Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-11-24
THE THREE PIVOTAL STATES
LAST NIGHTS DISPATCHES.
LOUISIANA


the Messrs. Stougtton, Steve l.
son. Parker, Clark, and Farwell.
Judge Spofford, of counsel for the demo-
cratic candidate, submitted the following:
The undersigned, of counsel for the candi-
date on the democratic conservative ticket,
respectfully represent that they are informed
and believe that the supervisors of registra-
ton for fourteen parishes hal not filed their
returns here at the time the board adjourned
yesterday. That many OF these returns are
and have been for some time in the CITY of
New Orleans, in the hands of the registration
supervisors. or of q republican candidate for
Congress. That proof of this fact appears in
the affdayitS filed relative 10 the parishes OF
Ouachita, Lafayette, East Baton Rouge, Red
River, Franklin and others. That il appears
from the statements made by General T. e..
Anderson before the board on Monday last .
that the returns of st. Laundry were i'm New
Orleans on that day, though reported not
filed yesterday; wherefore the undersigned
move that The supervisors or other persons
holding said returns be oriered to bring the
same before this board of returning
officers, forthwith. The annexed proof
shows that NJ j. Grady, supervisor for Qua
week past; that j. a. NeaZey, supervisor for
Lafayette, had his returns here Il week ago.
That r. A. Clover, supervisor for East Baton
Rouge, has been here with his returns for ten
days past; that n. W. CarOughe, supervisor
for Red river. has been here with his returns
/ for seven days past; that w. III. Mckay,
supervisor of Franklin. forwarded his re-
turns on the 18th instant, and is now in the
city. and that George :. Smith, republicans
candidate for Congress in the 4th Congress
sional district, is in the city of New Orleans.
and brought with him from Shreveport, and
has had and still has under his control. some
OF the returns from the Red river parish, and
in said 4th district. and the annexed copy of u
circular letter to the supervisors of regiStra-
ton, from ID. j. NJ. A. Jewett. secretary OF
the republican campaign committee. shows
that they were insjructelt to bring the repubii-
can vote Of their parishes up TO 4 preScri bal
figure. ON motion OF General Anderson, the
president of the board, instructed the Sccrc-
tary To issue orders 10 all The supervisors in
the city 10 file their returns Immediately.
request was made by the democratic
counsel that they be notified as - tie orler
in which the contested parishes would BE-
taken up. so that they might have time to
summon witnesses from distant parts Of
the state. President Wells said that the
rules governing the board could not b.,
changed. That notice would be given when
a contested parish was 70 be considered, but
that there was no order established.
1t was agreed that the parish Of East Baton
Rouge should be the first contested parish
General Anderson rose to q question of
privilege and read an article from a newspa-
per, and said l wish the public to know
and also the editor who has probably not read
the act under which this board is acting. TACT
rs of November, 1922 that since that time
when resigned my position as a member OF
the returning board. on account OF being a
candidate for the Senate. the law has been
changed; now for the information of the gen
temen present and others, will state that
the law under which was acting in 1870 and
1872, Is dlffcrcnt from the law under which
ana acting at the present. The act No. d. o 4
November, 1872. does not state, rs the act of
November, lS.0, stated, that no candidate viii
be eligible TO sit on returning board. I'm
der the act of 20, the attorney general, Gov
ernOr John Lynch and General LOngstreet
and myself were members of the returning
board: did not act on the board which r.
turned Governor Kellogg or Governor Ne
Emery, but after this act Of 1s52 was signed b.
Governor Yarmouth IL was required tina
the board should consist of five persons cleo
Cd by the senate. That 4 majority o.
lie members established q quorum
and in case OF no quorum, by death or other
wise. teen vacancies We're to be filled by the
rest OF the board of returning officers. Now
II appears that the session of the returning
board following this act, which was in Janu-
airy or February-l don't recollect what data
the election took place. At any rate the &C
became Il law on the 20th of November, 1872
the senate not being in session then. At the
succeeding session the senate elected the fol
lowing officers: Governor Wells, John Lynch
General LOncstreet. q. CasenaYe and Louis
NJ. Kcnner. Subsequently, Mr.. Lynch having
resigned, J. /. q. Anderson was elected by
the board ore of its members. That is all tht,
law says on the subject. and now L am acting
under this law: and there Is nothing IN this
law said about man being disqualified on
the ground of being candidate. II tin IRE was
j would not be sitting at present in This board.
Furthermore. acknowledge my competitor
was elected, but, however. | wish the public
10 understand am not acting under the same
law as did in 1870, when testified was in
eligible under that law. hope this eXplana-
tion will be satisfactory.
Judge SpOfford.-Mr. President. 1 wish to
preseIsta motion i'll writing. with a statement
of reasons.
Gov. Wells.-Read il. then.
Pending the reading Of Judge Spofford'S
motion, General Anderson remarked, H.
regard TO the returns from parish 81. Landry,
That they were not in the city because he had
ascertained upon the arrival of the steam
boat Trenton yesterday evening, that the
supervisor with returns, and a good many
gentlemen, republicans and democrats, had
been detained on account of low water at the
mouth of the Red River.
Judge Spofford.-However, that does not
affect the motion; file that motion with the
accompanying affidavit, and ask the boa ri
TO take action upon 1t. merely suggest the
fact of this conduct on the part of the super
Nfsors, and IL should receive some further
infOrmality.
Governor Wells.-If you have evidence of
mat fact, we Will take steps TO get the returns
here, but we have no authority 10 act How
ever, we will assume authority, if we are Coz
WINGED that officers are here with returns. II
is their duty to file returns here. and there is
no authority by which We can force these
gentlemen here.
The board yesterday completed the canvass
OF only three parishes, as follows: Natchi-
toches, ~, diiden l,.6i, Hayes 2,oS9; Union, Til
Hayes 2,2T. At one poll in Natchitoches the
board threw out 542 votes for the three repub-
llcan electors on account of infOrmalitieS.
The vote for five republican electors i'm
Natchitoches was ,5is In iberia five repub-
lican electors received only sis votes in
stead OF 2,29, owing TO the omission of names
on ballots.
FLORIDA.
The court before which the case of the in
Junction against the governor and the man.
damus against the returning board was to be
tried, met yesterday morning at IL O'Clock.
The court room was crowded to the utmost.
The governor presented through counsel an
affidavit in which he stated that he had never
made up his mind TO canvass the vote, and
had not stated TO any one that he had done
so; that even up to the present writing he had
not decided that he was empowered to can
vass the votes. The democrats counsel, dis
regarding this affidavit, urged through Geo.
4. Raney that the governor had no right TO
canvass the electoral vote, but that such
| right resided in the canvassing board: and
further. that the court did have Jurisdiction
over the governor, not In restraining him
from doing what he was empowered by law
| TO do, but In restraining him from perform
ing an act he had no right to perform under
the law. General Barlow replied I'm behalf o
the governor, and denied the Jurisdiction O
the court. He said that an Injunction issued
against the governor by the Judge on the
l.nvzn A4,-