Year: 1872

the uFSb Jcuertl Assembly Oh loOS-OJ. III


had always been Republican. Asked


he Was not the recognised leader of tn


House, he answered it was the first h'
|knew of that fact: that he he had done hi


best to represent his constituents and tn,


people within the Republican party, ant


that he was not the representative of Gov


ernor Warmoth in the Legislature, nor o


any other one man.


In regard to the extra session Of the


Legislature, Mr.. Carr testified that he saw


the proclamation calling che session or


that day in one of the extra papers, but


could not say whether it was the P.cayune


or REPUBL1CAN-it was one or the other


He might have signed paper advising the


Governor to call it, but was not aware OF
the fact at this time. He believed the
proclamation calling the extra session was
dictated in sound policy. The Carter
party, in swearing out atfidavits and pro-
curing arrests Of enough members opposed
to him to make his own party into ma.
jOrity, had virtually broken up the House,
| inasmuch as those who had voted against
| Carter were in .imminent peril of arrest.
| Nearly all the House were present about
| the building, iDasmuch as the membe
| were afraid of their ]ives-not from the
members Of the Legislature who were with
Carter, but from the crowd of notorious
bad characters" who surrounded him. 1t
was rather dangerous thing for member
who resisted the violent subversion of the
State government to go very far from the
executive building. When the extra session
was called, Speaker Brewster was elected,
Carter unseated and expelled Whether
the members who supported Colonel Carter
were notified or not he could not say.


Being asked if he thought it far to expel
member like Carter without hearing, he
answered: Anything was fair 10 get rid of
a man like that 1t was his ambition to
be Governor; to first impeach, then suspend
Governor WarmOth, and, united and aided
by the federal officials, to subvert the State
vernment-revolutionize it-that had
created all this trouble. But for the inter-
ference of the federal office holders. there
would have been no cOmmotion whatever.
1t was all due to their action. Every move
ment against the State government came
from or originated in the Customhouse and
ON the part of the officials. He was satisfied
Of it. When the extra session terminated
the ensuing morning, and the House met in
regular session, all the acts Of the extra
session were confirmed. This settled Mr..
Brewster in his seat: but he had resigned,
and his resignation was not accepted. A
long examination took place on the question
whether the witness did not know that it
was designed to cali the House together
without notifying the Carter men, who were
in caucus at the Cosmopolitan Club. To
which Mr.. Carr persistently answered in the
negative.


The events now so well known concern
ing the revolution Of the House were all de-
tailed by Mr.. Carr without substantial
variation from the published accounts. On
the day when the House refused to adopt
the journal, hence proclaiming by test
vote majority against the ''vote of conf
dence' passed the day before, and immedi-
ately after the motion to unseat Speaker
Carter had been carried, with but ten or
twelve dissenting votes, Colonel Yorke
came TO the witness and said that if the
House would adjourn without any action,
Mr.. Carter would resign his seat the next
day. Mr.. Carr replied that Mr.. Carter
must assure him on his word of honor he
would resign on the next day before the
compact could be considered binding.
Colonel Yorke went to see Colonel Carter
again, and returned to Mr.. Carr with
pledge of his word and honor from Colonel
Carter that he would resign the next day.
Then the members consented to adjourn.
On the next day occurred the arrests at
the instigation of the Carter interest. the
decentralization of the House, and the conse-
quent dismay of the members.


After very lengthy examination, the
committee adjourned until ten o'clock to
day.