Indiana State Sentinel, Volume 24, Number 25, Indianapolis, Marion County, 26 January 1875 — Page 2

3

THE INDIANA STATE SENTINEL TUESDAY JANUARY 20. 1875,

V.

( W V I

THE STRANGLED STATE.

THE LOUISIANA INFAMY. Opinion of Foster, Phelps and Potter. A COMPLETE REFUTATION OF THE RESIDENT'S MESSAGE. THR XXI. REPORT OF THE CONGRESSIONAL 8CB COMMITTEE OS LOUISIANA AFFAIRS TESTIMONY TO THE CUT RAGES PERPETRATED BT IMOO'8 K ETC RSI NO BOARD OME FALSEHOODS OF KELLOGG, PACKARD A CO., ARB REFUTED A PARTICULAR RECITAL OF THE MILITARY INTERFERENCE. The New York papers of the 16th inst. contain the full report of the special committee on that portion of the, president's message relative to the condition of the South. It was reported by the chairman, the Hon. G?orge F. Iloar: In pursuance of the order of the fall commutes ot December 22) a special committee of three visited New Orleans and proceeded with an investigation, the result o! which they report V the general committee as follows: In pursuance of the order ot the general mmitteo of December 22, tho undersized visited New Orleans and then proceed with all diligence to the examination directed by the committee. During the fciht dtys they remained t her they we attended throughout their sessions, whvh were public, by the counsel of the republican and conservative state committees. In that period they examined over ninetj-five witnesses, bcsid3 taking a large amount of documentary evidence, amounting -Hi all.lt i.s estimated, to more than fifteen huudred printed pages. In view of the exigency that now exists in the affairs of that state, and ot the delay of weeks that must elapse before that testimony can be written out and printed, your committee has determined to state the conclusions at which they have arrived, so fir as they are unanimous in reaching their conclusions. The committee undertook no investigation of the election of 1S72. Much evidence has already been taken by other committees ot congress upon that question, and the tlmi allowed, both for their action and for the session of congress seemed to be tco short to call for their then entering on that investigator. They announced this conclusion, and that therefore they would first proceed to an examination of the acts of the returning board of the state in respect i the late election; and then to an ino-iry in reference to the White League, zu law provides that the board saaU consist 01 live persons "representing all parties." It consisted at the opening of their lat, session of five republicans, upon the resignation of one of whom (Gen. Lioogtreet) Mr. Arroyo, a conservative, was taken to fill the vacancy. After protesting against the action of the board in secret session, Mr. Arrayo resigned before the conclusion of the labors of the board, and his place was cot filled, so that, as your com mt tee think, the law as to TEE CONSTITUTION OF THE BOARD was not compiled with. The election laws of Louisiana provide for a supervisor of registration who appoints his own deputies for each ward in New Orleans, and lor one supervisor of registration for each parish in the state. The officers are all appointed by Gov. Kellogg. In addition to those supervisors, the police jurors, the local authorities of the parishes, appointed three commissioners of election for each poll in the pariah, and there were also two United States supervisors appointed by the district judge of the United States for each poll. The law further provides that in case of violence, Intimidation or corruption at or near the poll, either during registration or election, preventing a fair, free, peaceable and full vote, the commissioners of election, if tbe occurrence was on election day, the supervisors of registration if on the day ot registration, should make a full, verified statement of the occurrence, forward the same with and annexed to the returns, and further provided thai, when the returning board, ia canvassing the returns, should come to any poll where the returns were accompanied by such a protest, they should not canvass, count or compile tae statement of voters from such poll until the statements from all other polls bad been canvassed and compiled. The conservative counsel objected that the board, on reaching the returns from such protested polls, read and became informed of those returns before laying them aside to take up the other polls. They insisted that the purpose of the law was to prevent the commissioners from knowing what the results at the polls protested against were, in order that when they came to examine the polls protested against they might do bo without being biased by knowing what was the result returned. And they objected that in these cases of protest the board had proceeded to read the returns, add up and compile them, and then defer their determination ot the case until after having acquired knowledge of how THE RETURNS PROTESTED against would affect the election. On the other hand the republican counsel insisted that such a course was impracticable; that the objecto! the law in deferring any determination of the results of the polls protested acainst until the returns from the other polls were canvassed was merely to enable the board to ascertain whether the result of the despatch returns would affect the election, however decided, so that if they would not the board might be. spared the labor of considering this protest. Your committee have not found it necessary to come to any determination upon that quesliou. The election embraced but one state officer. The chief struggle was over the election of members of the suite legislature and parish officers, and in these elections local and personal considerations, as well as national and state politics, entered. The returns by the commssioners on elections ompiledand forwarded by the superv.sors of registration, gave the conservatives a majority of 29 members out of a total ot 111 members. In only three instances were there any protests accompanying the returns. The returning board was in neselon for many weeks. As finally announced their finding gave, as Gov. Kellogg reckoned it, 53 members to the .republicans and ijQ members to the democrats, of whom, however, one was regarded as not a staying democrat. The board made no decision as to the remaining five seats. The puWic sittings of the returning board were attended by the counsel of the rapublican and conservative state committees. Objections were received from the counsel ot the respective parties to the returns from different do lis. Toe objecting party wasgenerally allowed to produce evidence to support ih objection, and the other party to reply by atH iivits. A day waj fixed when these proofs were to be closed. Alter these public sessions the bard went into private, or, as they were called, executive sessions, where the proofs and matters in dispute were discustel and a dM!i-ion arrived at. Thominuies of the board are very ienjer. They contain littfa more than a record ci its inojÜTiir, go in into executive tsiti, anJ its adjourning, and some format pa tlio or ders. They contain no minutes whatever of the nroceodings in executive session, and furnish therefore little light upon the findings of the board. The parish öf -Rapide chose three members to the legislature. The

