River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-04-12
The Louisiana Commission.

The Louisiana Commission, com.
posed Of Messrs. Lawrence, Brown, Hawley,
Harlan and MacVeigh held their first meet
ing at New Orleans on the 9th. Judge Law
renee was chosen chairman and Gen. Hawley
Secretary. Informal calls were made by the
Commission upon Packard and Nichols, and
the question OF uniting the two legislatures
was discussed, bat no real business trans
acted.
The Louisiana Commission met q
Joint committee from the Nichols Legislature
on the 9TH, bat the conference was secret.
The committee made q detailed verbal state
ment Of status Of the government, giving .
number Of parishes and officials that had
acknowledged allegiance TO the Nichols gov
eminent, and will, AZ future interview, pre-
sent documentary facts. When the Demo
cratic committee retired Paekard's Supreme
Court Judges were admitted TO the parlor and
begun their argument as 10 the status OF their
case. At three o'clock District Judges Marks,
Cole and Hunter, for the 9Th, 5th and 9th
Judicial Districts Of the State, each elected on
the Republican ticket, had long interview
with the Commission, and ernPhaticslly de-
clared the sentiment Of their districts 70 be IN
favor Of the Packard government. These
three districts embrace eleven parishes with a
total population Of l50,694. An exciting in
terlude Gin the interview was the eross-exan-
ination Of Judge &. A. Hunter who was asked,
who did you vote tort" I" For Governor
Nichols" '.Who did you vote for for Presi-
dents" "Tilden." GLOW long have you
been a Democrat" SAN my life; was
born a Democrat right in this State, and ex-
pect to die Democrat" "Why do you now
desert the Democratic party and support Mr.
Packard ?" T" Because the Democratic party
has LETT me, and does not protect the rights Of
citizens, but advocates murder, and / do not
approve Of murder, and because / believe
Packard was squarely elected, and majority
OF white people OF my district, Rapides,
Grant and Vernon parishes prefer him foi
Governor"
The Commission held a nine hours
session, on the 9th, the time being occupied
in receiving and hearing delegations of clti-
GEMS The President OF the cotton exchange
with leading bankers and merchants called in
the interest Of the Nichols government. The
Commission said TO them that they had sought
Louisiana, bat could not find it. They found
two Governors, two Supreme Courts and an
alleged dual government il all departments.
but in fact by the acknowledgment of all par
ties there is only one Legislature, though il
meets in two halls. The moment that Legis-
AZURE meets in one body it viii be the State
Of Louisiana, and while il is in session the
only power in the State that secure the
Intervention of :he army. Ii selt-govern-
ment is desired, and the withdrawal OF the
army, it can probably be secured in day
should the public opinion OF the State COM
pei its Legislature TO meet as one body. There
are 80 OF the SO Senators, and l04 Of the 100
Representatives, whose election is not dis
puted by either party, and the Commission
urged that when they assembled as such the
Commission could have nothing whatever to
say about its action. The discussion con-
tinued three hours. The delegation was not
inclined to accept the suggestion, maintaining
that Nichols must be defended as Governor
TO the full extent.