The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-01-26
Affairs in Louisiana.
A CONSERVATIVES PROPOSITION TO 7
GREssloNAL COMMITTEE.

GREsSloNAL COMMITTEE.
New ORLEANS, January 4-The Conser.
yative Legislative caucus adopted the follow.
ing, which was read to the Congressional
Committee and accepted by the chairman to
be taken under consideration:
"Resoloed by this House.caucus, composed
of the Conservative members returned by
the Returning Board, and those claiming 10
have been undoubtedly elected but defraud-
ed by the Board, That desiring, in the inter-
est of cur afflicted State, to have solution
of our political troubles, and relying on the
integrity and fairness Of the four gentlemen
members of the Congressional Committee
now in New Orleans, and in advance OF any
investigation on their part, we, as q body,
hereby ask them, if the task is not considered
too onerous, to take the returns OF 1874, to-
gether with all fair and relevant testimony,
and upon such returns and evidence declare
what members of the Legislature were
elected"
The formal attention of the Congressional
Committee of Investigation Saturday was
confined to the action of the Returning
Board. There were no new developments.
PURPOSES OF THE COMMITTEE.
The committee have adopted the following
resolution:
"Resolred, That until otherwise ordered
the examination Of the committee be con-
tined to the action Of the Returning Board
ia connection! with the election of 1874; to
the existence, organization, and purposes OF
the White League; the question of force ana
intimidation in connection with the election
of officials in the State of Louisiana, and to
the organization of the Legislature on Janu-
airy aud the proceedings connected there
with"
Leading politicians of both parties are now
engaged in preparing testimony. The IN.
yestigation promises to be protracted one,
although Mr.. Hoar is determined to waste
no time. Saturday he interrupted Attorney.
General Field in the middle of long and
meaningless address, telling him that the
committee had come to New Orleans to take
testimony aud not to listen to political
speeches.
NORTHERN MEN MAILING THE ISLANDERS OF
MERRILL. j.
SHREVEPORT, January 24.-The under
sigued residents of Shreveport, La, have
read with ineXpressibIe establishment the
statements made by General Merrill and
others representing this community in a
condition of anarchy and its people lawless
and defiant; stating that in this vicinity
there are not less than two hundred and fifty
political criminals; that freedmen are syste-
matically maltreated and cheated of their
earnings, and that two thousand have been
driven from their homes in perjury. We
most solemnly assert that all such state
ments are baseless Misrepresentation and
absurdly false. There is no lawlessness here
nor in this vicinity that has come to our
knowledge. The only disorders we have
known was made by this military SIAN
derer, just before the election, by send
ing bis soldiers raiding over the country
arrestiug unresisting citizens for imagina.
ry offences, who have not been held for
trial because there was no evidence OF guilt.
IL ordinary crimes are not vigorously pun
ished by our present Judicial authorities it is
through no fault of the intelligent and yirtu-
Gus part of the community,.whe have mad
no voice 10 their selection. If any tenantry
have been elected, it has been to small ex-
tent, and mostly, if not altogether, Vaga'
bonds and the vicious. If there be any des-
titution among the colored people it is in no
sense from. want OF remunerative employ
ment. The relation of the two races is unu-
sually friendly, arising doubtless from the
fact that at the recent election many eelored
men voted with the taxpayers the ConserVa-
five ticket. We think the good order mere
quite remarkable, when we reflect that the
parish officials and representatives who were
elected by six hundred majority in as or.
derly an election as ever witnessed have been
for tue second time cheated of their success
by the present ruling dynasty, and will only
add that the statements referred TO are 30
outrapeously false and groundless that they
could only have originated in crazy brain
and poorly conceived malice.
j. B. Steers, cotton-buyer, New York; =.
L. Dennis. cotton.buyer, Rhode isiand; +.
J. Howard, cotton.buyer, Connecticut u
w. Burt, merchant, Iowa; +. ID: CfosDy,
New York; D. 81. Shapley, planter, New
York; A. E. Wright, planter, Ohio; and
Franz Lewis, boot and shoe dealer, Boston
ANOTHER; Nsw ORLEANS TRAGEDy.-Nes
Orleans. January 24.-W. A. Weeks (celer
fedl, assistant Secretary OF State, was S..le