The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-01-18
BY TELEGRAPH.
ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORT.
TO THE DAILY LNTELLIGENCER
CONGRESS.
Sharp Discussion on the Louisiana
MOI Returning Board.
Tho Investigation Appropriation
Expended.
ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORT.
TO THE DAILY 1NTEL1IGENcER.
CONGRESS.
More Money Wanted.
q HOUSE. ggGsf
WASHINGTON, january IL.

WASHINGTON, January IL.
A resolution was adopted permitting
+. W. Barnes to go to New Orleans in
custody Of the Sergeant.at.Arms to pro.
cure certain kilograms, and return to
Washington with them within ten days.
CONTINUATION or TUESDAYS DISCUSSION
oNTIIE LOUISIANA RETURNING BOARD.
A discussion took place upon the reso.
luton reported by the judiciary Com.
mittee yesterday, in relation to thu relus.
al OF the members Of the Louisiana Re.
turning Board to produce certain papera
before the Louisiana special committee.
Mr.. O'Brien said that the report Of the
resolution before the House received his
entire approval. The object of the in.
yeStigation was In determine the legality
oistho acts Of the Returning Board and
to verify the returns made. Congress
had this power, and ut this crisis, when
the existence Of the Government itself
might depend on the true results Of the
Louisiana. election, it must exercise it to
the fullest extent.
Mr.. IIoar said he was struck with
amazement that it should ever have fallen
to his lot to defend the rights Of an
American State against y Democratic
House Of Representatives. He laiddown
this proposition, that whatever power the
House had to compel the authorities Of u
State TO deliver up the records Of that
State and bring them to the House TO be
kept according 10 its will, that same au.
thority the Legislature Of State had
over United States officials within its
| Jurisdiction.
Mr.. Bland asked il q committee of The
House had not the power To examine bal,
lots in eases of contested elections Tor
members Of Congress.
MIR. llOar said there waS aCertdin class
OF records to which the principal lie had
laid down, did mol apply, but the records
OF the election of the Presidential cleo.
tors were the records essential to the
preservation Of the Government and
Sovereignty Of the State itself. and Com
gress had no right 10 lay hands on them
and bring them out Of the territory Of the
State. ........
Mr.. Banks said tho records demanded
were the records on which the existence
OF the State government and the govern
ment Of the United States depended. lie
delied any gentleman to iind in the his
tory of the government n single instance
in which such demand was made. No
man could Justify the officers Of Louisiana
il they had given up their records into
irresponsible hands.
Mr.. Southard said, in the Forty-Sec.
ond session, the Committee on Elections
in the Senate, was ordered to inquire
whether there was State government in
Louisiana, and, in that investigation, the
committee summoned to Washington
messrs. Kellogg and McEnery, and the
returning boards and records Of both par
ties, had been produced before it. APP
plaus0.
Mr.. Banks replied that il would he
conceded that on the records demand.
ed would depend the election Of the
President Of the United States. II they
were destroyed the original evidence Of
that election would have been DESTROYED.
II they were surrendered up, they were
surrendered (hc made no Impeachment
OF the Committce) to absolutely irrespon.
sible parties. They might be acci-
dentally lost or intentionally de
Stroyed. II those records were
lost by accident, or destroyed
by design, the only evidence that exists
on which the election OF President is
founded and the government Of the
United States established would be lost
or destroyed. Manifestations Of interest
and applause. Even that yell, which
had become historic, and which was
heard yesterday, showed to what extent
some men not connected with the House
were willing 10 60 in such matter.
What was the foundation for this extra.
ordinary and unprecedented demand,
which would take from the government
the very foundation on which its
authority and the right TO existence mnst
be based? Mere public rumor, aud
whence did itcome? From the party in.
tcrested in the destruction OF the original
evidence. The State OF Louisiana, he de.
clared, ought neysr.to yiOlI these papers
except to overwhelming force, and the
government Of the United States ought
never to suffer the State Of Louisiana to
he deprived Of their possession except by
power greater than that OF the United
States. Sensation.
Mr.. Hur,l defended the resolution, and
argued that the only question was whether
the House OF Representatives had power
10 force the production Of papers called
for by an investigating committee and
now in the hands Of the Louisiana Re
turning Board. When gentlemen on the
other side interposed the objection that
States had rights which Congress could
not interfere with, they simply begged
the whole question. The question was
whether Congress had power to inquire.
II it had il necessarily followed that it
had the right to call for the production
Of papers incident 10 every inquiry.
He thought that all reference Of his col.
league (GarIield) 10 Plaquimine fraud in
1874, was most unfortunate. His col
league had said that the Wing party Of
that day acqniesced in and submitted to
that fraud. He would say now, however,
that acquicsccncc in fraud and outrage
was not u precedent that was to bo fol.
lowed by the Democratic party, or by
thc ptOllG VI thc CbhuIiy at tHlH uuNs
| Applause on the Democratic side.
| Mr.. Kasson regarded the proposition
before the House mai usurpalIon Of pow.
or dangerous TO the future peace and
welfare Of the republic. .......tt
Mr.. Cox closed the debate by saying
that the Stale law was prostrate, but she
Is Just as necessary now to the great West,
to the great North, to the whole country,
MS she ever WAS, and she has n potential
voice IN determining for this people
who shall he our Chief Magistrate.
Let us not, Mr.. Speaker, allow
that voice TO le thTOttled or dc.
spised, and let us carry out The anl.
lhorily Of Congress, to show to the
people that the voice Of Louisiana has
been given for liberty, for peace, for hon.
esty, Tor democracy, and for Samuel j.
'riIden [Applause on the Democratic
side.l
A vote was then taken, and the resolu.
ton for the arrest OF the members Of the
Louisiana Returning Board and their
production before the bar Of the House
to answer for contempt was adopted by \
strict party vote--yeas l5S, nays 81.
The Senate amendments to the contin.
gent deficiency bill were reported by Mr.,
Foster. of Ohio, and acted on hv Tho