returns elected all thies consarvatives. When the proofs closed THR ONLY PAPER FILED with the returning board was the affidavit of the United States supervisor that the election was in all respects full, fair and free. It was not known in the parish that any contest existed against those members. They left their homes and proceeded to New Orleans to be present at the opening of the legislature, no intimation of contesting their seats or objection, to their election having been given by their opponents. At one of their last sessions the returning board declared all the republican members elected from that parish. When the pacers of the returning board were produced before your committee t hero were found among them an affidavit by M'. Wells, the president of the board, declaring that Intimidation had existed at certain polls in that parish, and that tb returns from those polls should

thereto be rejected. The counsel for the derpocrRtio committee testified that thy had no opportunity to contradict the statements of this paper; that thev had never seen or known of it before, and that upon an examination of the papers before the board when the proofs closed, it was not among them. The counsel lor the republican committee reserved the right to make explanation upon this point, but offered Hons. The affidavit was dated daf of December, 1S71; it appeared that Gov. Wells wp.s not in tha parish on tho day of the election, and thoug'u at the opening of their first session your com mittle declared their intention to examine into the election of the returning board, Go Wells never came forward aa a witness. At the close of our proceedings leave ws asked that his deposition miuht be ziva in. This we declined, and Mr. WeMs was iuvited t . appear before tie committee, but he never came. Tave was also given for takin? his testimony by a commissioner if he declined to appear, but this was not availed of. Your committee ars therefore constrained to declare that the action of the returning board in the rejection of these returns in the parish of Rapides, and giving the seats ior that parish to the .republican candidates was arbitrary, unfair, and without warrant of law. If the committee were to go behind the papers before the board, and consider the alleged charge of intimida tion npon the proofs before the committee, their finding would necessarily be the same. It was asserted in Gov. Wells' affidavit that the McEnery officials had usurped the offices ot the parish, and thereby intimidated voters. Immediately alter the 14vh of September, when tho Kellogg authorities in New Orleans were put out by the Penn authorities CERTAIN CHANGES TOOK PLACE In some of the parishes. When the news from New Orleans reached these parishes the McEnery officers demanded their places of the Kellogg officials. They were at once given up. When the federal government intervened and unseated the McEnery authorities, the Kellogg officials demanded and received back tuelr places; but some time seems to have elapsed before the Kellogz officials took their places back indeed, the McEnery register of deeds was still acting as such when your committee was in New Orleans, the Kellogg register never having to come to reclaim the place, which was said to be worth nothing now. In Rapides parish the Kellogg clerk was Mr. Well's son, who, having yileded his place to the McEnery competitor in September, does not appear to have reclaimed it, and he was accordingly sent for after the election to come from his residence, some miles distant, to sign the returns of the elections, which he did. Your committee are at a loss to see in their action any intimition ot Mr. Wells, still less of the electors of the parish. It so happens that this parist, was taken as a sample parish of intimidation, many witnesses from which of both parties were examined with reference to it. They show beyond question that there was a free, full, fair and peaceable election and registration there. There was no evidence of any intimidation of voters practiced on the day of election, although it was asserted that intimidation ot colored men before the election had been effected by threats of refusal to employ them, or to discbarge tbem if they voted the republican ticket. No evidence either of discharge or of refusal to employ was produced. Certain witnesses, themselves every one office holders, testified generally to" such action, but hardly any one was able to specify a single instance in which be heard any emplovers so threaten to discbarge any votor, or knew of any employe being so threatened or discharged. NOT ONE SINGLE COLORED HAN throughout the entire parish was produced to testify to such a threat or to the execution of such a purpose, whether before or alter the election. The action of the returning board in the parish of Rapides alone changed the political complexion of the lower house, and their action in the other parishes was equally objectionable; for instance, in Iberia parish it was claimed before your committee that the vote of poll No. 1 in that parish had been rejected on acconnt of intimidation.but the papers produced by the clerk of the board showed no such proof whatever. One of the counsel, Mr. Ray, produced some affidavits, which he declared bad been submitted to the board by another of the counsel. Gen. Campbell. The conservative counsel insisted that these papers had never been before the board; when opportunity was given the republican counsel to show that the paper had been submitted; but the testimony offered for the purpose by them, so far, however, from establishing that fact, established the reverse. It was then asserted that the returns were rejected because the accounts of the election were not delivered to the supervisor of registration within 24 hours alter the close of the election, which was 6 o'clock on the third day of November; whereas it appeared that both in the morning aud afternoon ot the 3d of November search was made for this supervisor of registration for that parish, in order to deliver to him these returns, and he was not to be found until 6 o'clock; but that as soon as he could be found on the evening of that day they were offered to him and again when he reappeared the next morning, but were refused to be received. Yet this same supervisor of registration received other republican returns after he had refused to receive these conservative ones on the ground that they were too late, and the returning board, although it had held, as to other polls in the state, that the returns were not to be rejected merely because they wers sent too late, rejected the returns from this poll, thereby changing the representation of the parish from conservative torepublican. So in the parish ot De Soto the returns showed a conservative elected by over 1,000 majority. It was alleged that the supervisor of registration bad brought the returns to New Orleans, and had lef; them with A WOMAN OF BAD CHARACTER, who offers to produce them on payment of 1,000, The conservative committee took leal proceeding to compel their production, but the court held it had no jurisdic tion; to that end they then caused to bo pro duced before the board the duplicates of mo) re-urns iroui 1119 oiiice of tne secretary of Btate, together with the tallv sheet. poll lists, etc., filed there according to law. These duplicates correspond exactly with tho alleged re-ult ot tho compiled returns wkicn the said woman had produced, and of tbeaa alleged fict undisputed proof was

submitted to the board; nevertheless, the board refused . to count the vote for that parish. So in Winn parish, where 404 conservatives and 165 republican votes were cast, npon a verbal protest that the registrar of elections was not properly qualified, of which the only proof was that he had failed to forward his oath of office to the secretary of state, although there was no pretence that the election was not a fair representation of the will of the peoole, the whole vote of the parish was rejected and the case referred to the legislature. So in Terre Bonne parish, where there was a

