The daily gazette., 1876-12-14
LOUISIANA.

Er- Gouernor Wells Disputes the Jurisatc
ton ofthe Congressional Committee and
Refuses to .1nstoer Questions-A Super
uisor Ercludes the Returns from UdlF
the Polls in His Parishes.
NEW ORLEANS, Dec. Is, 1876.
Ex-Governor Wells, the leading mem-
Der of the Returning board. on the open
ing of examinat to-day before the Con-
gresional committee announced his in
tention to fuse to answer any questions
concerning his official acts. He was then
interrogated in desultory way by the
Chairman, when he fatty refused to an
swer most of the questions. He declined
to give any reasons for the action
of the Board, and finally. growing
annoyed, made little speech, in which
he said che did not want to skulk, but
courted investigation"
Upon this Chairman Morrison suggest
ed chat "his refusal to answer question
did not look like counting investigation"
Wells replied that 1.-THE Legislature
only had n right to investigate his con-
dutc and no other tribunal" He was
then dismissed from the stand and retired
with his brother officers, all of whom
were notified to be in attendance to-mor-
row. The investigation is being conduct
ed in parlor p, St. Charles Hotel, and
about 200 hundred persons were in at
| tendance to-day,
/
ALL SOURCES OF INFORMATION TO BE
PRoBED.
Att o'clock +. NJ, they adjourned uH-
| til tomorrow at IL o'clock, but this even
ling short executive session was he ID
A thorough and rigid examination of the
Returning Board will not take place uD-
| til the committee is in receipt of copies
| If the evidence, A strong clerical force
| has been detailed to make them, and will
bprobably conclude its labors this week.
/ The Superintendent of the Western
| Union Telegraph Company has been
subpoenaed to produce all dispatches on
| file from all parties concerned in the
matter at issue, and every precautioh
seems being taken to make the invests
CATION Il searching and conclusive one.
REPUBLICANS ExULTANT.
! The republican leaders express perfect
confidence in the belief that the action OF
the Returning Board in refusing to an
swer and resisting the authority of the
committee will be fully sustained.
DIVISION OF LABOR BY THE COMMITTEE
The chairman of the Congressional
| Committee has appointed the following
sub committees TO be located az follows:
At Shreveport, for adjoining parishes.
| Meade, democrat, of New York, chair
man House, democrat, of Tennessee |;
Danforth, republican, of Ohio.
| At Monroe for Ouachtta and adjacent
parishes, Mcmahon, democrat, of Ohio.
chairman Ross, democrat, of New Jer-
sey; Crappo, republican, Of Massa-
| chnsetts.
For Baton Rouge and adjacent parishes.
New, dem, of Indiana chairman Beebe.
dem, of New York; Joice, rep, of Yer
mont.
For parishes adjacent to New Orleans.
Blackburn, dem, of Kentucky, chair
man; Phelps, dem, of Connecticut; !;
General Committee with headquarters
at New Orleans)-Morrison, dem, of
Illinois, chairman jerks, dem, OF Penn
lsylvania, and Townsend, rep, of Penn
lSylvania.
The date of departure of the sub-com-
mittees is not yet decided. They will
not leave, however, until copies of the
Returning Board records have been re-
lceived.
| A WITNESS WHO ATTEMPs TO PROVE IN
TIMIDATIoN,
| After the examination ofWells, Clover,
the Supervisor Of East Baton Il Rogue, uIl-
derwent long examination. He admit
ted having excluded seven polls out Of
the fourteen polls in his parish. for either
informally or intimidation. He had seen
one case of the latter at a poll which he
lafterward admitted gavelarepublican ma
Ijority. He had Brought the returns to
The city ON November II. but retained
them in his possession until the 23d, and
had made protest upon them during that
interval He refused 10 give any reason
for retaining them. He was finally fore
ed to admit that several intimidati Oh
cases which he cited had occurred many
months previous and were NOT of his OWL
personal knowledge. This witness state
mrnts were badly shatted upon cross eE
animation, and madea strong impression
upon the committee.