The New York herald., 1878-07-12
OgMOCnATC ON THE FACE OF The RETURNS
Convenience Of the, Returning Board
System Illustrated.
MIR. POTTER TO SECRETARY SHERMAN.
Reasons Assigned for Not Receiving
Intimidation estimony.
wAsHixorox, July IL, 1873.

The Investigating Committee did not begin It's
unIii halfpast twelve o'clock. At that time
there were present Mr.. Potter tchairmanl Mr.
Springer, Mr. Butler ana Mr.. Hiseox
senator william p kellogg, OF louisiana, was called
and examined by Mr.. Butler as folows:-
Y. How many years you Governor of Lousi-
1877. ~ '''''
q. Had your governmen, up to that time been fully
and thoroughly organzsd in s It's branchesf A. Yos,
A. In some Of the parishes al that time there
srnod bodies OF mon who set at defiance the c0nsi-
ised opposition; / believe my authority vas und,s-
putsd as that time; the Wheeler adjustment
siderod to have settled The question OF my authority
GovernsE
lawf A. Ia all respects.
O. 1t was Understood that you would Dot be candi-
date Tor reelection as Governor, but that Packasd
would be nominated by the repubilcanss A. Yes, sir
z. Was there any opposition 10 the Legislature that
ssced your A. rhcre was this opposition :-A great
many people IN New Orleans thought the Returning
Board bad acted improperly and arbitrarily in refusing
10 give certificates OF election elected
eeriain persons that they climed ought 10 have been
RESULTS IN THE PARISHES
@ Then the opposition Was rather regards the
Aeon OF the Returning Board than AS the returns OF
lhe slectiony A. Yes, sir: because there dis
pute only Is 70 very limited number OF the
members OF tho Legislature; i2o members
admitted that we had elected sixty straight ropub
lican. aud one independent giving US quorum IN
returns; there were SIX or seven close par
tshes, sometimes goins democratic and some
parishes that never iaed TO give democratic majori-
In the election Of 1876 carried by the repub
licuns; for instance In Lafourche, Assumption and
Terre Bonne parishes, constituting Il Senatorial dis.
trct, each parish sending TWO members to the Lower
House, and the three parishes sending one Senator;
MI three 0f these parishes were undisputed In tho
election OF 1874 and u WIS claimed that the Return
ing Board wrouguily threw out certain polls Ia these
parishes and returned rcpubicans when they should
have returned democratic mclnbers anc u Senator
especially the two members from Assumption aud tnd
Two from Laiourche; The republicans we're generally
sonccdcd 10 be entitled to the from Tcrre Some
under the Wheeler adjustment It de-
lion and shs Two rom Laiourchs parishes
were democratic ana the Senatorial district was
leaving 'hs s7s Mo me%osts from rorrs
ihe republicans reversed tho bindings OF that COM
mites apd sent two republicans from Assumption
and two from Lalourche, aud elected senator, who
mll holds his seat, and may aud, the republican
electoral ticket In Assumption was chosen, think, by
shout eighteen majority; the State ticket ran little
ahead. rene Der, hut the bers OF tho Lcgis-
lsture received something like two hundred majority
IN hfou'cho II was ab3ut the same, anu IN Terrs
Bonus We Increased largely the vote OF l874 tue
parishes OF Assumption and Laourche may be called
sose parishes, because the races are about equally
tivided; the point make Is that in these parishes,
whie tne opposition disputed that all the electors
The Legislature; u was admitted that had within
one at least OF quorum IN the House.
Y How was u IN the Scnatef A. In the Senate
hau, wiih those who held and those newly
elected, within ihrec OF quorum without the inter
ven,cn o the Returning Board nineteen constituting
AQoorum; that gave US sixteen Senators.
Y. How many did the Returning Board return
heciedy A. Three more from the Twelfth, Eight
sonsh and Twenty second Senatorial districts; from
EAST aud West Feiicaua and Pointe Coupee parishes
he republican Senator was chosen by seven or eight
so".a'ned 0 Ins PARISH OF East Feo'ana wS,es
gave ], ,2s majority Tor democratic seuator, no re-
Q, oo uo.nss Ssys
sedca 10 us by several hundred majorrty; wa
sevcr had Jailed to carry all those parishes horcto
han IA tor De.
anu when The condt,oa OF hngs was affected BY the
existence OF the Knights OF mo White Camea and
by 600 or 700 majority ana carried Polnts
coupec parish aud received 664 votes in East
Fccana parish, SO that wo considered that senate
raI district sireng and undoubted republican dis
Hict, and the Returning Board returned Mr.. l.. L.