conservative majority, it was proved that the commissioners of election, through misapprehension of their duties, inclosed all the returns in the ballot boxes and deposited them with the clerk cf the court with whom the law required the boxes to be left. The iudsr of the court thereupon issued a mandamus commanding the clerk to take the returns from the boxes and forward ttm to the secratary ot state, which was done. Nevertheless the board rejected the returns irom tnese pons, thereuy giving the parish to the republicans, with f ie result of choosiog a republican senor, two republican members of the legislature, and the republican parish offiee. Without now referring to other instances, we are constrained to declare that the action of the returning board, on the whole, was arbitrary, unjust, and, in our opinion, illegal, and that this arbitrary, unjust, and illegal action alone prevented tha return by the board of a majority of conservative members to the lower ITouse. Upon the general suljact of the state of affairs in the South, and as to whether THE ALLEGED WRONGS to colored citlzaus for political ciT)r.c?;i are real or were asserted without dun foundation, your committee took such proof as the opportunity offered. Both par.ies agreed upon four parishes Essamplasof the condition of affairs in that respect in the state. Of these, owing to the impossibility ot procuring witnesses from the locality In time, your committee were obiiged to confine their especial examination to two parishes. They received all the testimony that was offered, and in addition they received all the testimonv that was then on hand in NewOrleans,offiered by either party, as to the condition of affairs in other parts of the state. As a whole they are constrained to say that the intention charged is not borne out by the facts before us. No general Intimidation ot republicin voters was established. No colored man was produced who had been threatened or assaulted by any conservative because of political opinion, or discharged from employment or refused emplovment. .Of all those who testified to intimidation there was hardly any onewho.of hisown knowledge.could specify a reliable iustance of such acts; aud of the white men who were produced to testify generally on such subjacts, very nearly all, if not every single one, was the holder of an office. Throughout the rural districts of the state the number of white republicans are very few. Tt hardly extends beyond thos6 holding office and those connected with them. No witnesses, we believe, succeeded In naming in any parish fivo republicans who supported the Kellogg government who were not themselvesoffice-holders or related to office-holders, or those having official employment. On the other hand, applications to the United States commissioners ia the various parishes,, not only for alleged crimes, but because of alleged threats of discharge and non-employment, or other interference with political preference were frequent. Upon tbes9 applications warrants were often issued, and white citizens arrested and bound over for trial. In many localities the federal troops were detained for service under the marshals and deputy-marshals, and not ouly made many arrests immediately before the election, but the reports that they were coming to particular neighborhoods about the time of the election for the purpose of MAKING SUCH ARRESTS, served, as the conservatives claimed; to in timidate, and sometimes even to produce a stampede among the white voters. How differently the two parties look upon the same fact will appear from the testimony of Mr. Riddlo. He was ' a United States commissioner in the parish of Ieria: shortly before the election. upon the application of colored persons, he issued a large number of warrants; he considered it his duty upon the arrest ot the persons charged to require bail from sureties who possessed landed estates within the parish, certified to by the assessor of the parish to be of sufficient value, and of which the title was approved by the register of deeds. This rule neoeesarily produced delay in procuring bail ior persons arrested, and he was waited on in one case by a procession of citizens who offered him a bond signed by every man in the procession. This he re garded as in derision of his proceedings and refused to receive the bond. He was called as a witness to prove the intimidation that existed in th Jit parish. He had himself no knowledge of any act of the kind except the procession, which, he thought, was calculated to intimidate the colored voters. He had no idea that the arrests made upon his warrants and the proceedings under them had any effect in interfering with the conservative voters. On the other hand, the conservatives in that neighborhood thought about this just therever.se. Indeed, the reports of the military officers in command of the forces of the United States In the country, though generally Indicating a condition of quiet and order, take sometimes an entirely different view of the situation. On the other hand, it was in evidence that the blacks who sought to act with the conservative party were, on their part, sometimes exposed to enmity and abuse. In the interior one colored man was shot fot making a conservative speech, and in New Orleans it appeared from the testimony that colored men who sought to cooperate with the conservatives were subject to so much abuse from the police and otherwise that an association of lawyers volunteered to protect them, but with little effect. The. general condition of affairs in the state of Louisiana seems to be as follows: The conviction has been general among the whites since 1S72 that the Kellogg government was an usurpation. The conviction among them has been strengthened by tho acts of the Kellogg legislature abolishing existing courts and judges, and substituting others presided over by judges appointed by Kellogg, having extraordinary and exclusive jurisdiction over political Questions: bv Lchanges in the law centralizing in the gov ernor every lorm 01 political control, including the suspension of the elections; by continuing tho raturning board with absolute power over the returns of elections; by the extraordinary provisions enacted for the trial of titles and claims to office; by the conversion of the police force, maintained at tb' expense of the city of New Orleans, into AN ARMED BRIGADE OF STATE MILITIA, subject to the command of the governor; by the election, in some places, of monopolies in markets, gas making, water works, and fairies, cleaning vaults, removing filth, and doing work as wharfingers; by the abolition of courts with elective judge?, and the substitution f 0 Lcr courts with judges appointed by Kellogg in evasion of the constitution of the state; bv enactments punlshins criminally all positiorjs unless returned by the returning bjara; ny unlimited appropriations ior the payment of militia expenses and for the payment of legislative warrants, vouchers and checks isued 'during the years i 1870 to 1872; by laws declar

