Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1878-05-18
THE TAINTED TITLE.

Hon. Clarkson n. Potter. ofNew York,
last Monday, in the house of representa-
tives. as a question of privilege, pre-
scented the following preamble and res
olution:
Whereas, The state of Maryland has. by its
legislature. formally declared that due eject
was not given to the electoral vote cast py the
state on the 9Th day of December, 1870, ny rea-
son of fraudulent returns in the electoral votes
from The state OF Florida and Louisiana; AMI
Whereas, An affidavit by Samuel Is. McL,n,
chairman of the board of state canvasstrS OF the
state OF Florida for the election held i'll that stale
in November, 1876. for the election OF president
and vice president. has been made public. alley
ing false and fraudulent returns of the votes ior
such election in that state, whereby, the cholce
of the people of that state WAS annuiieu anu re.
vrrsed; that the action OF the state boSrd oi
canvassers in making such returns was inhuenc,
Ell by the conduct and promise of lion E.u""[a
+ Moves. now minister TO the government Oh
France; and
Whereas. II is alleged that u conspiracy rX-
listed in Louisiana. whereby II republican vote
in all the Iecincts si the parish OF Easl Ell
ciana anu IN some precincts "i west r"itciana,
at the general election III November. 1871 was
purposcly withheld from the polls 10 huotha
pretcxt for III. exclusion by the returning BOARD
uf that state vi the vote cast IN these precincts
for electors Oi president and vice president anu
that Jas. +. Anderson. superintendent % reg
isirIIon OF East FclIciana. ami u a. Ncu"f,
supervisor Of registration III the parlsh OF west
feilriana. In that state. III iurtherancc ~ that
conspiracy, falsely pTOie>tei tha a. SiSSh'oa
in such precincts nad not been fair and free. and
that the state returning board thereupou falsely
and irauduienily excluded the woes OF saia pre-
cIncts, and by means thereof and oil other false
aud fraudulent action of said returning board,
the choice OF the people is annuiied ami re,
versri. and that such action oil said Weber ana
Anderson was induced or encouraged by the
assurances of Hon. John sherman. secretary
OF the treasury of the United States; anu
Whereas, The gravity OF these charges, the
nature OF the evidence upon which they are re-
ported to be based. and the official dignity and
ait - fh, .ran n. mad in ..nnn.rfInn
with said frauds. make 1t proper that the same
should be inquired INTO. To The end that the
truth as TO such elections maize know.
Resolved, That II committee, consisting. oil
ele. EN- members OF the house. be appointed to
inquire into the aforesaid. allegation as to the
conduct of the persons i'll office aforesaid, in
respect Of said election, and into the alleged
false and fraudulent canvass aud return OF votes
said state of Louisiana and Florida, and into
all the facts which. in the judgment OF SAID
committee or connected with or pertinent there
TO, and that said committee. for the purpose OF
executing this resolution, shall have power 10
send for persons and papers, to administer oaths
ami 10 tax testimony. and in their discretion To
detail with like full authority
Of SAID committee in every particular, win
power to sit IN Florida and Louisiana; which
sub committees shall be committees OF THIS
house, anu the chairman thereof shall he au-
t.uriZrd TO administer oaths; that said commit
tee and subcommittee may employ stenosraph-
crs and be attended each by Il deputy sergeant
alarms. and may sit during the session OF this
house and during vacation, AMI that said com
mitfec proceed III the inquiry, anu nave leave W
report at any time.
The resolution led to a spirited debate,
which wasably conducted on both sides
tor the republicans, by Hale. Garfield
and Conger. and for the democrats. by
Mr.. Potter. The republicans claimed
that the question IA not a privileged
one; the democrats. claimed that 1t was,
and Mr.. Hale tried to get in an amend
ment providing for n general investlSa-
ton into the election, which was intend
ed to render the whole matter OF non
effect. Mr.. Potter claimed that the res
| olutlon was not intended at this time to
disarrange the settlement made by the
electoral committee, but was designed
to settle the allegations OF fraud IN the
states mentioned, and to answer the
demand of a sovereign state, made
through its Legislature. The chair ruled
that the question was II OF highest
privilege" The republicans appealed
from the decision OF the chair, and a
vote being taken, the char was sustained
by a vote of l2S to l0S; Messrs. Butler,
Mitchell and Fort voting with the DEM
ocrats. aud MeSsrs. Buckner and Mills
voting with the republicans. When the
vote come to be taken on the resolution
the republicans abstained from voting
thereby causing the lack OF q quorum,
and sitter a parliamentary skirmish the
house adjourned. with the understanding
that the question should remain before
them until disposed of. The repub-
licans have been bushwacking ever
since, and no decisive vote had been
taken up to yesterday.