Weber elected Senator from that dstrct the
two Senators were IRON undouoIed ana uoqucsioned
republican, districts they had thrown republican ma
iorlss in every instance since reconstrucIo Tor
instance, Mr. Hamlet the Senator claiming to nave
been elected from Ouachita aud Cad well, received
large republican najori,y, aud when ran for Cover
nor IN 1872, although that parish was ths home OF
McEnery, IT gava me large republican majority; the
Tnlrd disric the Nstchtoches district. mad Ieg,s
trat,0u OF one aud nall coored TO every whuc per-
these three dstric.s regarded among tho
strongest republican districts In the State, and from
III sse districts the republicans were declared 10 have
elected lh,,r ticket by the Returning Board tho Leg
isiaure met on the lrst Monday oil December the
republicans mad sixtysix members Ia the lower house
and nineteen members 10 the Scnaie, MAKING
quorum IN each house.
onGAxizAIIos on THE LEGrsLAruxx
q Were all vi the members mat body duly
electcd citper by the action OF the Returning Board
or by The lace oi The returnsg A. Ycs SIR aud both
the Lieutenant Goverlior presided IL The Senate aud
think the Auditor and other on1cers OF tue State
not Know ofaDy who refused 10 do so; they contin.
ned IN session during The week and passed several
acts, wnicu were duly approved by mo ana promui-
gated in tho oihciai journal; tho quorum In tho
House contipuoo, bat 10 tho senate II was broken
p 90 sns ms ,o,iswss s TUESDAY s ne very day wnsa
thefe was ballot IN esch house, but the Legislature
met the following Wednesday ana proceeded 10 elect
y senator Ia joint conventios, not having "A quorum
oi both houses, but only quorum oil all the momocrs
plsctcd to both houses, ana uuder that election hold
nv seat as United states senator.
q. When Governor Packard inauguratcdS A.
Tue second Monday oi tnc session. that ~ to say,
sbs stu OF January, 1877; there quorum Tooth
Houses af the time oI hls inaugurat,on-o.nmi ds9q
The witness, In response 10 quesioDs 1tneD stated
the requirements oil theiaw IN regard ueJths Asscr-
minativn VI tho election oil - Gvysf and
that Inc constitution proyjdede thai tho urns Of Tho
ci, c,ion souid be furnished the Legislature ny tho
Secretary state 10 the second day ot tho session
next alter tho election, ana the Legislature should
sount tue votes and deoIarc who was elected Gov
oi tho constitution ci 1868 the law prov dcd tncrc
should DC " polls and supervisors Of
the elections IN different parishes and that the rc-
turns should be ade by these officers TO tho secrc
tsry Stsie and he should furnish them 10 the Re-
turning Bosfa wnen oa'ea upon nno "a sw ~. o. ds.o
officers directly TO the President OF the Returning
Board, ana that was inc provision Of law IN force IN
1870
q. Then the secretary oi state got these returns
rvfn the Roturnibv Boardf A. Yes, sir; tho question
~ 90 what power the Returning Board had to count
Tho vote for Governor ana Lieutenant Governor was
very much mootcd ana there was considerable con
troversy IN regard TO II, but whcn Governor Wnrmoth
was elected the Legislature pursued the same course
o. a ala when was elected and wnen Governor Pack
ard was eecsed, ana Their action was generally ac-
auicrcsd IN the proper ono: alter the Returning
BOA had made the returns the Legislature met and
appointed q committee which waited on the Secretary
II state and received from him tho rcturns, tho
returns thus made piled or footed up aud the
result declared by the presiding ofncer stating the
name the person who bad recDived the highest
number OF votes having been elected Governor Tor
hour years. aud tho same With reference 10 the Leu
tenant GOverBOr
80 In euher instance were tho actual ballots re-
tufsedf A. No, SIR; the baliotsbcvcr were returned.
BY the Chsrman-Whst was In fAos dons by the