The New York herald., 1877-02-14

the returning officers Tor the state OF ouisi-
and 26 OF the act OF 1872 They the pre-
cisely those conferred upon similar officers by the
Law OF the session OF 1870 First however as to the
constitution OF this Board the second section provinces
that i've persons. be elected by the Senate from all
political parties shall be The returning officers
whom shall. constitute u quorum and shall
have power to make returns Of all elections In case
either OF the Board then the vacancies shall filled by
The residue OF the Board OF returning officers. You
VIII see that the Board herein provided consists OF
FIVE. and that in political cast shall represent all
the political parties, and n vacancy occurs the re-
manning MEMOIRS OF The Board shall hIl IT. This
very peculiar statute, very singular law Here
board organized with powers over the election returns
of elections IS made perpetual, with power within
itselfto effect that pcrPetuity wnen once established
the power has gone out from the state authorities
from tho people. from all popular control, into the
hands Of these men, and they continue on, on, on
forever
Ihave already said that their duties prescribed,
and will say that they are crcumscribed, and you
Will see that II very necessary to crcunscribe such
authority IN these sections TO which have made rel
crence which have been under review before. Now,
let us see what construction has bcen given TO those
powers heretofore; and will frst call your attention
10 the report maze by the Senate Commits on Priv
ted by senator Norton Chairman. The ionow,ng
language is used .s5.sIs.t
The statutes Of Louisiana authorized tho supervisor Of
tion. make atdsvit regard amy violence fraud
sa Gy ss ia a s .s Os ea wS &
return and 'apon which tho Returning Board reject
Of the officers Of the election is not ssn, TO satisfy the
changed they Ss T. M esas % ns
and 10 take further testimony upon the matter but they
foundation hrst lard by the OF ths
officers OF election jus. before mentioned.
That report made 10 the Senate Of the United
States and upon that report and the facts herewith
connected the Senate acted In 1873 upon tho electoral
vote Of that state. have the report hcre.
Also in tho House OF Representatives the commit
toes report made upon the 23d OF February 1875
haaia nd EPVo mann nhar sof sand cnOly ~.
toe They report at length sections Nos anu 20 (Ar.
Mcdonald quoted the sections referred TO ut lengthl
which they to be guided anI this section No. 26
provides or the character OF those papers That
thus to assail and attack these polls, that s:
That any parish precinct wara. city town in which,
during the time o registration revision Of regisation
ss S sss . % Ss I iS
rupt Influences At any place within said parish. or ut
SaSs o Of sSn
ssa to sn@ % or n 5 Sss I
auaihod electors Of the parish, precinct ward
Of sT ash 's a"y uma the s
ton ofshs parish they during the time d the
registration revision OF tho 10 make IN dn
sac,s relating thereto and I. eject produced BY such ROT
or sses"a .umSs a""naS cd
.Ss by such riot. &c from Or y.ing
three respectable citissns qualified electors OF thc parish
sions Of seo" Of Ssss,yasion he
Sa o ~. H. s y p ss to Vf h
State. Of which statement made by the
returning officers provided Tor in section of th. when
he makes tho return Of the see!oa. In the parish
tor the election by WAX paste some adhesive sub
copy o. shall is delivered to
the clerk Of his parish for the Of the District Attorney
The speaker also quoted from the reports
Comm ssioner THURMAX--ls there any evidence he.
fore that they threw out returns that were
accompanied by certiticatesY
WHAT Is TO BE SHOWN.
Senator NcDOSALD-l shall call the attention Of the
commission before am through TO what claim to be
evidence upon that subject. Now, then what do
propose 10 show in regard 10 tho action OF this Re-
turning BoardY
From tile votes actually cast at the atc election for
the appointment Of electors in Louisiana the demo-
cratic electors received ma0res ranging from $500
900 Inc face OF the returns. As returned by
the supervisors Of Registration TO the Board
OF Returning Oficers their majorties ranged
from 459 actually returned to them by
turns ana th ir cer,hca,ss they certified majority
favor OF these men, who have cast this vote, rang
ing from 3s27 to 4,SOO There you have the whole
affair and condition OF tho eieCIon IN Louisiana ut
once presented before you large popular majority
returned way ana that popular majority is
reversed by the action or this B0ard py It's manip
ulations OF the returns which into lis
hands. How was II doneY What was the pro
cess by which they reached this couciu-
oicets? We say there was actual fraud committed by
them, as f0ows:--
THE FRAUDS COMMITTED
In the first place they did undertake to
and compile the statements OF evidence made by the
Commissioners OF Election. They threw them ono
sido and took the statement OF votes made by the
Supervisors Of Repatriation, and considered them aud
them aoncthat Is, as lar as II suited their purposes
for they did not follow rule all time and under
the operation of that they threw out the OF
Grant parish entirely These staiemcnkRQt the votes
made by the Commissioners OF Eiectioh We're before
them brought by the United Statos Supervisor
OF Election for that parish. But tho Supervisor
Of registration had not made return: That Is all
there There was no statement OF violence, IN.
timdatron or fraud There was nothing TO impcach
any one OF those polls There was no question before
them that the original statements bad been made by
the Commissioners OF Election, and yet this Board
threw that cnrc parish, dsfranchsed the cntire
parish, by the omnipotent power which they claimed
over the returns OF the popular votes as cast
Before conclude desire " say that we impeach
these Tor actual iraud Tor want OF authority
We claim that accoE plsh their purposes these
rejected sixty-nine polls. embracing twenty two
parishes IN whole or In partthat Is, that the people
OF sIxtynne voting precincts in the State were dts
franchised by tho returns made by tho Returning
Board.
Senator THuRNAN-How many OF those sixty.nnc
returns were accompanied BY protestsy
Senator MCDONALD-I think not one, in the manner
and form prescribed by statute.
Now there other consideration; can this com.
mission look into these questionsY Where Is the evl.
dence or itY We say 1t has been broken, that the
evidence IN support OF this charge OF fraud aud ilc-
Raiity will be found in tho investigation made, urst
by The committee on Privileges and Elections, ap-
pointed to do that work under the resolution OF the
Senate. IN December last, by which they
such, IN any Of tho States had been
made either by orce fraud or otbor means otherwise
In conformity the constitution aud laws OF the
Untod States; also by the House Committee uppo itcd
investigate the election In LOUISIANA aud the
action Ot tho Returning Board OF the State Ia reier.
ence thereto. We say, thcn that these steps have
already been taken. Can you look ut themy Have you
O right consider themy II Is your duty under toe
law creating this commission TO all
tho powers possessed by the Two houses OF
Congress, acting separately together and 10 deter
and decide whether any aud what votes IRON the
State OF Louisiana the votes provided for by the
constitution OF the United States and how many and
what persons were duly appointed electors IN sucn
State say that, In vestug these powers this COM
mission, Congress created judicial tribunal and
clerical board, judicial tribunal possessing para-
mentary powers. AS judicial commission II Is bound
accept to whether fraudulent certificates
have been gwen 10 electors whether any o! them
have been duly appointed, and IN reaching this
determination IL must consider such proofs as would
be admissible in either branch OF Congress II engaged
in the consideration OF the same subject Therefore
the proofs already taken by either OF tbs houses OF
Congress with respect to these questions to be
deemed "dcpositions and other papers, pertinent 10