Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-06-15
The Potter Committee.

WASHINGTON, June 14.-The subcommittee
of the Potter investigation committee, having
returned, the whole committee went into secret
SESSION.
When the doors were reopened a recess was
taken. Upon the committe reassembling, the
members said they desired to be present at the
proceedings in the House, and left the room.
On returning,
ORLANDO H. BREWSTER,
one of the members of the electoral college in
Louisiana during the election of 1874, was ex-
amined briefly in regard to his connection with
his signing the certificates of election. He tes-
titled he attended the meeting of the electoral
college in New Orleans on December 9th, and
was chosen in the afternoon to fill a vacancy
arising from his own non-attendance in the
morning. he counted the votes for President and
vice President, and the college adjourned.
In answer to question whether he signed any
certificate of votes cast, witness said: I have
no recollection of the time when l signed them.
think either that afternoon or the next morn
ing, Or three weeks afterwards. I
heard that defect existed, in
the certificate for the State of Louisiana.
Heard from H. Conquest Clarke, who was sec
Rotary of Gov. Kellogg and was acting as clerk
of the electoral college. AS near as I can re-
member, he stated that the defect was a cleri-
cal defect. Some of our friends thought, per
haps it was of no Importance but to be sure
thought new set should be made out. We
had but very little conversation on the subject.
My impression is he said 1t should read lists
in the plural" where it then said "list."
It is very iudistinct in my memory.
Immediately after that conversation he
presented the papers and asked me to
sign them, and l signed them in the govern
ment office. don't remember who was pres
ent, but think there were men in the Office at
the time That is all the connection had
with it. Witness here identified the returns
which were shown him, and his signature on
them, including his signature on the envelope.
He testified that he did not know how many
times he signed his name on the first occasion,
or the second either. It seemed to him it was
more than half a dozen times. He had nothing
to do with drawing them up. He merely signed
as he was obliged to, surprising it was all cor
rect. Somebody pointed the place out to him,
and told him where to sign. He added that he
did not know whether any body else signed or
not.
In answer to Gen. Butler, he stated that he
held the Office of surveyor general up to the
time of the election. He sent in his resigna-
ton three or four days after the election, but
asked that it should be held back to the 4th of
November.
By Cox-Did you undertake to make any
comparison yourself between the first and
second set of papers to what the difference
was?
A. No. left it entirely to the clerk.
@. You acted upon his telling you that you
were correcting formal error in the papers
you had drawn up at the meeting?
A. Yes.
@. You say it was conducted in privacy?
A. Yes sir. I was sent for several times
during the day. They said was wanted at the
Governors Office.
@. Did the messenger come direct from the
Governor?
A. No, not direct
Q. When you went into the Governors Of
fee did you see the Governor?
A. No sir. Saw the clerk, and he called my
attention to the matter right away, and knew
then that was the object in sending for me.
Q. Didn't it excite your suspicion little
that as the letter s only was left out and he had
not the original papers there and had to exc
cute anew?
A. No; l supposed it was an act of our
friends to have everything exactly right.
Witness was examined at considerable length,
but nothing was elected in addition to what is
already stated.
ment was submitted to the committee by the
chairman:
WASHINGTON, D. c., June IL, 1878.
To Hon. Clarkson N. Potter, Chairman of the
Committee of Investigation:
SIR-I have the honor to receive from the
clerK OF the committee or winch you are Chalr-
man the following resolution:
RESOLVED, That the secretary of State be re-
quested to furnish this committee all the origi-
nal communications, whether written, printed
or telegraphic, now in or which may have been
in the Office of the secretary of State and which
may be under his control, received by him or
any other person in the State department, pur-
porting to come from either or all the members
of the commission of which Hon. Wayne Nc
Veagh and Hon. Jas. II. Harlan were mem bers,
which commission was sent by the President to
New Orleans in April, 1877; and also certified
copies of all communications whether written,
printed or telegraphic, delivered to or sent to
said commissioners, or to all or to either of the
mem bers of said commission from the State
department or President, which passed through
said department,
Upon laying this report before the President,
am instructed by him to say that while he
considers it not all incompatible with the pub
lie interests that all public documents sought
for by this resolution should be made public,
yet he is unable to perceive that the subject
authority for the inquiry impaired to your
committee by the House of Representatives.
The President has upon this view of the matter
directed me to communicate to the House of
Representatives the information sought in the
resolution of your committee for such DISPOSE
ton by that honorable body as shall seem to it
meet. have the honor to be, sir, your obedi-
ent servant, (signed) VIM. NJ. EvARTs.
Adjourned.