ing that DJ person In arrears for taxes alter default published' 6hall bring

any suit in any coors 01 me state, or re allowed to be a witness in his own behalf: measures whech, when coupled with the extraordinary burdens of taxation, have seemed to vest, in the language of Gov. Kel logg'a counsel, "a degree of power In the governor of a state scarcely exercised bv anv sovereign in the world." With this connection is a general want of confidence in the integrity of the existing state and local officials, a want of confidence eqnallv In their persons and in their personnel, which is acsompanied by the paralyzation ot busi ness and destruction of values. The most hopeful witness produced by the Kellogg party, while he declared that business was in a sounder condition than ever before, because there was less credit, has since declared there was no prosperity. Tne securities ot the state have fallen in two years from 70 or 80 to 25; of the city of New Orleans from 80 or 90 to 30 or 40; while the fall in bank shares, railroad shares, city and other corporate companies, have, in a degree, corresponded. Throughout the rural districts ot the state the negroes, reared In habits of reliance upon their mastors for support, and in a communitv in which the members are always ready to divide the necessaries of life with each other, not regarding such action as very evil, and having immunity from punishment from the nature of the local officials, have ccmo to FILCHING AND STEALING FRUIT, vegetables and poultry so generally, as Bishop Wilmer stated without contradiction from any source, that the raising of these articles badlo be entirely abandoned, to the great distress of the white people: while within the parishes a well as in New Orleans, the taxation had been carried almost literally to the extent of confiscation. In New Orleans the assessors are paid a commission on the amount appraised, and houses and stores are to be -had there for the taxes. In Natchitoches parish tho taxation reached about eight per cent, of the assessed value on property. In many parishes all the white republicans and all the office-holdsrs belong to a single family. There nr five of the Greens in office in Lincoln parish, and there are seven of the BouUs iu cilice in the parish of Natchitoches. As the people saw taxation increase and. prosperity diminish, as they grew poor, while the officials grew rich, they became naturally soie. That they loved their rulers can not be pretended. The Kellogg government claims to have reduced taxation. This has been effected in part by establishing a board to fund the debt of the state, at 60 per cent, of its face value. This measure aroused great hostility, not so much because ot the reduction of its acknowledged debt as because it gave to tne funding board, whose powers seein to be absolute and without review, discretionary authority to admit to be funded some 6,000,000 ot debt alleged to be fraudulent, so that under the guise of reducing the acknowledged debt it gave opportunity to swell the fraudulent debt against the state. This nominal reduction of state taxes has been accompanied by a provision that the parish taxes tuall not exceed the state, but the parishes, havo notwithstanding, created liabilities. Judgments having been received on tbem, the courts have directed taxes to be levied for their payment, and thus the actual taxes bav been carried far beyend the authorized rates. Rings havebeen formed in parishes composed of the parish officers, their relatives and cf co-operative democrats who would buy up these obligations, put tbem in judgment aud causa tbem to be enforced, to the great distress cf the neighborhood ; a distress so great that THE BALLS OF LAND FOR TAXES have become almost absolutely Impossible. But the reduction of wages, the non-fulfilment of personal or political pledges, the malfeasance of home and local officials, disputes among the leading colored persons, in other localities, the loss or embezzlement in some cases of the school fund, and the failure of the Freedme&'s Bank all combined to divide the views of colored voters during the late