New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-03-13

"Whereupon the presiding officer of the
Senate proclaimed that Stephen b. Pack
ard, having obtained the largest number of
votes polled in pursuance of law, and by
the power vested in him by the constitu-
ton of the State of Louisiana, is hereby de-
| clared duly elected Governor of the State
of Louisiana, for the constitutional term of
four years from the second Mon lay in JAN
uary, 1877"
l refer to this part of the proceedings
and to these laws to show the tile of Gov
ernor Packard. now take up the record
of the election of Senator of the United
States. The two houses convened in joint
convention, in pursu 4nee of the act of Con.
gress, on the tenth day of January:
THE presiding officer announced that
nominations were now in order for an cleo
ton of q United States Senator for the term
OF Elk years, beginning March 4, 1877.
Representative D'Avy nominated Hon.
William Pitt kellogg
mo other nominations being made, the
respective rolls" Of the two houses 'were
called"
Seventeen Senators answered to their
names, being two lees lhan a quorum of
that body. Sixtysix representatives, an
swered to their Names, being five more than
lorum Of that body. The vote was then
taken, and William Pitt Kellogg received
majority Of all the votes. There were
present of the members of the Legislature
duly returned by the Returning Board, as
am advised, sixty-six Representatives and
seventeen Senators. There were thus five
over a ma 0ritv of the whole number of
Senators and epresentatives-eighty enc
would be a majority Of the whole of
Senators and esentatives-snd there
was a majority OF the whole number
voting, for although there we're two less
than quorum OF the Senate present there
were 30 many more than quorum of the
House present as to make majority of the
| whole number of the members of the Leg
islsture. That is compliance with the
act of Congress to which shall refer. The
/ aC5 of Congress providing for the election
| OF Senators passed 10 1866 provides as fol-
| lows;
cat twelve o'clock meridian of the day
| following that on which proceedings are re-
| quired to take place, as aforesaid, the mem
| bsTs of the two houses shall convene in
| Joint assembly aud the journal of each
| House shall then be read, and if the same
person shall have received a majority of all
| the votes in each House, such person shall
be declared duly elected Senator to
represent said State in the Congress
of the United States; but if the
same person shall not have re-
| eeived a msiority of the votes in
each house, or if either house shall have
failed to take proceedings as IT quired by
this act, the joint assembly shall then pro.
coed to choose, by viva vOce vote of each
member present, person for the purpose
aforesaid, and person having majority
of all the votes of the said joint assembly,
majority of all the mem oers elected to
both houses being present and voting, shall
be declared duly elected"
The election comes entirely and clearly
within the specification of the act of Con
gress. We all know how that act was
called into existence; that it had been &
very common thing before it's passage
! where the two houses of the Legislature
| were divided in politics, one party havinG
a majority in tn9 and the other in the othel
house, that quorum would be broken il
one house or the other, and Thus defeat al
election, or one house would refuse to e
into the election at all; and thus senatorial
elections were often defeated and post
poned. To remedy that evil this ac
was pasead, and it was provided tina
if the two houses failed to elect OF
the fCst day, from any cause, if the!
should refuse to go into an election or it TO
} any reason there was no election on the trs
day, the members of The two houses shOult
meet in Joint convention on the next day
and if when they SO met there was major
| ity of all the members of the two house
: | present, though there might be less than
f quorum of one house, yet there was ms
jOTity of all present, it was sufficient for tn
election,
) Now, Mr.. President, submit that tn
record as it is presented makes the chain {
i title good, first that Governor Packard wa
, | declared duly elected 10y the proper authO
ity in Louisiana. Again, that William PHI
Kellogg has been duly elected Senator frOI
that 5 alto in accordance with the act {
r Congress. l am not disposed, therefore,
: push the argument on this subject an
: further, deeming it unnecessary.
want to say one word, and | shall kee
. the Senate very few minutes, in regard I
= the general character of the remarks sui
!. mitted by the Senator from Delaware
There is constant talk of fraud. 1t
. charged that the people of louisiana had b
a large majority voted for Nichols and i,
- Tilden, but they were defrauded of the
. votes; and these charges are constant
% made here and else where. The time hG
= come to meet that charge. We intend
- roll it back. The evidence is upon tt
a record that hurls it back into the teeth
~ the men who make it. The facts are upO
. record, and indsputAble, that the sO-calle
a majority for Tlden and Nichols in Il
~ | State of Louisiana was false and fraud
a lent and that it was obtained by murd'
"a and every species OF violence and lnttmid
a ton. In some parishes where there WEI
hundreds and thousands of Republics
voters they were deferred from voting q
nf from the polls; and thus State that is &c
~ tainly Republican by a large majority VI
- brought uLon the face OF the returns
~ cast q vote in favor of Tildeu and Niehol
y In talking about fraud these great Grim
~ are constantly ignored, OF the hundre,
a and thousands OF men who have been sla
q in Louisiana for political purposes in Z
N last few years, no mention ls made. vi t
- murders, the whippinge, the fortunes, al
"a the inhuman treatment that go largely pl
IS vailed during the late canvass 10 menJi
~ "a is made All that is ignored, and the fru
n of these crimes are treated as real; hOnt
n. property which they have right to pl
Re teet and enjoy
e. What was done down there, as we ola
o. and as the evideres shows abundantly,
De simply under the laws of Louisiana to {
e. priye them of the fruits of murder al
crime, to give expression to the honest VI
e. | and to the honest mejOrlty OF the people
"a | Louisiana. Constant reference is made
~ the introduction OF tho army as Ii that "
he crime, while 10 reference is made to
is causes which brought the army into
n State of Louisiana; no reference is ma
to the crimes, TO the threats, to the dang
IN. and the peril which caused the army to
A. sent there; sent there Tor the highest 4
hottest purpose the protection of life,
or erty and human rights The sending OF
to army for these purposes is treated as
ls- crime while thu great crimes that took
army there are Ignored rs if they had ne'
existed
IN The Returning Board of Louisiana
been the subject of constant denunclatl
'le even the very existence of the board
treated as a crime. Mr.. President. there
IN a Returning Board in every State IN t
re- Union of some character. Every State