The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1877-10-31
THE LOUISIANA SENATORIAL
QUESTION.


of other matter, give them all we can
concerning the Louisiana Senatorial
Question. Up to our present writing
it has reached in the Committee
room as far as very we'll described in
the following Special from Washing
ton, in date October "a. The we'll
informed and reliable correspondent
of the New Orleans Democrat thus
states how Judge Spoford presented
bis case:
"Spoford's argument to-day before
The Committee on Privileges and
Elections is generally conceded to be
the clearest and most practical expo
sition Of the Louisiana troubles ever
made in Washington. TIL e only
drawback TO it is the fact, to use the
words of Senator Wallace, "tlat ar
gument don't amount to damn
with the majority Of that COM
mittee."
He began by giving q brief &C.
count of the powers of the Louisiana
Returning Board and State Legisla-
ture, alluding to the Electoral Com
mission and quoting it's arguments
from the official reports of the Com
mission. By the returns of elections
held in November, 1876, according to
the parish returns, approved by the
supervisors of elections, the Govern
| or, Lieutenant Governor and State
officers were elected. Also, accord
ing TO the statements Of the Return
ing Board, sitting in the city Of New
Orleans, another set of State officers
was declared elected by the suppress
sion of over $4,000 votes.
Judge Spoford then rehearsed the
establishment of the dual Legislature
in Louisiana. The Packard Govern
ment in the State House and the
Nichols Government in St. Patrick 8
Hall, New Orleans, and the story of
the barricading of the State House.
The debates and minutes of the
Nichols Legislature were read cor
roborating his statement in regard to
the Illegally of Packard's Govern
ment. The reason why the Packard
Government fell to pieces was be-
cause of the failure TO obtain troops
to sustain it, from Washington.
According to the law of Louisiana,
the Returning Board had nothing to
do with the election of Governor.
Lieutenant Governor, or any State
officer. The Returning Board was
only concerned in the election of the
President and Vice President.
He read passages from the consti-
tuition, among them the famous arti-
Gle forty-eight, showing the manner
of counting the votes and declaring
the result of an election. Judge
Spoford claimed that the sheriff Of a
county or mayor of town was the
person charged with returning writs.
The term returned" has always
been understood in the manner ex-
planned above. By the laws Of Lou
isiana the register of elections and
commissioners Of election have su.
perseded the Office formerly held by
The sheriff in making returns of
elections.
Judge Spoford quoted from Sena-
tor Edmunds, Of Vermont, in argu.
ments in Senate contests in Louisi-
ana, to show that the Returning
Board is an unconstitutional body.
The speaker said that such thing
as dual Government would be un-
known were it not for the existence
of the Returning Board. Distin-
guished citizens like Governor Pack
acd, and as 1 am informed, Governor
Kellogg, brought sweeping accuse
lions against fifteen or twenty par
ishes before the Returning Board
against which no charges whatever
were made by the commissioners of
election in the parishes where
elections were held as prescribed
by law.
With three non elected Senators
in the Packard Northumberland
Steven, who had been sitting with
the Nichols Legislature and had
called upon Governor Kellogg in the
State House, was forced into the
Packard Senate by Sergeant at
Arms in order 70 obtain quorum.
Blunt and Weber, two defeated
candidates, were included among the
members, constituting quorum,
and there were dozen members
whose only title was acquired by the
Returning Board. Packard's title,
also, only rested on the Returning