The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-02-29

made by the committee appointed under tina
resolution.
He then spoke of and commented on th
present report
He commended that the action of the Gov
ernor in the Clinton case had been proper
He said the Governor, under instruction
from the House. had proce legally agains
Auditor Clinton, and the question as to tn
suspension of the Auditor after articles o
i'm parchment had been passed was lega
one.
Mr.. Wilt next took the floor He said tina
he had been actuated all along, as now, by
sense of duty.
There had been appointed committee t.
investigate the books of the Treasurer, anC
this committee was composed of honorab,
gentlemen, and competent gentlemen, wht
had ascertained and charged that sacred
fund had been diverted by the Governor O
the State.
The charge had been made, and it was tn,
generosity of the House which provided fol
q committee to examine the charges made il
the report submitted by the honorable gentle
men who examined the books of the Treasurer
He asked every man, Democrat or Repub
lican, white or black, who had read that re.
port, if he could conscientiously vote agains
the impeachment.
He contended that the point which hae
been made, that the committee had acted ar
bitrarily in not granting the request of Gov
Kellogg to appear before that committee, wa:
wrong, in law and in fact. The proper plac,
for the accused to appear was before the tri
bunal which was to try him.
The Governor had violated the law himself
and had used his power as the Governor t.
force other officers to do it.
He read the testimony of Treasurer Dubu-
clet, as reported by the committee to examine
the books of the Treasurer. Mr.. Dubuclet
testified that such a pressure had been
brought to bear, that if he had not advanced
the fifty thousand dollars from the interest
fund to pay the police, he would have lost his
place. The arrangement, he said, bad been
made at meeting at the Custom-House q.
which number If persons were present, in.
Guiding Gov. Kellogg.
Mr.. Wilt said there were other witnesses
who testified that Gov. Kellogg Was present
and partici pated in the meeting, and be then
read the testimony of Gov. Kellogg before
the same committee denying that he was
present at the meeting.
The persons who had testified that Gov.
Kellogg was present were F. Dnbuclet, An
tome Dubuclet, P. f. Hsrwig and l.. Auguste.
He wanted to know whether the House could
afford to forego the Impeachment Of Gov.
Kellogg when it was shown that he had been
guilty Of perjury.
He thought, in view of the circumsFances,
that those of ''our citizens" who wanted the
Conservatives to stop the impeachment, were
wrong in their idea that 1t would create
trouble. The Conservative members would
have none of that.
It was asserted that political Senate would
70
even admitting it to be fact, was any reason
why the House should refuse to do its duty.
He said it had been said-and this, it was
believed, could be proven-that Gov. Kellogg
had instructed Judge Breughn that he must
rule so that Auditor Clinton could not be con-
victed, and, when Judge Braughn refused, he
was removed, and his succe ssor appointed
This gentleman who succeeded him was not a
resident of the State, and he had, while Act
ing Assistant Attorney General, refused tc
prosecute Auditor Clinton, because she did
not believe him guilty an opinion he had
without having one iota of the evil
dence on which the charges were made before
him.
Mr.. Wilt again referred to the opposition of
hose who should support the Conservative
members in the discharge Of their duty.
In conclusion he made short recapitula
ion OF his points.
Mr.. Matthews claimed that not one of the
charges preferred were legal; that the entire
were parliamentary and I'M
lawful. He said the committee should have
,onfned itself strictly to the duty conferred
IN it. Investigated whether or not there
we're charges against Gov. Kellogg. and to
report, either affirmatively or negatively, and
hey should not have gone outside and report
ID articles OF impeachment.
He then commented on the impeachm ent
eport. He then read the testimony of the
Governor denying that he had been present at
my interview at the Custom House, and on
his based an assertion that the Treasurer
vas alone responsible for the diversion Of the
unds He commended that there was nothing
criminal in this diversion, as the
state had suffered no loss. He repeated thet
here was no legal charge against the Gov
rnor-if there was it was based Oh acts pre-
ious to the compromise.
Mr.. Dapre answered the argument of the
opposition regarding the Returning Board.
1e spoke of the past iniquities OF the Return
ng Board, and continuing related the Efforts
7hich the Conservatives had made to have the
Board act repealed, and commended
hat under the compromise resolution the
returning B ard should be abolished, as with
! the Conservatives commended there could
ot be ga full, free and peaceable election.
Taking up the testimony of Gov. Kellogg
egarding the Custom House meeting, he
aid that other testimony, which he quoted,
roved it to be an absolute lie.
He commended that the appointment of Jas.
lewis as member of the Police Board was
4 violation of that statute which provides
nat no man shall hold two Offices of
rust and emOlument.
He urged the House to do its duty.
MIR. Heating said that he had failed to hear
ny argument which, in his opinion, would
induce any man to vote for the impaach-
lent.
He regretted that the Conservatives, and
,ore particularly several OF them, had taken
be position which had maintained Hs had
o doubt that they had been Disappointed;
10 knew that all they had expected was not
ccomplished, and he regretted it, but he be-
eved that the entire proceedings were based
ntirely on this disappointment, in proof of
bis, why had not the articles of impeach-
nent been brought in on the first day?
Perhaps the Democrats had good cause for
but he desired to know if all
be blame should rest on the Republicans.