campaign. An effort was accordingly made by the conservatives to acquire a part of the negro vote. With that view it was sought in many quarters to propitiate them. The frequent arrests by the United States marshals, tor Intimidation or threats of non-employment, and the apprehension that was felt that the returning board would count out their men if an excuse for such a course were offered, all combined, especially after the 14th of September, to put the conservatives on their good behavior, and the result was that ere November, 1874, the people of the state of Louisiana did fairly have a free, peaceable and full registration and election, in which a clear conservative majority was elected to the lower house of the legislature, of which majority the conservatives were deprived by the unjust, illegal and arbitrary action of the returning board. That there were tur bulent spirits can not be denied. Those re turned to office by the returning board ia violation of the wish of the people are especially odious. In one instance the editor bf the Shreveport News, in anticiFiation of the frustration by the return ng board of tho will of the peole, openly declared that the only remedy was "to kill the usurpers," and declared this to be the sentiment of the conservatives of his section of the state; but, beyond a newspaper editor or two, no declaration even of that sort was brought to our own notice, although it was admitted on all hands that the white people of the whole state felt greatly outraged by the action of the returning board. Indeed, it is conceded by all parties that the Kellogg government is only upheld by the federal military.- Withdraw the military and the government will go down. This was true before the 4th of January as well as now. In this connection we refer to THE WHITE LEAGUE mentioned in the message of the president. In the last campaign in Louisiana the opposition was composed of various elements democrats, reformers, dissatisfied republicans, liberal republicans, old whigs and in order to induce the co-operation of all, some of whom refused to unite with an organization called demoo rats, they took the name of "The People's Party," called in some localities "The Conservative Partv," iu others "The White Man's Tarty," in others "The White League," and had ordinary political clubs under these names throughout the rural districts, which were ordinary political clubc, and nothing more, neither secret nor armed, nor otherwise different Irom usual political organizations. Tbe?e must not, however, be confounded, from the similarity of names', with the "White League ot the city of New Orleans." That league is an organization comprised of different clubs, numbering in all between 2,500 and 2,800, the members of which have provided arms for themselves, and, with or without arms, engage in military drill. They have no uniform, and thearoiä are tha property of the individuals, and not of the organizations. They comprise a large number cf respectable citizens, and of property-holders n New Orleans. Their purpose they declare to be simply protection, a necessity occasioned by the existence of leagues among the blanks, of the hostility with which th9 Kellogg government arrays the black against the wnite race, ot tho want of security to peaceable citizens and their families, which existed for those reasons, and because also of the peculiar formation of the police brigade. On the other hand the republicans assert that! Lis U an armed body of volunteers existing far the purpbie of intimidating the blacks and

overthrowing the Kellogg government. That it had considerable relations, outside of the city of New Orleans, or that it was intended in any way to interfere Mith tha rights of tho colored citizens, did not appear; nor, on the other band, did it appear that there was any extensive secret leagne amongst the blacks ot any kind. That the White League would, readily co-operate ia anyjxissible scheme tor OVERTHROWING THE KELLOGG GOVERNMENT your committee do not doubt; so will substantially all the white citizens of Louisiana. Such organizations may be dangerous, and

