The New York herald., 1878-02-20
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE.


HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 10, 1878.
Immediately after tho reading oi tho journal MIR.
HARRIS OIL Virginia, chairman OF tho Election CON-
mttee called up the election OF Acklin Dar.
re from the Fourth Louisiana district tho majority
report being in hvor oil Ackln, the contestant, and
the minority being in favor OF Darrell, tho sitting
member.
Mr. HALE. (rep.) OF Me-, desired to obtain the floor
TO reply to the speech made lew days ago by Mr.
Gibson OF Louisiana, but withdrew his request with
the understanding that he should be allowed an hour
during the debate the election case
SILVER BILL.
Mr.. STEPHENS, (den.) OF Ga.-Tomorrow, or as soon
rs the case is disposed 0 shall TO proceed to
tho business the Speakers table with the WOW of
taking up the House bill which back from
the Senate with amendments state further that my
object shall be to movo concur in those amend.
meuis. Applause ON the republican side.)
Mr. BUTLER, (rep.) Of Mass.-Every supporter OF the
bill Will vote against that
Mr.. BLAND, (dem.) Of No., explained that he had in
tended 10 make the same motion which the gentleman
from Georgia ntmated he would make.
ML BucKSER, (dcm.) OF No., saia he had Intended
this morning TO move to reicr the bill to tho Com
mtec on Banking and Currency, but he was OF par.
ticular how the bill would be brought up
THE LOUISIANA CONTESTED SEAT.
Mr. HARRIS, tdem) of Va, in opening his speech on
tho election said that he sorry the Silver
bill would not como up to-day, as its friends seem to
have concert of action the success OF the bill
would be promoted by the postponement
SPEECH on MIR. HALE.
Al tho ond Of Mr.. Harris' speech Mr. HALE, Of
Maine obtained the floor, and referred the remark
made Thursday By Mr.. Gibson, OF Louisiana, that he
tMr Hae) had taken OCCASION, In season and out OF
season, to denounce the people OF Louisiana Ho de-
MED That h0 had ever Denounced In
the contrary no has taken heretofore on the
floor Of the House to speak plainly upon the gr,ev.
apces which had existed in that State VIII ch he
had earnestly regretted He had been profoundly
moved with his observation of tho course OF even In
six months In the beginning he had watched the ex-
pertinent made thcre hopefully, believing that the
the President toward that people would BE- met by
generous and hearty return. But he had seen that
nonor and plishted support ana pledged return for
generosity hau been forfeited, that resolutions of
state Legislatures went for nothing and that political
prosecutions were urged to-day In Louisiana with
spirit OF violence which reminded him OF older days
He therefore could keep silence longer He re-
viewed tho course Of events IN Louisiana from the
close OF the Grant ADMINISTRATION brinpInp torword
prominently tho TACT that the title tho Packard gov
ernment and Packard Legislature had been settled by
The Electoral Commission, 1t being based upon the
count OF Tho Returning Board, the board whose
action in the case oi the President had boen con-
nrmed by tho Electoral Commission, whose decision
title had also since peeA affirmed by the Senate in
the admission 10 a scat In that body of Mr.. Kellogg
ecCtcd 10 the senate Oy the Packard Legislature Ho
spoke OF the call Of that Legislature federal
government Tor protection against domestic violence
lie did not Know and nobody could eli the reflections
that passed through the mind OF the President on
that subject, but be could that the President.
looking the subject with desire for peace with
disposition Tor Cancellation, with tendency toward
tenderness, determined to start out and commit his
administration o course, not OF repression or OF a
strong iron hand upon that people, but Of concession
OF magnanimty and 10 disregard the call OF the Leg
lSlature oil Louisiana.
