Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-02-20
HOUSE.

Hairs, chairman Of election committee, called
up he election case Of Ackliu, Darrell from
the oulh Louisiana district. The majority re-
port in favor Of Ackln and minority in favor of
Darrell, the sitting member, were read
Hale of Maine desired to obtain the floor to re-
ply to speech made few days ago by Gibson of
Louis ana, but Withdrew his request with the un-
derstanding that he should be allowed an hour
during the debate on the election case.
stephens said Tomorrow, AZ soon as this case
is disposed of, shall move to proceed to business
on the Speakers table, with the view Of taking up
the House silver bill, which has come back from
the Senate with amendments | state further that
my object shall he to move to concur in those
amendments. (Applause on the republican side
Butlet-Eveiy supporter OF the bill will vote
against that.
Bland explained he intended to make the same
motion as the gentleman from Georgia ntimated
he would make.
Buckner said he intended this morning to move
TO refer the bill to the committee on banking, but
he was not particular how the bill should be
brought up.
Harris, in his speech on elections, sand he was
not particular. The silver bill would not come up
to-day, It's friends seem to have no concert of
acting on It, The success Of the bill would be
promoted by postpOnemeut.
After Harris speech Hale OF Maine obtained
the floor aud replied to the remark made THUS
day by Gibson of LONi lana, that he Halel had
taken occasion in season and out Of season to d.
| nounce the people of Louisiana. lie denied he
had ever denounced those people. On the con-
trary he bad taken occasion to interfere on the
floor of the House to speak plainly upon the
grievances which existed IN that state, aud which
he had earnestly regretted.
Hale went into the hi tory of affairs of Lou.i
ana during the end of Graut'- and beginning of
Hayes administration. He reviewed the course
of events in Lou siaEa. bringing forward proml.
nenlv the fact thar the title OF the Packard gov
eminent and the Packard Legislature have been
set led by the electoral commission. II being based
upon the count OF the returning board, the same
board, whose action in the case of the President
has been confirmed by the electoral commission,
whose decision has been accepted by both houses
OF Congress. Its title has also siuce been affirmed
by the Senate in the admission 10 the seat OF IL l.
lOsg, e ected by the Packard legis,'Hre. He
spoke of the call of that legislature OF the federal
government against domestic violence. lie did
not know and nobody could tell the +. Elections
that passed through the mind of the fIesuent on
that subject, but he could that the Pres dent,
looking on the suhj CT with de, iie for peace,
with disposition for conc liatiou, with tendency
towards L nderness, determined 10 start out and
commit his administration TO a course, not Of
preston or OF a strong on hand upon that peo-
pie, but OF concession, of magnaLimty, and To
disreg ari the call of the legislature OF Louisiana
lie went on to speak of the sending of the com
mis- ION to Louisiana by the Pres dent, the result
of which visit was the dlsintegtation of the Pack
ard COVE nment and the Installation vi tue Mich
| oils government. The Legislature and Gov. Nlch-
oils had promised pardon Tor all political offences.
He asked the House to turn back in its mind and
he asked President Hayes to turn back 10 his mind
six months TO the first OF May, 1877. Would any
body have been found thes to predict that IN less
than 60 days tue men who foremost Of all made
themselves offensive to the Louisiana Democracy,
because they carried out the law Of that State and
thereby became political offenders against that
party IN Louisiana and throughout the country,
would have been pr osecuted
MIR. Hale went on to argue that there was no
| legal grounds FOR the prosecution Of Anderson, of
the returning board, who hai been for twenty
years elected to the legislature from his own par
ish, who always stood high in public AID private
estimation, and who never before was considered
| an outcast and maletactor-
MIR Hale further said that the adheren,s Of the
democratic party 10 the South who are nov So
eager for upholding the law and for the punish
meut of any intraction of it, lurked in the swamp
and the hlllsides and the rsviues of the South
| to ambush and shoot down the officers of the rev
enue. 1t was party so sensitive to-day that it
robbed its constituencies Of their representatives
on this floor and cast the decisive votes in the
House at the hands of men who had no more