are very rarely to be Justified. The affair of the 14th of September is an illustration of this., If Louisiana was a country by itself, McEnery and his assoclats would at once be installed in power; but the conservatives of Louisiana do not propose to fight the federal government. Indeed, In our judgment, the substantial citizens ol the state will submit to any fair determination of the question of the late election, or to anything by which they can secure a firm and good government. What they seek is peace and an opportunity for prosperity. To that end they will support any lorm of government that will afford themjust protection; in their distress they have got beyond any mere question ot political party. As to the proceeding ou the 4th of Jauuary, about which the committee- desired a statement, we now add that jour sub-committee, on the invitation of tho dercocratic CDnservativo committee of tho statocf Louisiana, visited thehall 01 the House of Representatives aad witnessed the convening of the Louisiana House of Representatives. Mr. Potter refusing to go inid8 tbe bar, remained outside, whilo Messrs. Foster and Phelps were eoted inside and near to the speaker's chair. Mr. Potter remained only until Willz was elected speaker, and states nothing as to what subsequently occurred. Mr. Foster remained perhaps an hour, and Mr. Phelps remained about an hour longer, until he learned that the military were about to enter under Gov. Kellogg's orders; the doings in the state house on the 4th of January as seen by the committee or subsequently in evidence were substantially as folio as: At 12 o'clock, noon, William Vigors, the clerk of the latt House, called the assembly to order, and proceeded to call the roll of members as made up from the returns of the returning board. This roll contained the names of 106 members, classed by Gov. Kellogg es fiftythree republicans and fifty-three democrats. But it is claimed that one of the democrats was not a staying democrat. The republicans claimed that one of their members, Mr. A. G. Cousin, had been kidnapped and forcibly taken to a distant parish to prevent his presence at tho organizttion ot the House. Your committee were about to investigate this charge when in public btsaion it was claimed by the democratic counsel and admitted by the republican counsel that the arrest was UNDER LEGAL PROCESS and by the bands of the sheriff. It was further claimed, and not denied, that the privilege f bis office did not bhield him from arrest. The charge was embezzlement. The tall House would contain 111 members, of which 50 wouid bo a quorum. Oathe first call of the roll 102 ar.swered'io their names. It is claimed bv th republicans, and we believe conceded by tho democrats, thai 50 of those answering to their names were democrats and 52 were republicans. The instant the clerk fi tisbed the roll-call several members rose to their feet, but the floor was successfully held by Mr. Billieu, who said that he nominated L. A Wiltz as temporary chairman. The clerk suggested that the legal motion was to elect a speaker. Mr. Biilieu himself, paying no attention to the clerk, proceeded hurriedly to put his own motion, which was received by loud yeas and followed by loud navs, and declared it carried. Mr. Wiltz sprung'instantly to the platform, took from the clerk the gavel, was quickly sworn in by Justice Houston, who followed him to the platlorm, and then rapped the House, which during this time had been In great confusion, into a temporary qniet. Mr. Wiltz, as temporary chairman, administered the