The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-05-14
THEINVESTIGATION.
Full Text of Mr.. POtter's Resolution

National Associated Press to the Star.
WASHINGTON, May 14-The full text of
Mr.. Potter's preamble and resolution is as
follows:
"Whereas, The State of Maryland has by
its Legislature formally declared that due
effect was not given to the Electoral vote
cast by that State on the 9Th of December
1876, by reason of fraudulent returns in the
Electoral votes in the States OF Florida and
Louisiana; and,
"Whereas, An affidavit by Samuel B.
McLin, Chairman of the Board of
State canvassers of the State Of Florida, on
the election held in that State in November,
| 1876, for Electors of President and Vice
President, has been made public, alleging
false and fraudulent returns for votes for
such election in that State, whereby the
choice of the people of that State was an
nulled and reversed, and that the action of
the Board of State Canvassers in making
such returns was influenced by the conduct
and promises of the Hon. Edward +. Noyes,
now Minister to the Government OF France;
and,
"Whcreas, 1t is alleged that a conspiracy
| existed in the State of Louisiana, whereby
| the Republican vote in East Feliciana and
in some precincts of West Feliciana, at the
general election in November, 1876, was
purposely withheld from the polls to afford
a preteXt for the exclusion by the Return
| ing Board of that State of the vote cast in
those precincts for the Electors of President
and Vice President and that Jas. E. Ander-
son, the Supervisor of Registration at East
Feliciana, end A. A. Weber Supervisor
of Registration in the Parish of West FeliCi-
ana in that State, in furtherance of that
conspiracy falsely protested that the elec-
ton in such precincts had not been fair and
free, and that the State Returning Board
thereupon falsely and fraudulently ex-
cludcd the votes of said precincts, and by
means thereof, and of other false and fraud
ulent action by said Board, the choice of
the people of that State was annulled and
reversed, and that such action of said Weber
and Anderson was induced or encouraged
by the assurances of the Hon. John Sher-
man, Secretary Of the Treasury of the United
States
Whereas, The gravity of these charges,
the nature of the evidence upon which
| they are reported to be based and the of
fetal dignity and position Of the persons
named in connection with said frauds,
make it proper that the same should be in
quired into, to the end that the honor of the
nation may be vindicated and the truth as
to such elections made known. Therefore.
| be it
"Resolved, That select committee, con-
sisting OF eleven members of this House, be
appointed to inquire into the aforesaid allie
CATION as to the conduct of the persons in
Office aforesaid in respect to the said cleo
ton, and into the alleged false and fraudu-
lent canvass and return Of votes by the
State. county, parish and precinct officers in
the said States of Louisiana and Florida,
and into all facts which, in the judgment Of
said committee, are connected with OF per-
tinent thereto, and that said
committee, for the purpose of
executing this resolution shall have power
to send for persons and papers, to admins
ter oaths and to take testimony, and in
their discretion to detail subcommittee
with like full authority of said committee
in every particular and with power to sit in
Florida and Louisiana, which sub-commit-
tees shall be committees of this House, and
the Chairman thereof shall be authorized
to administer oaths; that said committee
and subcommittee may employ stcnoSra-
pliers and be attended each by Deputy
Sergeant-at-Arms, and may sit during the
sessions of this House and during vacation,
and said committee proceed in this inquiry
and have leave to report at any time"