Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-12-19
Progress OF the Senate and House Com.
mittees In Florida, South Carolina
and LOuisiaRa-BO Sides
Active.
A Telegraph Clerk In Contempt Of the
HOuse-The Mandamus in the Florida
Supreme COurt-The Carolina
Legislature.
Correspondence Between Governor Wade
Hampton and the Usurper Chamber
lain-The Great Seal Of the
State Demanded.
LOUISIANA.

New ORLEANS, December Is.-The senate
investigating committee net In the United
States district court room, in the custom
house. The committee having been called
to order, Messrs. Howe, NJ Mullen Mimi. |,
0glesby I'll. !, Wadleigh n. II. |, VI Donald
Ind. !, and Salisbury lDei. |, were present;
also, number Of prominet Republicans were
In the room.
The work of the senate committee viii be
ii5J5 ssrr... si-- AZ iirst Il Is the object of
the committee to obtain from the returning
board the aggregate vote Of the State, as re-
turned blythe supervisors Of the different par
ishes secondly, the votes Of parishes rejected
by the board, and also the vote of the pre-
cincts In the several parishes which were re-
lected. 1t is doubtful if the committee Will
be subdivided, as was done by the house COM
mlttee, as a large number Of witnesses are al
ready here to testify before the committee,
and others are on their way to the city. The
committee hope to finish their work by the
fifteenth of January but it is hardly prob
able that it can be done by that time. Thus
far the house committee has examined no
witnesses on the Republican side.
In the house committee tO-dayl 1t was urged
by the Democratic members that a copy
should be procured not only Of .he super
visors' tabllated statement, but also Of the
returns made by the commissioners Of cleo
ton to the supervisors, IN order that 1t might
be clearly seen what polls had been thrown
out by the board. Governor Wells, presi-
dent Of the board, was called to give some
information on the subject. He said he would
furnish the committee with the required state
ments of the votes polled and of the votes
excluded, but as the board was busy prepar-
ing their report to the legislature the clerk
would not have time to make the copies. The
chairman said that the stenographers Of the
committee would do the work. The commit
mittee then adjourned until Tuesday at eleven
o'clock. Witnesses have been summoned to
testify in the case of Baton Rouge.
L. w. Barnes, manager OF the Western
Union Telegraph company, had been sub
penaed to produce the dispatches sent and
received by Kellogg, Packard Dibble, War
moth, Carter and General Anger, from and
after the fifteenth Of August, 1876, was called
before the committee, and in answer to the
question Mr.. Barnes stated he hadnOt brought
any messages with him; that he had been in
structed by the general superintendent, MIR.
Van Horne, not to deliver nor produce the
messages, consequently he must, under his
instructions, refuse to deliver the kilograms
called for by the subpoena.
The committee, after consultation, adopted
the following resolution, which the chairman
was instructed to communicate to the house
of representatives:
ReSoIred, That for the efficient prosecution
OF the inquiry ordered by the house, this
committee communicate to the house for its
the refusal of L. w. Barnes to
produce before the committee kilograms re-
ferred to in the subpoena duceS tecanl, served
upon him December l3, 1876. His refusal
being in contempt of the house Of repre-
sentstives.
General Hurlbuvt moved that the last
clause, his refusal being in contempt, etc,
be stricken out, as the house itself was the
best Judge of the contempt if there was any.
The chairman put the question on General
Hurlburt' S amendment, and it was lost. The
Republicans voting for it and the Democrats
against it. The resolution was then voted
for and carried by party vote.
A number of colOred witnesses were ex-
all Of whom testified to the universal
and general bulldozing prachced by the Re
pubicans and to the terrorism, and killing
to which colored Democrats were subjected.
Ex- Governor Wicklitfe was also examined at
length and sustained the testimony Of the
colored Democrats.
The subcommittee for Baton Rouge and
adjacent parishes left for Baton Rouge to-
day. The subcommittee for Shreveport and
Monroe leave tomorrow.
Governor Wells stated in a conversation
this evening that he should decline to answer
any question as to the reasons for throwing
out the vote of any poll or parish.