The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-07-04
I merely collated the tes

/ L
the opening Of the Returning Board that the
general protest, was filed. The affidavits wert
being prepared several weeks-going on from
the time we commenced work. AS [ said be
FORE can't say that Mr. Packard told me IN
parishes to put ill., but as N
HE rs SO ACCURATE,
I think It probable.
l saw ia the newspapers when these witnesses
had any consultation with Mr.. Packard about
the vote: none with Mr.. Kellogg, Mr.. Blan.
ehard, Mr.. levitt nor Mr.. Pitkin.
had sort of general power and went on
In the preparation of protests without any CON
sultation with any one
| L don't know when the visiting statesmen ar.
rived here. Mr. Packards protest was filed
November rs. The board met November is.
a. know 1t was published In the newspapers
That the statesmen came down to
WITNESS A FAIR COUNT
| but can't say when they GO here exactly.
4, IL was some days after arrived In the city
that prepared the protest Gen. Campbell had
purpose was to serve the interests of my prin-
cipal, Mr.. Pack ard-that was all. 1t was the fer.
tile brain of Mr.. Packard that suggested the
| hing OF this general protest, believe,
To Mr., BlackDurn-The protest contained
nothing that negarived the idea Of the facts en-
braced being stated on personal information. !
thlnR the board would understand from reading
! the document that 1t was MT made from per-
sonal Information. The paper did not contain
| Mr. Backburn-Nol not as many lines AZ mar
lshes2 How was the board to know the fact
that 1t was not from personal information
Mr.. HI cannot conceive thai / could have
written paper containing allegations of that
| character.
Mr.. B.-Then it Is from
THE ETERNAL FITNESS
| OF things that you conceive it?
Mr.. H,-YeS from that, expect,
MT. Blackburn then read from the proceed
lngs OF the, Returning Board. showing that
when several parishes we're called up Gen. An
| ders0n referred to many parishes as being COW
| cred by the general protest
Q.-Was Mr.. Packard's return sworn to-?
M Mr. III am almost positive the protest of
Mr.. Packard was not sworn to.
10 Mr.. heed-To give 1t as matter of opin-
ION think It was under section Of the law
as candidate the right to file it for the par
ishes on, which he wanted hearing. Ii was
prepared for Information, and evidence was
To Mr.. Blackburn think the protest was
drawn
TO COVER ALL PARISHES
that he might thereafter receive information
from,
The witness was dismissed.
I VIM Simpson was then sworn.
| reside in New Orleans, at No. $40 Magazine
street, and am q coffee and tea merchant,
came here in 1862 and have resided here ever
since was Ia the United States service dur
Ing the whole War. am native OF New York
l. came here under Gen Banks, in the commits
sary depar ment. / had served one year in
| virginia, and was afterward on Gen. Banks
staff. was afterward in the cotton trade up to
.
was private secretary. The Co lector then
made me cashier of customs. and ! remained
there seven years. until discharged by Collector
King when he got in.
| have information from friend that money
was paid to a member of the Returning Board
Ihis friend is employed IN the Custom House
will excuse me. for as gentleman, | cannot
give his name. 1t would be violating con-
fidence. He gave me the information last Au-
gust. about MONDAY. in front of the Custom
House.
Mr.. Reed objected unless the name of the per-
son furnishing the Information be given, as it
was only hearsay. He said that Congress not
being in session 1t was imposs bic for the com
1mittee to compel parties to give names. and,
therefore, he did not see what good would come
OF it. He was satisfied the committee stood
against him two to one.
X said he wDgd appeal to the
given him in the examination of Harris.
Mr.. Stenger said that inasmuch as Mr.. Reed
mad stated that the committee stood against him
TO /, he wished 1t to be understood that the
committee was no to affair. He wanted to
get at the bottom facts. and as this had been
United States, the Secretary of the Treasury
and the Collector of Customs. and they had am
pie time to contradict it and did not. he there
fore felt that the testimony ought to be admit
ted. Sensation In the audiencel
There was little passage at arms, and the
door Of the Custom House. We were friends.
and have been friends for many years. Both of
us were out OF situations and were canvaseing
",
| saw in Gov. Kellogg's office the night the re-
turns were signed, member of the Returning
Board. before he signed the returns.
DEMAND $4,000"
He said. Il saw it: $4,000 were paid in cash.
and note Of $4,000 given. That man is now in
the Custom House. and you and are on the
street."
Board In the Custom House now-Anderson,
Kenner and Wells.
wrote a letter to Rutherford'B B. Hayes This
Is the letter. Witness then read the following:
To his Excellency R. B. Hayes:
.ST-Believing you to be man of Christian
character desiring to do til t which is right,
venture to address yot in the hope that in the
statement of a few simple facts. may be able
conduct of things here lin the customs depart
ment or failing in that, | shall at least know
that you are advised, and knowing the right
stranger and fu ly aware of the disadvantage
under which write, yet having with yourself
shared the fortunes Of soldier in the defense
OF our comm on country. feel that can claim
that companionship at least. end having no in
terest to serve but desire to promote the pub
ogg oGd ana nS 81 your @ nnG
kindly ear to what / have to say; and that you
may know something Of my standing as man
and reputation as an officer tboth military and
ciyill, beg to refer you to the inclosed copies
of letters Denned by those with whom you are
officially, II not personally. well acquainted,
and were 1t not for fear of too great tresp ass
upon your time l could add many more.
In what am proposing to write | do not
presume to suggest wnat, course the chief Ok
ecutive of the land should pursue but by show
ing some of the Injustice and wrong growing
out of the past may not hope I am rendering
you service? That / may adhere strictly to-.
facts shall have to refer to personal expe-
rience, but shall do so as briefly as possible.
Answering my couuIry's call in 1861, / left q
widowed mother and four sisters at home to do
that country's bidding in the ranks of its de-
tenders. How we'll and faithfully performed
that service the records will show. Circum-
stances, four years after the war, threw me into
the civil service. and after the lapse of year /
was appointed cashier of customs at this port,
and for seven years discharged the duties of
that office to the satisfaction of the government
and the universal approval of the entire COM
munity, Last August, at the instance of the
then Colector (King), / was removed. accord
ing to his own letter. without cause, to make
room for one who had only become a citizen
since the war, and who was then and still is a
member OF the State Legislature-an appoint
ment not only in direct and fragrant opposition
to the reform your inaugural promised the
country to ex, ect, but when made in the inter-
est of those who were notorious for their zeal
GUS efforts in the attem pied overthrow of the
government. and who have since become still
more notorious as members of our late Return
ing Board, you cann9t but agree that such a
condition of things liz well calculated to sicken