The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-06-15
Potter Committee.

l
WAsH1seTos, June 14.-The Florida
sub. Committee, OF the Potter Inyestiga'
tion Committee, having returned the
whole committee went into secret session
When the doors were reopened recess
was taken. -.
Upon the Committee reassembling the
members said they desired to be present
at the proceedings In the House and left
the room.
On returning, Orlando Fl. Brewster
one OF the members OF the Electoral Col
lege in Louisiana during the election in
1875, was examined briefly in regard 70
his connection with signing the certi6.
Gates Of election. he testified that he
attended the meeting OF the Electoral
College in New Orleans, December 9Th;
was chosen in the afternoon to fill the
vacancy arising from his own non.at-
tendance in the morning; counted the
votes for President and Vice President,
and the College adjourned. In answer
TO question as to whether he signed any
certificate OF votes cast, witness said: l
have no recollection Of the time when l
signed them; think either that alter
noon or next morning. Two or three
weeks afteward | heard that defect ex.
listed in the certificate for the State OF
Louisiana; heard 1t from q. Conquest
Clarke, who was the Secretary Of Gov
ernor Kellogg, and was acting as
clerk Of the Electoral College. Asnsarly
as can remember, he stated that the de-
feet was clerical defect. Some Of our
friends thought, perhaps, 1t was Of no
importance, but 10 be sure thought anew
set should be made out. We had very
little conversation on the subject. My
impression is, he said, that Itshould read
lists, in the plural, where 1t then said
list. 1t Is very indistinct in my memory.
Immediately after that conversation he
presented the papers and asked me to
sign them, and signed them in the Gov.
ernor's Office. ! don't remember who
were present, but I think there were men
in the office at the time; that is all the
connection had with 1t. Witness here
Unidentified the returns which were shown
him, and his signature on them includ.
ing his signature on the envelope.
He testified that he did not know
how many times he signed his name on
the first occasion or the second either. Il
seemed to him that II was more than half
dozen times. BE had nothing to do
with drawing them up; he merely aigned
as he was obliged to, supposipg Il was all
right. Somebody pointed the place out
to him and told him where to sign. He
added that he did no. know whether any.
body else signed or not.
In answer to General Butler, he stated
that he held the office Of Surveyor General
up 10 the time Of the election; he sent in
his resignation three or four days after
the election, but asked that 1t should be
held back TO the 4th OF November.
BY Mr.. Cox--Did you undertake TO
make any comparison yourself between
the first and second set Of papers, to see
what the difference was?
Witness--No; l left 1t entirely to Mr..
Clark.
Q. You acted upon his telling you that
you were correcting formal error in the
papers you. had drawn up at the meeting 2
A. Yes.
Q. You say it was conducted in
privacy? A. Yes sir; | was sent for
several times during the day, they said
was wanted at the Governors Office.
@. Did the message come direct from
the Governor? A. No; not direct.
Q. When you went into the Governors
office did You see the Governor A. No
sir, saw the Clerk, and he called my at
tention to this matter right away, and 1
knew then that was the object in sending
for me.
Q. Didn't It excite your suspicious a
little that ss the letter %" only was left
out be had not the original papers then
and had to execute them anew7 A. No;
supposed it was the anxiety OF our
friends TO have everything right,
Witness was examined at considerable
length, but nothing was ELECTED In addi.
tion to what has already been stated.
The following letter from the State De.
partment was submitted to the committee
BY the Chairman:
WASHINGTON, June IL, 1878.
Hon. Garrison n. Potter, Chairman.
SIR-I have had the honor to receive
from the clerk OF the committee. Of which
you are Chairman, the following resolu.
tion:
Resolved, That the Secretary Of State be
requested to furnish this committee all
the original communications, whether
written, printed or telegraphic now in or
that have been in the Office Of thesecretary
Of State, and which may be under his con,
troll, received by him or other persons In
the State Department, pnrporting 10 come
from either or all OF the members OF the
commission OF which Hon. Wayne Nc.
Veagh and Hon. James 81. Harlan were
members, which commission was sent by
the President to New Orleans, Louisiana,
in April 1877, and also certified copies
Of all communications, whether written,
printed, or telegraphic, delivered to or
sent 10 said commission, or to all or either
OF the members OF said commission from
the State Department or President which
passed through the Department.
Upon laying this report before the
President, l am instructed by him TO say
that while he considers II not at all in
compatible with public interests that all
documents sought for by this resolution
should be made public, yet he is unable
to perceive that the subject embraced in
said resolution ia, within authority tor
inquiry, impaired to your committee by
the House Of Representatives. The Pres.
ident has, upon this view Of the matter, de.
sired to communicate to the House Of
Representatives the information sought
in the resolution Of your committee for
such disposition by that honorable body
as shall seem 10 II proper.
Ihave the honor to be, sir, your obedi.
ent servant, WM. III. EvARTs.
Adjourned.