The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-10-27


eide who were the legally elected legisla-
tors and executive Of Louisiana according
to the election of 1876, eliminating from
the returns all consequences of offenses
against free and pure election which are
prohibited by the state constitution,
sPoFFoRD's STATEMENT.
Mr.. Spoford, in his statement, says,pro
testing, that no evidence beyond his ere
dentials and the historical facts of which
the senate will take judicial notice, is re-
quired or should be demanded, in obedience
to the orders and resolutions of the com
mittee. He proposes to prove:
1. That by the actual returns, col
lected by the parish supervisors of regis
traton, from their appointees, the COM
missioners of elections, showing the vote
actually in the ballot boxes at the close of
the election in Louisiana, on the TIN of
November, 1876, it appears that enough OF
the senators and representatives who were
received into tie Packard legislature upon
the certificate of the so-called returning
board, were defeated at the polls, to show
that there never was, from first to last,
quorum Of elected members in either
branch of that legislature.
senator, adhering to the Nicholl's legisla-
ture. was captured and taken by duress,
against his protest, into the Packard senate
cham Der, on the first of January, 1877,
and kept there by duress and against his
protest, he refusing to par rticipate in their
action and repudiating their authority as a
senate, just for the purpose of swearing in
as members of that pretended senate, Baker
and Kelso, who had not only been de :
feated at the polls, as candidates for the
senate, but we're so reported by the return
ing board, and their competitors were
actually elected and admitted to so be by
the returning board, and sat as members
FROM their respective senatorial districts in
the NlcEolls senate throughout its session.
and that there was no contest and no no.
| tice of contest over their seats. But the
, seating of Baker and Kelso was entirely
unlawful, inexcusable, and of no effect.
That by actual returns or statement, as
made iu duplicate by the supervisors of
! registration, with their appointees, the
commissioners Of election, who sent one set
to the clerk OF the district court of each
county OF parish, and to the secretary OF
state in the city, aud another set to the re
| turning board, so-caHed, showed majority
OF votes actually cast throughout the state
of about 5000 for Nichols and Wiltz, over
Packard aud Antoine. The statement
charges the returning board with changing
the result of the election in De Soto parish
| the suppression of votes so as to return re-
| publican representatives who were really
beaten by large majorities, and which was
admitted in letter written by a republi.
can representative SO returned, a copy OF
which letter will hereafter be submitted tc
the committee.
KELLOGG'S SUPPLEMENTAL STATEMENT
In his supplemental statement, Kelloge
denies generally aud specifically the ma
terial averments of Spofford and asks tha
in the event the committee shall decid,
to take testimony in regard to who wer,
duly elected members OF the legislature
then it shall be made thoroughly il
obedience to the election laws of Louisiana
that it shall decide who were elected, afte
excluding from the election returns sucl
as the election laws of Louisiana designed
should be excluded; and he states further
that if such exclusions are made, as re
quiTed by the designs Of the law, it will b
] found that the action of the returning
board in certifying to the election of mem
bers of the senate, as they did was iusti6e
: by the evidence and the law in the case.
sPoFFoRD's SUPPLEMENTAL STATEMENT
Mr.. Spofford 10 his supplemental state
ment, says the vagueness of the state
ments of Kellogg, as to what he desires t
prove, renders it impossible for me t
specify what shall desire to adduce i
rebuttal | assume it is the desire of Mi
Kellogg aud of this committee that thi
matter should be determined speedily
As to the specified ducument referred
by Gov. Kellogg in bis letter to the CON
mittee on the 22d inst, [ shall desire {
prove that the act creating the superio
: civil court fell through as an utter abol
ton; that it required no repeal, because
: never went into vital force. Ii 1t be calie
proper or material to go into a gener;
: Investigation, whose horizon is bounoles
as indicated by Mr.. Kellogg. the, onl
i effect of which will be indefinite delay an
{ prOfitless wrangliug, the undersigned sue
gests it would not be proper to limit ii
question to testimony taken by the How
committee, but that the testimony take
Al by the Morrison committee of the hou:
k should, IN common fairness to the oths
IT side, be allowed for this consideration. {
y course the journals and acts of the Nicho
legislature. as printed 10 volumes, by al
y thority, can be referred to; and the unde
A. signed, in return, agrees that the newsp
C. per reports of the journals of the Packal
legislature may be referred to By eth
party. The committee, after hearing Il
% statement read, had brief secret sessio
;. ordered them printed and adjourned un
L. Monday.