
was then offered to admit the following persons TO
seats in the Legislature sc. II. Schuyler and John
States, OF DE soto parish; James Brlce, Jr., OF
Bienve parish; c. G. Dunn, Of Grant parish, and
and George A. Kelly, Of Wynne parish. The status
OF these persons was the ollowing:-The Return
ing Board mad declined passing judgment upon
the election In the four parishes named, and ex-
pressly referred the claims OF the i've persons
whose names have mentioned to the Legislature
ITSELF thus distinctly recognizing the possibility OF
OF their being legally elected members OF
that Legislature. The question on the resO-
luton to seat them was put and declared car
rled thus admitting them to seats subject to iur-
ther contest. They were sworn in. Motions were
made to proceed to the election Of permanent
officers. L. A. Witt was nominated Tor Speaker
by the conservatives and Mr.. Hahn and Mr..
Lowell by the republicans. The motion was de-
clared carried. MIR. Lowell declined. The roll
was called, and IS votes were cast for Wilrz as
Speaker and for Ham, legal quorum voting
and fourteen members present refusing to vote.
Mr. Witt was sworn in, ana the roll being called,
the members were also sworn in by HIM at the
Speakers stand-nity-nine in all-among them
FIVE republicans, Messrs. Hahn. Baker, Drury,
Murrell and Thomas, who participated in
the proceedings. permanent Clerk and
Sergeantat.Arms were likewise declared
elected. Upon motion, Mr. Witt, as Speaker, then
announced that the House was permanently Or
ganized and ready for business. Upon motion OF
Mr.. Dupre. q committee Of seven on elections and
returns was appointed. In the meantime con-
siderable disturbance aud confusion had arisen In
the lobby, which the SergeantatrArms did not
succeed in quelling. Mr. Wiltz, the Speaker, then
sent for General De Trobriand, United States
Army, who had some time previous occupied the
State House with his soldiers, and requested him
TO speak to the dsordery persons in the lobby that
connict might be prevented. The General did 80.
and order was restored. The House proceeded with
business. The Committee on Elecuous and Re-
turns reported, and upon their report the follow.
ing persons were seated as members and sworn
in:-Jonn ARuinn, OF the parish or Avoyeles; J. ].
Horan, A. D. Hand and Thomas B. Vaughn, OF the
parish or Oaddo; J. JeYries, r. L. Luckett and G.
W. STAFFORD, of the parish or Rapides, and william
F. Schwng, OF the parish Of Iberia. Then at yhree
O'Clock P. NJ, General De Trobriand. OF the United
States Army entered the Legislative Hall In full
Uniform and with MS sword by his side, accompa-
MED by his stah; and Mr.. Vigrs, the CLERK Of the
late House Of Representatives, exhibited the fol-
1Owt
STATE OF LOUISIANA EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT.
NEW ORLEANS, La, Jan. 4, 1875.
General DE TRoBRIAND. COMMANDING
An illegal assembly OF men having taken posses.
sion Of the halls OF the house Of kepresen tatives,
and the police not being abe to dislodge them
as legal me mSers Of the House Of representatives,
BY the Returning Board Of the state; r,,ooo
Governor Of the State OF Louisiana.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, |
NEW ORLEANS Jan 4, 1875.
The Clerk OF the House, who has IN his posses.
legal members OF the House Of Represe tatives,
Will point out 10 you those persons now in the
hall OF the House OF representatives returned Dy
the legal Returning Boarl OF the State.
W. p. KELLOGG, Governor OF the State.
TIE ELECTION OF TIE LEGISLATORS.
The Chair reused to permit Mr.. vigers to read
these documents to the House and to call the roll
or members, whereupon General de Trobriand,
United States Army, had pointed out to him BY
one Hugh Campbell and one F. g. Anderson the
persons holding seats to De elected from the Leg.
isature OF Louisiana; and those persons refusing
to 20 out, he ordered file Of United States SOL
dlers with fixed bayones, that legislative hall,
VINO seized the persons pointed out to them and
against their protests elected them by force from
their seats In Legislature OF state. Aud who
were those personsY When the Legislature con.
vened they we're claimants Tor seats en- the ground
OF the votes they had received, some Of
them presenting claims SO strong on the ground
OF majorIties SO large that Returning Board such
as Louisiana had did not dare to decide against
them, aud when they mad been seated in Le2is.
lature organized as have described United states
soldiers with fixed bayonets decided the case
against them and took them out OF the legislative
hall by force. When that had been done the con-
aerYatiYe members LETT thai hall In a body with