The New York herald., 1877-01-21

mii,ee wished 10 know what Was IN them The House
had been trying .or the last month 10 obtain the
papers, they we're not Eerc anc therefore. 10 was
perfectly competent TO ask what these papers
o. ossso ss and M1
McDili-- Nays-Aessrs. Field Aash Tucker and
KEolt--4
he refused TO produce showed The whole mum.
Der OF votes cast in LOUISIANA ana the witness replied
he could not slate as he had not charged his memory
q Can you state the number within thousandf A.
The witness having spoken OF intimidation to pre-
vent republicans from voting as reason Tor throwing
out votes. be was asked by Mr. Field whether he knew
OF single voter having been prevented from voting
by Intimidation He answered he had none III MS
mind
Q Do you know Of single man who voted contrary
10 nis wishes because Of intimidation? A. cannot
recall one.
@ Do you or not know whether the abstraction OF
made by the Returning Board changed the result
OF the election A. cannot without the ngrres cor
rectiy answer The question.
the categorical question: he would move 10 make tie
fact known to the House.
Mr. Field-Did you eliminate or abstract from the
tota! vote as many as 10000 voiess A. do not
know.
know.
Q. You spoke OF intimidation and murder oit any
statements TO this effect accompany the returns OF the
Supervisors Of Electiony A. No.
d Don't you know t1al aNhdavits about intimidation
and murder prepared al the New Orleans Custom
House, A. do not know.
Mr. Tucker. among other questions. asked whether
the witness mean, 10 say that he never made any cai
culatiou 10 the result IN throwing out votes. The
answered that the statement was made up 6y
the clerk of tho Board Tho witness said .ha. he and
the other members OF the Board had been IN Office
since the Gath OF December. 1874
GENERAL ASDERsOS's TESTIMONY.
General Anderson, member OF the returning
Board testified that there objection 70 DR.. Ken
ncdy becoming member OF the Returning Board
because he was not gentleman, but because
The membere did not approve OF his appointment The
witness was favor OF filing the vacancy, and spoke
TO several persons about taking the place.
The witness intcrrogated about the number OF
votes cast IN louisiana and said the parish OF East
Feciana was thrown out and the parish OF Grant was
not received. he could not recolect now many pre-.
cpcts were rejected, but said that two.thirds OF the
votes thrown out were for Tiden electors The wit
sud grea, many fdavits charging intimidation
aud fraud werc sworn TO IN New orleans, out ne
thought the majority OF afdavts were sworn to out
side of that city. After further interrogation wit
Do you mean say that in every instance where
vote was rejected the reurn when you obtained pos
session OF IT, contained either u statement of the
Supervisors OF Election that there had been intimlda-
tons, an affidavit 10 that eiiecty Answer Yes;
where there had been intimidation or fraud or some
These statements and afidavts witness believed
IN the Office o the Secretary Of State of Loui-
siana He thought that the Kellogg electors received
5000 and the McEnery electors received IL 200 votes
The Returning Board filed the result OF the canvass on
the 9th OF December but kept the papers until the
5lh OF January the Board having in the meantime to
canvass The vote for State officers and members Of
Congress.
The committee after n continuous session of four
hours, adjourned until Monday morning.
THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION.
WHAT IS SAID ABOUT THE JOINT COMMITTEES
PLAN BY LAWYERS AND BUSINESS MEN
VIEWS THAT DO NOT HARMoN1zE-THE GEN.
ERAL FEELING IN THIS CITY AND VICINITY
on THE WISDOM OF THE PLAN.
To ascertain the temper Of the people in relation to
the plans recently submitted for counting electoral
VOTE HERALD reporters yesterday interviewed several
prominent citizens not Identified with politics
profession. The opinions elected, will be noticed
are by no means all way. Mr.. George TcKnor
Curtis, when asked his views concerning the legality
of the appointment of the tribunal, made answer In
the following tcrms:-
GEORGE TIcKyoR CURTIS VIEWS.
.swhcn you called here before had not read the full
text of the bill and did well understand the plan in
all It's bearings. ] have since had opportunity to
read and consider it, will say OF it, IN the nrs place,
that It entitled 10 the merit OF rejecting the
srous proposition that the President OF the Senate
is to exercise sole authority counting the electoral
votes. In this respect | should think that the bill
would meet with the decided appreciation Of the
country Then. too, 1t TO to be entitled to
the further merit OF having provided mode In which
the two houses OF Congress discharge their const
tuonal junction OF raining whether any and
persons have been elected President and Vice Pres-
dent in mode adapted TO the present extraordinary
condition OF affairs.
SOME SPECIAL MEANS NECESSARY.
It seems to have been considered necessary In tho
present condition of the electoral vote that some
special means should be taken OF arriving just and
true conclusion. The state oil the electoral Is such
that without some special and hitherto unaccustomed
OF deciding the questions that have arisen the
people Of The United States could not DC satisfied
7
the conclusion arrived at by the committee who
reported the bill. OF course the most important
question in relation to is whether 1t Is within the
scope Of the constitutional powers OF tho houses
as mode OF discharging their constitutional duty.
AS read and interpret the BILL IL contempates that
tho President of the Senate Shall open all the
ticates OF electoral voes and papers purporting 10
be such certificates, in the presence OF the two
houses and shall hand them over TO the tellers ap.
pointed by those bodies In tho alphabetical order
OF the names Of the states that the teers shall
make list OF the votes as they shall
appear from the certificates, and after the
votes have been asccrtaned and counted, in
the mode provided by the bill, the result
shall be delivered to the President Of tho Senate who
shall thereupon announce the state OF the and
the names OF the PERSONS II any, elected. Now, in
order to the contingency Of moro than
from any Stale, tho bill makes distinct proceeding
in respect to those Of which there Is only one
return and special proceeding in respect TO those
States which there is more than one return. In
regard where there Is tut return from
State the President oil the Senate Is to call for OBJ
jectons which objections are to bc signed by at least
one senator and Representative. On these objcc
tions the two bodies separately anG 1t will re-
oure the affirmative concurrent vote the two
10 reject any such certificate. In the where
there Is than one return from any state un.css
tney shall be duplicates OF the return the returns
and accompanying papers shall be submitted TO the
judgment oil the proposed commission TO decide which
is the true and lawful electoral vote OF the state This
COMMISSION is 10 be composed of Eve Senator'S, five
Representatives aud five Judges OF the Supreme Court
The objections 10 these certificates viii have been pre-
viousy called Tor by the President OF the Senate and
gwen over the Signature OF at least one Senator
and one Representative; which objections Will
20 with the duplicate returns and other
papers before the commission. The commission