Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-07-03
the sue.coMMlTrEE.


THE sUe.CoMMlTTEE. |
PACKARD's TESTIMONY.
New ORLEANS, June D.--Ex-Gov.
Packard testified to-day before the |
of the Potter commit
tee.
Knew of the returning boards la
bors through published reports; new
er attended them their reports elect
ed Hayes and himself; his majority
was less than the highest Hayes cleo
tor, and more than the lowest one he
declared himself legally elected, and
all the formalities of the law were
complied with, the legislature having
a full quorum when the votes were
canvassed.
Witness majority by the returns
was 1926; he considered his title as
good as Hayes; and Senator Kellogg
holds his seat in the u. S. Senate by
the same process as witness holds his
title as Governor of Louisiana. A
large armed mob forced witness from
the gubernatorial office, and fright
ened some of the Legislators from
their places, and new Supreme
Court was surreptitiously installed.
Witness narrated the formation Of
the Nichols Legislature, showing il
was an illegal body had no quorum;
had no returns and had mo legal or
equitable power to establish Nichols
as Governor.
The Kellogg Legislature on the
LIST of January called on the President
for troops to suppress internal disor-
ders. made an appeal to the Presi-
dent by letter on April 9th received
no answer, written or orally, neither
to this nor to the second letter which
sent April 10Th. The last was sent
a few days before my abdication. AT
that time was under the impression
that the Harlan McVeigb Commits
sion was advising my supporters to
join the Nichols Legislature. I had
no means of information of the prop
err methods used by the Commission
in regard to the memberships of the
Legislature, save by general rumors.
l had an impression that the Com
mission had come here to break up
the Packard Legislature; the effect
of their presence is plain. |
have no impression that Hayes
sent the Commission here for
the purpose above named; / can.
not Judge the Presidents intentions
or wishes, and cannot express his
opinion. The commission wanted
one legislature and think they would
have broken up the Nichols Legisla-
ture if they could have done so. The
commission would have gladly re-
cognizcd me as Nichols if they could
by some means have got the whole
body of the Legislature to meet in
the State House; know Of no threats
or intimidation on the part of the
the commission, to obtain the objects
of their visit have no recollection OF
having been approached by any
members of the commission, request
ing that l withdraw from my office
I don't think my members deserted
me because Of any belief of defect
in my title, but have no means OF
knowing the actual cause Of the de.
sertion. l received dispatch from
Secretary e. c. Snitfin, dated March
Let, concerning the resolution OF
President Grant that he could not
longer allow United States troops to
support candidates for State offices
Received a letter from Hon. Stanley
Matthews repeating the same asser.
ton, dated March %; l believe if
had been allowed troops l could have
maintained my position. Had the
President acknowledged my position
l have no doubt the opposition would
have ceased had the decisions of the
returning board been recognized by
the President l could have maintain
ed my Government irrespective Of
the troops. made q proposition tt
Governor Kellogg that if the State
were supplied with $500 stand o,
arms, with ammunition, etc, could
maintain my power. had only 25t
muskets, and was in no condition tt
do battle with the armed troops OF
: my opposers.
NEW ORLEANS, July 1.-The Potter
subcommittee met at O:3O, Back
burn, Reed and Stenger present.
Gov. Packard was recalled to pro
duce number OF papers to which ht
referred on Saturday, including re-
turns of election promulgated. the
joint resolution Of his legislature call
ing for troops, etc. Witness did no
have a copy of the Governors letter
transmitting the joint resolution Il
the President. The promulgated re
) turns or the democratic COMMITTED
did not give the names Of three mel
from the seventh ward v ho were pu
upon the rolls Of the Nichols House
but showed that three republican,
we're elected. This change was es
sential to make quorum in thu
Nichols House. When Kellogg WA.
elected there were seventeen Senator,
present and 66 members Of the House
He first heard of defect in the Ger
tificate Of electors when Anderson re
turned from Washington. Had ;
conversation with Marshal Pitkin il
regard to matters to be considered BY
} the returning board. In regard t
Anderson's protest Pitkin told hin
Anderson wished to reclaim the pro
test but he, Pitkin, refused to return
it to Anderson at that time. My at
torney, Harris, attended to all suci
matter for me Kellogg was can
didate for Senator .veral months be
fore the election. l supported hin
for long time. I never made hin
any promises Of support he never
asked me to make such promises
Mrs. jerks called at his house one
morning and tole him she was going
to Washington. Don't recollect any
special conversation with her. Wher
in Washington in February Mrs
jerks made some reference to the
Sherman letter. My impression il
that she talked ysteriously about it
the impression che made on my mind
was that she knew nothing about
the letter. She would not say
who had it and this made me
think she knew nothing about it
The first l ever heard Of the letter
was from letter Mrs. jerks wrote
to Gov. Kellogg. Mrs. jerks intima.
ted TO me that she wanted me ap
pointed collector, but requested hel
not to speak to any officials on the
subject. / did not wish any lady ad
vocates; didn't think such influence
would do me any good.
| New ORLEANS, July John Dew.
onshire, Clerk Of the U. s. Court wa,
sworn. Witness produced three seal
ed envelopes said to contain copies o.
certificates of electors ETC., which are
signed in duplicates, the law requir.
ing one set to be filed in the Office o
the District Court one to be forward
ed by mail, the other by messenger Il
the President of the Senate. Witnesl
stated that the envelopes had been
kept in the safe since they were de-
posted and had not been Withdrawn
thought the application for with
drawal of the first set filed by the re-
publicans had been made to Judge
Billing. Witness ives present bu,
there were SO many persons in the
Office at the time that he could no.
state who made tho application fol-
withdrawal, but heard the Judge re
fuse to allow withdrawal. After OK.
aiming the envelopes the committee
required witness to open them. They
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