THE LOUISIANA COMMISSION
Ho went on TO speak oil The sondng Of a commission
10 Louisiana by tho President, tho result OF whose
visit was tho disintegrat0n Of the Packard govern.
ment and installation OF the Nichols government and
he declared that no experiment IN that direction had
ever been made 30 thoroughly as the President had
mado this one. The Legislature and Governor
Nichols had promised pardon ior all political Of
fences. He asked tho House to turn back It's H. ind
and he nsked President Hayes to turn back his mind
SIX months to the 1st Of May. 1877. Would anybody
sixty days the men who foremost OF all
had mado themselves offensive to the Louis.
tho law OF that state anu had thereby become poti-
cai offenders against that party IN Louisiana and
Would the President have believed IN Would any.
body have believed Il? Mr.. Hale went on to argue
that there was no legal ground Tor the prosecution of
Anderson, OF the Returning Board, who had been ior
twenty years elected to the Legislature from his own
PARISH, who had always stood high In public and pri.
estimation, and who had never before been con
sidered oulcast and maleactor In confirmation
OF his statement that there compact that there
should be no political prosecutions IN Louisiana he
quoted from loter OF Mr. 4. V, Smaey, IN tho New
YORK Tribune.
Mr. DAVIS, fdem.) of N. c., asked whether there was
a compact that the crimes OF forgery ana perjury
should 20, unpuushed in LOUISIANA II there was,
every person connected with assentcd to it
should be Ia the penitentiary.
Mr.. HALE ridiculed the sensitiveness of thoee who
were SO anxious 10 have The law vndicated and quoted
Tho case Of the murder OF Supervisor Weober, IN his
own town. in Fclicana parish broad day ligtt for
which crime NO efforts had teen mado 70 bring any.
body to punishment
MI. koBERrsoS, (dem.) OF La stated that therc had
been a CorOnerfA In IN hal md, ,
ward OF $1,000 Tor tho arrest and conviction OF the
murderer had oeen offered BY Governor Nicholla
democratic party IN tho South, who now SO
eager Tor the uphoiding OF law ana for Lhe punish
on the hsidcs and in the ravnes OF South to am.
bush and shoot down the officers OF the revenue 1t
was party 80 sensitive to-day that II robbed
stituencies OF their representatives this 1oor aud
castth decisive votes the House hands Of mon
who mad more right to the seats than Dick Turpin
had 10 the booty which he mad plundcrcd tho high
way.
Mr.. ATKINS, tdem.) OF Tenn, Indignantly denied
the statement oI Mr.. Hale as TO the ambushing and
murder OF revenue officers.
Mr.. HALE went on say that tnere was profound
impression that that proceeding IN Louisiana had its
were many who believed that that whole performance
had been dictated and driven forward by restless men,
who did not mean ever TO admit that tho Presidential
tile had been settled Tho President oil the
Of misplaced connassce. I. % was tho mo Old ''sHa old
President could do TO make enicacious his course
toward the South which ho had not done.
There had been no encouragement which could be
held out 10 that section showing Presidents good
faith which the President had not resorted to- lie
had appointed CABINET Ministers, foreign Ministers
and other high officials from that section because he
had been anxious that, II the experiment failed,
body should be able to say that Jailed from any
lack his part. And how was tho return received
from louisiana? In conclusion he inlimated that II
might bc the constitut tona duty Of the President 10
see 10 that no injustice was done 10 Of the
United States.
SPEECH OF MR. GIBSON
Nm GIBSON, (dem OF La. replied TO Mr.. Hale. He
denied that there had been any such pact tor lin
munity for crime as had been asserted by Mr. Hale.
AS tothe case OF tho muruer oi Webbcr in West Fe-
liciana parish, OF which Mr. Hale had spoken, he
(hr. Gibson) had interested himself IN having
the guilty party brought 10 justice, and tho
information which he received that It was
the general impression that Webber had been
dereo by man OF his own party. personal enemy.
Mr. Gibson portrayed the state Of affairs In Louisiana
during late years, when no guilty man had been pun
ished and when no honest man had felt mis- life
from lawessness. But since the Nichols govern
ment had been inaugurated no man, whether poor or
rich, who committed crime, had escaped punish
ment lie denied that the Returning Board was De-
Ing prosecuted on political grounos. Who had any