Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1878-05-17

vote cast on the 9th day Of December,
1876, by reason of fraudulent returns III
the electoral votes from the States of
Florida and Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, An affidavit byS. b. McLin,
Chairman of the Board of State Can
vassers of the State of Florida for an
election held in that State in November,
1876. for electors for President and Vice
President, has been made public, alleg-
ing false and fraudulent returns for
votes for such elections 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 re-
turns was influenced BY the conduct
and promises of Hon. Edward L, Moves,
now Minister to the Government of
France; and
WHEREAS, 1t it alleged that conspi-
racy existed in the state of Louisiana
whereby the republican vote in all the
precincts Of the parish Of East Feliciana
and in some Of the precincts Of West
Felcinia, at the general election in No
vember, 1876, was purposely withheld
from the polls, to afford preteXt for
the exclusion, by the board Of that state,
Of votes cast in these precincts for cleo
tors Of president anC vice president;
and JAS. Il. Anderson, supervisor OF re-
gistration Of East Feleciana, and u. A.
Weber, supervisor Of registration in
parish Of West Feliciana, state. that in
furtherance of the conspiracy, they
falsely pro tested, that the election in
such precincts had been fair and free.
and that the state returning board there
upon falsely and fraudulently excluded
votes OF said precincts, and by means
thereof, and Of other false and fraudu-
lent action by said returning board, the
choice of the people of that state was
annulled and reversed, and that such
action of said Weber and Anderson
was induced or encouraged by assur-
ances Of John Sherman, secretary ofthe
treasury of the United States; and,
WHEREAS, The gravity of these
charges and the nature of the evidence
upon which they are reported to be
based, and the official dignity and po-
sition of the persons named III connec-
ton with said frauds, make it proper
that the same should be investigated to
the end that the honor of the nation
may be vindicated and the truth MS to
such election made known.
Therefore, be ii resolved, That select
committee, consisting of eleven mem
bers Of this house, be appointed to en-
quirc into the aforesaid allegations as to
the conduct Of persons IN office as
aforesaid, in respect to said election,
and into the alleged false and fraudu-
lent canvass and return of votes by
states to the parish and precinct officers
in said states of Louisiana and Florida,
and into all of the acts which, III the
Judgment Of said committee, are con
nected with or pertinent thereto, and
that the said committee, for the purpose
of executing this resolution, shall have
power to send for such persons
and papers, to administer oaths, and
TO take testimony, and i'll their dis
erection to detail the subcommittee with
the lawful authority Of said committee
in every particular, and with power to
sit in Florida and louisiana; which
subcommittee shall be committees of
this House, and the chairman thereof
shall be authorized to administer oaths.
SAID committee and subcommittee may
employ stcnographers, and be attended
each by n deputy Sergeant-at-Arms, and
may sit dur ng the sessions ofthe House
or during vacation; and that said COM
mittee to proceed with such inquiry
have leave to report ut any time.
BY vote Of l2S yeas to los nays, the
appeal which was taken by Mr. Conger
was laid on the table. The vote was a
party one, with the exception Of Mitch
ell, Butler Mass. and Ford, who voted
with the Democrats, and Mills and
Buckner, who voted with the Republi-
cans.