oath to the members en masse, who rose to Teceive it. Some member made a motion to elect Mr. Trezevant clerk. Mr. Wiltz nut the motion "and declared It car ried. Trezevant at once came forward acd took the clerk's chair. Immediately after, and with the .same haste, Mr. Flood was elected sergeant-at-arms, and at once, whether on motion or not your committee do not remember, a number of assistant ser geant-at-arms were appointed,whopromptly APPEARED WEARING BADGES, on which was printed, "Assistant Sergeant-at-arms." While the above mentioned moHons were being put members objected, and called for the veas and nays, all of which was disreearded and pronounced out ol or der by the acting chairmac. CoL Lowell, a republican, made the point of order that the constitution of the state allowed any two members to call for the yeas and nays on any motion; but the temporary chairman . . . . . . 1 A 1 decided the point not wen taKen untu a motion for permanent organization wamade Next a motion to go into election for a Dermanent organization was offered, and declared premature. Against this rul ing the reDublican8 protested. A mo tion to seat the democratic members al leged to be elected in the four parishes, whose election was referred to the legis lature, was immediately made and carried. During this stage there was much disorder The republican members protested, but their protests were aisregaraeu. xnese gentle men then appeared, and were sworn in. A motion to adjourn was then put and declared lost. Mr. Lowell (Rep.) then moved that thA TTonsfl nrooeed to a permanent orean ization, and that the vote be taken upon the roll of the returning board, urns motion was declared lost, Mr. Lowell protesting. Mr. Matthews (Rep.) then nominated Mr. Lowell äs temporary chairman, and put the motion against great confusion and dis order, and declared it pass' d. Mr. Lowell declined to serve. The House then proceeded to elect a speaker. The roll was called Uv Clfcrk Trezevant, who reported 55 votes t.ir Wiltz, 2 for Hahn, and one Mr. Wiltz's on blank. 'Ihis result was ascer tained by iho clerk by simply keeping a tallv of tu members voting as they an swered to r..er names: no roll of members voting was kept, neither were tellers or dered, or uav sch ether means emploved than calling tho roll to ascertain the number voting. This vote includes the five mem bers who bad teen sworn in to fill vacancies. During this roll call, when Mr. Hahn's name was called, he rose and asked to be . EXCUSED FROM VOTING and to be allowed to state his reasons. Ob jection was made, and then the speaker pro tern, asked for unanimous consent to bis explanation. Consent was given, and Mr. Hahu spoke at some length. After the announcement by the clerk of the vote Mr. Wiltz was sworn in as speaker, and proceeded to swear in others present, so far as they, came forward to be sworn. Those thns sworn in were said to number 60 in all, made up of 50 conservatives acd five republicans who were returned by the returning board, and the five democratic members who bad just been adgiiUed. Outside nftbo bsr of tbe legislative hall in the state house there were a large number of police supported by the federal troops. No person was admitted to the state Aouse except throuoh the orders of Gov. Kellopg. Within the bar of the House were permitted onlv tho gentlemen returned by the returning board and the clerk and sergeant-at-arms of the former legislature, 10 persons allowed to tbe conservatives as messengers', who suddenly bo- j came their assistant sergeant-at-arms, and a

