The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-06-30
THE SUBCOMMITTEE.
FrRsT DAYS PROCEEDINGS - PACK
ARDS IDEAS OF HIS TITLE.
ne says " Hayes was FIected President
ny the Louisiana yOte He was
EIgcfed aSaynFn0r

E1f GbeW aaWNeFHBE.
The subcommittee Of the Potter committee
met at Parlor p. st. Charles Hotel, yesterday
at %. m, when the first witness called was
SD PACKARD,
consul to Liverpool.
After being sworn, he testified in substance,
In response to inquiries propounded by Mr..
Btenger, that he was the Republican candi-
date for Governor In 1876 The Returning
Board met at the time time prescribed by law
was not present at any of the sessions, open
or secret; had no communication with men,
lers of the board as TO the matters under con-
sideration; had no conversation with any of
them since; have no knowledge of their
labors other than such as was published.
Their returns were the only means of inform
alton / had. The return of the board gave
the State to Hayes and myself. Have no
knowledge of their deliberations Not TO my
knowledge was any other result reached by
them than that published.
They declared the result about December s.,
and / was inaugurated January 8; was in
office till the twenty-ffth of April.
THE HAYES COMMISSION
arrived early in April Ny majority, as shown
by the Returning Board, was somewhat less
than the highest Hayes elector, and higher
than the majority for the lowest elector.
1.-THE chairman stated here that Mr.. Pack
ard had been called ut the suggestion of Gen.
Butler, of the committed
Mr.. Packard, In reply to another question,
stated that the files of the old Republican
would give all the data required as to the pro-
mitigation of the returns
Witnnaa ntnta1 thot from hn Ynado
he deemed himself the legally elected Cover
nor OF Louisiana. There was, he said, no
question about that The returns made by the
board went before the Legislature, through
the Secretary of State, as required by the
constitution.
The two houses met, canvassed the vote,
and l was declared elected. That Legislature
consisted of quorum of both houses sixty
eight members of the House and nineteen
members of the Senate.
The holding over Senators elected or de-
clared others elected, and that made the nine
teen; that body declared the returns. Can
give you the constitution regulating that If
you desire 1t.
Mr.. Stenger thought 1t should go In, and
the witness read article 4s of
THE STATE CONSTITUTION;
also the journal of the proceedings of
the joint session of his Legislature on
that day. showing twenty-one Sena-
tors present and fifteen absent also
sixty-eight members of the House. The re.
turns showed for Packard "a, 6A votes, and for
Nichols II 1893 votes.
Witness also read the report of the Joint
committee made by the Senate and House
tellers, and declaring Packard and Antoine
elected.
Witness to Mr.. Stenger-The Returning
Board canvassed the vote for all members not
holding over. The discrepancy In the number
OF Senators Is explained by the fact that the
Senate seated two members on contest. The
returns OF the board were correct Can give
no reason as to whether If the returns of the
presidential election were correct the returns
aor myself were not correct There Is no
reasOn.
The files of the Republican was then pro-
duced, and Mr.. Packard, referring to them
continued: BY reference to the official journal
Of December g. 1876, | find the returns for
electors on behalf of the Republican party
are as follows. Witness then gave the vote :
for each Hayes eector and those of the Tilden
electors and also the vote for witness and
Nichols, Antoine and Wiltzl
find, said the witness, my
VOTE WAS IN EXCESS
81 five of the Hayes electors, that is, as they :
them. The votes as found in the !
a. ...@s gave me much larger majority.
IN nv opinion, my title to the governorship 7
II Louisiana Is as good as, the title OF Mr.. /
HAYES to the presidency. | consider them
10Th good, and one is as good as the othS".
/ received the declaration OF my election ]
from the Legislature Mr. Hayes Bhi6ys his |
title from and ] ain aware that am not
acting as Governor Of this State, as | am
sn.1Jled to be-; and If Mr. Hayes title rests oh
the vote of Louisiana, am entitled to be !
Governor.
The same Legislature that declared my eiec- '
tion also declared Mr.. Kellogg elected as
United States Senator. The United States
Senate recognized that as the lawful Legisla-
ture, and there were more members present {
ON the second days session, when my vote was
declared, than on the day Mr. Kellogg was
elected
Have the list referring to pamphlet; !
cannot find it here; but am satisfied the num- /
Der of Senators present was larger on the {
second days session than when Mr.. Kellogg {
was elected; then, think, there were seven {
teen Senators present, and SiXty-eight in the {
House Even had the two seated Senators
not been present, the joint vote would have
been larger. The difference would
BE IN MY FAVOR
in respect to numbers, and that Legislature
had been recognized by Gov. Kellogg. AS far
as the validity of the Legislature is concern
NJ.
Kellogg there is no reason why should not
be the Governor. The reason | was ousted
was that large armed mob was in the streets
and in the city, and their presence weakened
the confidence of my Legislature, and in con-
sequence of that and other influences some of
mine left me.
The influences" brought to my knowledge
were various and were published In my vale
dictory. Witness produced a printed copy,
dated April IS, 1871 That gives a fair &C
count of it as published in the Republican Of
April IS, 1877.
Believe the armed mob was under Gov.
Nichols They were called militia Believe
there was interference on their part with the
courts Don't know whether he had any part
in it or not, however. On the ninth of Janu-
airy, 1877, the Supreme Court room was taken
possession of, and during their presence five
gentlemen were installed as the Supreme
Court of the State, and they are to-day the
Supreme Court of the State. They hold their
positions by appointment from Gov. Nichols
There was detail of Metropolitan Police
there at the time, and after the new court was
1I,l I,,x Of ha