Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-12-22
The Disputed States.
LOUISIANA.

Wells, president Of the returning board, testl-
fed Sent for boxes Of Concordla parish at the
instance of ez-Gov. Harris; did not know then
and do not know now be had an interest as q
candidate ct the late election; We found on ex.
aiming the tickets that all the electors had
been voted for, but the votes were not properly
counted; We counted the tickets aud included
them ia our compilation; the votes omitted
were on the republican side; haven't made an
estimate Of the aggregate vote thrown ouI;
| can't tell the number Of votes thrown out fer
each party without referring TO the books;
| don consider what party would be affected by
| the votes thrown out; think they threw out
East or West Baton Rouge; don't %recoilect
| which; declined to furnish original papers to
| the committee because they belong TO the
| State: don't r~ecollect that the law requires the
| board to canvass from the statement o. com.
| missioners Instead of supervisors; received
boxes from Concordia that did not come
| through the supervisors; refused TO consider
| Grant parish because it did not com through
the supervisors.
Dir. Jenks.-If the supervisor was knare
| enough not to forward returns and you had re-
| turns made by the commissioners OF election,
| did you canvass such vote?
Gov. Wella-No, sir. We canVassed no
votes not received through supervisors.
The attention of Gov. Wells was here called
to the fact that the boxes from Copcordia did
| cot come through supervisors.
Gov. Wells replied (excitedly) no, sir. How
could they?
Ia answer to questions Gov. Wells said: No
| one but members of the board were present at
the private session; minutes are made after the
| private session from memorandum kept by the
memharS of the board.
The law REQUIRES that the commissioners OF
| elections shall be appointed from both parties,
| but I doo't know that all the polls 10 the State
| we're represented by democratic commissioners,
| and do not know that there was any democratic
| supervisor of registration in the State. We
sent for ballot boxes in East Baton Rouge, but
| did not count those boxes for what was cons!d-
| cred good and sufficient reason.
I can't say whether the boxes from Conco!.
! dia we're received and opened in secret session,
| or that the democrats knew that these boxes
we're being sent for; believe a request was made
to send for the boxes of polls in the parish OF
| Orleans from which supervisors made no re-
turns. The board did not consent to send Tor
them; threw out no poll 10 the parish OF Or
leans that was returned to the board, but do
cot remember if all the polls 10 the parish
we're returned; am a decided partlzan, but
would not allow politics to Influence me to do
anything unjust; did not throw out parishes
and polls simply because they gave democratic
msjorities; don't know that any republican poll
in the State was rejected; did not state 10 Mr.
Freret in 1874 that as the republicans had the
machinery of the government and bad a claim
against the government that my action 90 the
returning board must be governed accordingly.
though the claims Of the members of my family
-: - l. ~ rk n r, ~ n taI II rho q rnrn-
gate to about $700, 000;am not Influenced there.
by ia my action; the clause in TiIden's letter
saying be would veto such claims as mioc did
not influence my course; [ am surveyor Of the
port aud president of the State board Of re-
turning officers, but do not think the holding
Of both positions is in contraVentlon to Grant 5
orders that 90 federal officer shall hold a State
Office; do not receive any fixed compensation aa
a member Of the returning board, but receive
a per diem and mileage; expect the Legislature
to make an appropriation for the members oil
the returning ooard; have o recelpt book to
show when the returns were recalVcd,
whether by mail or otherwise; believe the law
says that the returns shall be made by mail but
I did not construe it that way; kept a minute
book of all proceedings Of the board; no min
utes were taken 10 secret session; they were
made afterwards; if | stated to the committee
10 the letter of the board refusing 10 give up
all the papers, that being a State officer l could
not part with the records, | did it under
wrong construction OF the law. The board filled
the vacancy in 1874 caused by the resignation
of Gen. Longstreet, but did not fill the vacancy
10 1876 caused by the resignation of MIR. Arroyo
in 1875. Believe the law says there shall be a
democrat on the board. Think it is the duty oil
the board to fill vacancies, but It did not ill the
80 -, - jSTc hnoar,ca fhn hoarI .o,ll nni
agree.
Witness was ordered to send for the minute
T book showing all the proceedings of the board
aud the receipt books showing date of reception
of returns and how received, whether by mail
or otherwise. The law says the returns must
be sealed and forwarded by supervisors OF
registration by mail. 1t was found when The
minute book arrived that it did not contain the
proceedings OF the secret sessions, and witness
stated that it was the wrong book.
Mr.. jerks. OF the committee, read irom the
stubs-the torn of-the date of reception by
the returning board Of returns from parishes.
In seven or eight instances entries showed re.
turns had been receieed part by mail and part
by hand. Two or three were marked as rcceiv.
ed by express, and the greater portion we're not
marked as being received either by mail, ex.
press Of hand. When the books had been
gone through the witness stated that since he
heard its contents read be did not believe the
board had any other receipt book.
The House committee in executive session
instructed Mr.. Morrison, chairman, to report
the members of the returning board to the
House for contempt in refusing to produce the
records called for.
The Senate committee considered the ques.
ton of the mode of proceeding With the invcs.
f%tigation. aud it was shown that there would be
about FIVE hundred witnesses in regard to mat.
tiers 10 the twenty-five parishes 10 question.
A lengthy discussion ensued in regard to the
best means Of reaching the object aimed at,
viz, whether or not there was a full, free and
fair election 10 tho contested parishes. 1t was
the general opinion that this could best be sc.
cured by examining aud completing the parish
es separately, and that the respective counsel
might slit the testimony of their witnesses and
leave out all except the most important testi-