The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1878-05-24
INvESTIGATING THE FRAUD.
The Potter Resolutions.

The Potter Resolutions.
WASHINGTON, May 13.- In the
House, Mr.. Clarkson Potter (Dem., N.
Y rose, and, as question of privi-
lege, presented the following preamble
and resolution:
Whereas, The State of Maryland
has, by its Legislature, formally declar-
ed that due effect was not given to the
electoral vote cast by that State on the
9Th day of December, 1876, by reason
of fraudulent returns in the electoral
votes from the States of Florida and
Louisiana; and
Whereas, An affidavit by Samuel b.
McLin, Chairman of the Board of State
Canvassers of the State of Florida for
the election held in that State in Nov
ember, 1876, for electors of President
and Vice-President, has been made
public, alleging false and fraudulent
returns for votes for such election in
that State, whereby the choice of the
people of that State was annulled and
reversed, and that the action of the
Board of State Canvassers in making
such returns was influenced by the
conduct and promises of the Hon.
Edward F. Noyes, now Minister to
Whereas, It is alleged that a con-
spiracy existed in the State of Loui-
siana, whereby the Republican vote
in all the precincts of the parish of
East Feliciana and in some precincts
of West Feliciana, at the general elec-
tion in November, 1876, was purposely
withheld from the polls to afford
pretext for the exclusion by the Re-
turning Board of that State of the
vote cast in those precincts for electors
of President and Vice President, and
that James E. Anderson, the Super
visor OF Registration of East Feliciana,
and D. A. Weber, Supervisor of Re-
gistration in the parish of West Felici-
ana, in that State, in furtherance of
that conspiracy, falsely protested that
the election in such precincts had not
been fair and free, and that the State
and fraudulently excluded the vote
of the said precincts; and by means
thereof, and of other false and fraud
ulent action by the said Returning
Board, the choice of the people of that
State was annulled and reversed, and
that such action of the said Weber and
Anderson was induced and encouraged
by the assurances of the Hon. John
Sherman, Secretary of the Treasury
of the United States; and,
Whereas, The gravity of these charges,
the nature of the evidence upon which
they are reported to be based, and the
official dignity and position of the
persons named in connection with the
said frauds, make it proper that the
same should be inquired into, to the
end that the honor of the. nation may
be vindicated, and the truth as to such
elections be made known: therefore,
be it
Resolved, That a select committee,
consisting of eleven members of this
House, be appointed to impure into
the aforesaid allegation as to the con-
in respect of the said election, and into
the alleged and fraudulent canvass
and return of votes by State, county,
parish and precinct officers in the
said States of Louisiana and Florida,
and into all the facts which, in the
judgment of said committee, are con-
nected with or pertinent thereto, and
that said committee, for the purpose of
executing this resolution, shall have
power to send for persons and papers,
to administer oaths, and to take testi-
mony, and, in their discretion, to
detail subcommittee, with like full
authority of said committee in every
particular, and with power to sit in
Florida and Louisiana, which SUBJ
committees shall be committees of this
House, and the Chairman thereof
said be authorized to administer oaths;
that the said committee and sub-com-
mittees may employ stenographers,
and be attended each by n Deputy
Sergeant-at-Arms, and may sit during
the sessions of this House and during
the vacation, and that said committee
proceed in this inquiry and have leave
to report at any time.