Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-06-27
From washington.
ESPECIAL TO THE ALEXANDRIA GAZETTE
WASHINGTON, D. c., june -.

WASHINGTON, D. c., june -.
THE POTTER INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE
Ex- Marshal, and my dear Pitkin." was
again before the Potter examining committee
this morning. During the correction OF his
testimony, which occupied considerable tune
his attention was called to remarkable dis
orepancy between his evidence, to the effect
that he had summoned nearly thirty eight hun
lred radical deputy marshals at tho Louisiana
election, and that of the report Of the Attorney
General, which stated that only eight hundred
were appointed. He knew that his statement
was correct and could not undertake to say how
the Attorney General should be wrong.
In response to questions by Gen. Butler, who
took charge of the examination to day, lie said
that be had not and never had had any doubt
that the Packard Legislature was the legally
elected legislature. and ifrecognizcd could have
preserved the peace. He and every other 70.
publican believed this was SO.
Gen. Butler said that was what he was alter,
and he wanted to find out why, if all the rcpubll.
cans thought the Packard government the legal
one one republican 10 Washington should send
down there to break up that government, and
for the purpose Of finding that out, if possible,
he moved that a telegram he sent to New Or
leans to summon Governor Packard before the
committee.
MIR. Hiscock wanted the number Ct witnesses
limited.
MIR. Morrison said if they were limited the
democrats must have the majority, for they
had large majority IN the election, and the
witnesses should be in the same proportion.
MIR. Hiscock said ho would agree TO allow
more democratic witnesses because it took more
of them to establish fact, but he wanted the
witnesses limited, because his portion Of he com,
mittee believed as Gen. Butler did, that Louis.
lana had gone for Packard, and did not want
ary more witnesses to prove what they already
knew.
The witness resumipg said he had 10 doubt
that Packard could have been sustained it be
had been recognized, and that money was used
to corrupt the Packard Legislature, and gave
numerous reasons why he should have 20 doubts
upon the subject. He narrated what was told
him by member of the Packard Legislature
with reference to the conference between q
committee Of that Legislature and the Wayne
McVeagh commission to Louisiana, the purport
of which was that said commission, while not
actually paying the money by which the Pack
ard Legislature was bribed into giving up the
State to the democrats, it acted as plmp for
for the successful accomplishment of the object,
but that the democrats bad paid the money,
aud stated that the Louisiana lottery company
had furnished some of the requisite funds, and
for doing so had attempted to get its ad-
verisement inserted 10 the New Orleans
Democrat, Gen. Nichols organ. This he sus.
taiued by articles written by MIR. Duprez aud
the editor of the New Orleans Gazette, Ger.
man paper. He also said that Mr.. Harlan who
was then candidate for the Supreme Bench
was as anxious as MIR. McVeagh in inducing
the Packard legislature to disband, and that it
was solely to the influence of that commission
that the Packard Legislature did disbaDd and
give the State to the democrats
The witness was again interrupted by MIR.
Hiscock who objected to the range of the in.
vestigatiop. Mr.. Butler said he was trying to
find cut the truth and if allowed would prose
cute the enquiry irrespective Of the num-
Der of witnesses required or the possible
result of the testimony eliolted. lilo believed
that if fair election had been held some OF the
Southern States would have voted for
Hayes. but that the circumstances wero such
that while the count of the vote in Louisiana
showed that the State had gone for Packard,
it did not show that it had gone for Hayes,
and be wanted to fnd out why it was that
it was counted for Hayes. when he did not get
as many votes as Packard did.
Gen. Hunton said be disagreed with Gen.
Butler. That in bis opinion all the disputed
States had gone for Tilden.
General Butler said that was merely diff
ference of opinion. He thought the count of
the State showed that it went for Tilden and
Packard, and if allowed he could prove that the
counting in of Hayes 10 Louisiana was accom-.
plished by means of the Hayes commission
which promised immunity and pay to those
who did the counting.
The committee then took recess.