Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-05-15

RESOLUTIONS
introduced in the House to
Investigate Florida
and Louisiana
Elections.
Ex-Governor NOyes and Secretary
Sherman Charged With
Conspiracy.
WASHINGTON.
The Florida Mara,a Mas,

to-day Potter presented q resolution
directing investigation by q select
committee into alleged frauds com.
mltted in Florida in the late presi-
dental election. The resolution con-
tains the names of Edward Moves and
John Sherman in connection with the
frauds
After considerable discussion the
speaker decided that the preamble
and resolution presented was ques-
ton of highest privilege and must be
received. An appeal from the decis-
ion was taken. By vote of l2S yeas
to lO8 nays the appeal which was ia
ken by Conger was laid on the table.
The vote was q party one with the
exception of Mitchell, Bullock, of
Mass, and Fort, who voted with the
democrats, and Mills and Buckner,
who voted with the republicans.
Potter, as question of privilege,
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 sixth day Of December, 1876,
by reason Of fraudulent returns in
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 Flor
ida, for the election held in that State
in November, 1876, for the election
Of President and Vice. President, has
been made public, alleging false and
fraudulent returns for votes for sue.
election in that State, whereby the
choice of the people of that State
was annulled /; and that the action of
the beard of State canvassers in ma
such returns was influenced by the
conduct of Hon. Edward F. Noyes,
now Minister to the government OF
France, and, 80.
WHEREAS, 1t is alleged that con.
spiracy existed in the State of Louis.
lana whereby the repu blicau vote in
all the precincts of the parish Of East
Feliciana and in some precincts
Of West Feliciana, at the general cleo.
ton in November 1876, was purpose
ly withheld from the p olls to afford Z
pretext for exclusion by the Board O
that State of the vote cast in th0s,
precincts Of electors for President ant
Vice President; and that Jas. E. An
derson supervisor Of registration O
East Felicisna, and Weber, Supcrvi
cor of registration of West Felician'
in that State, in furtherance of tina
conspiracy, falsely protested that tn
election in such precincts had no
been fair aud free and that the state
returninglboard thereupon falsely ant
fraudulently excluded the votes o
said precincts, and by means thereo
and of other false and fraudulent &C
tion by said retu rning board tn
choice OF the people of that State wa
annulleG and rever sed and that sue
action of said Weber and Anderson
was induced or enco uraged by assur
ances by John Sher1 nan, Secretary Q
the Treasury of the u. s.
AND WHEREAS the gravity of thes
charges and the natu re of the eviden
ces upon which they are reported t
be based, and the off cial dignity an
position of the person named in con
ncction with said rauds, make
proper that the sam should be in
quired into, to the en-, that the homo
of the nation may be vindicated an
the truth as to such election may b
known
Therefore be it resoi 'ved, That sc
lect committee con sisti ng of IL mem
bers of this Houfe, be appointed I
inquire into aforesaid frauds, and q
to the conduct tM persons in offic
afor ssaid in resp ect of said election
and into alleged false and fraudulen
canvass aud RETURN of votes by STATE
county, parish and precinct officer
in said states of Louisiana and Flor
da, and into al facts which in tn
Judgment of 50 i'd committee are con
nected with or pertinent thereto, an
that said conn nittee, for the purpos
Of executing this resolution, shal
have power 70 send for persons an
papers, to administer oaths and t
take testimc my, and in their discretio
to detail Mb-committees with lik
full author ity Of said committee i
every part ocular, and with power t
sit in FlOl ida and Louisiana, whic
sub-comr aittees shall be committee
of this House, and the chairma
thereof shall be authorized to admin
lister Ga ths that said committee an
sub: COZ nmittees may employ stenog
rapher 8 and be attended each by
deput sergesut-at-arms, and ma
sit du ring the session of this Hous
and during vacation, and that sal
com mittee proceed in this inquir
and have leave to report at any time
WASHINGTON, May l3.-Prof. Jos
e' lh Henry, of the Smithsonian Inst
ate, died to-day.
The House committee on election
has ordered majority and minorit
lreports and the South Carolina con
. tested election case of Richardson
\ Democrat, against Rainey, Republi