few other persons such as were admitted by courtesy to the floor. Without the bar, in the public part of the ball, stood the contestants spd other ptnova admitted. They numbered, by actual count, 127. Besides these the door of tbe hall was kept by 27 police. Wiltz maintained control of the assembly until come time after he was chosen speaker. When the republicans undertook to withdraw from the ball Mr. Wiltz gave instructions to the sergeant-at-arms not to allow any one to pass out or enter the ball. Then the disturbance without the bar at once increased and pistols were dicplayed, when, at this juncture, a conservative member moved that tbe speaker be requested to ak Col. De Trobriand to preserve order. A committee was appointed to wait on Col. De Trobriand and request his compliance. Col. Da Trobriand soon came to the bar, unaccompanied, exc?pt by one aid, whom he left there, and then alone approached the speaker. The speaker requested him to ask for order in the lobby. Col. De Trobriand did so aud order was then restored. The speaker thanked him in the name of th House for his courtesy, and he withdrew. The action of the body proceeded for an hour or so without interruption, during which time A COMMITTEE ON CONTESTED SEATS was appointed, minor officers elected and debato had, but no message was sent to the Senate or to the governor notifying theu that the House was organized and readj- to proceed to business, when, at length, CoL Da Trobriand returned acd stated he had orders to remove the five members sworn in wfco had not been returned by tus-returning board; and, after the protect and resistance or Mr. Wiltz to the persons reitrred to, and after Geu. Campbell had been tent lor to

point them ou', they were removed bv tbe United SUtes soldiers. Mr. V iitz theli left the chair as Mr. Vigers, to organize the House, began to call the roll made out by the returning board, ar d two democratic members had answered to their names, when Mr. Wilts interrupted the clerk, and called upon the cocservati.-e members to refuse to answer and to leave tho hall. The interruption over, Mr. Vigers began anew his roll call, and obtained onlv 50 responses, but as the democratic members bad just before auswered on the roll call, which was interrupted, he assumed it right to announce that 64 members had answered' to their names. Those who remained after Mr. Wiltz and bis friends withdrew elected Mr. Hahn EDeaker by acclamation, and proceeded to the business of tne legislature. There was no subsequent roll call oy whichthe number of those members whose names were returned by the returning board, aud who still remained present at these deliberations, could be determined. Your committee have not been able tu agree npon any recommendation, but upon the situation of Louisiana aa il appeared before us we are all agreed. Charles Foster, Wm. Walter Pheli-s, ClarksonN. Potter. ' January 14, 1875. The evidence upon which tbesub-cciumit-tee base their conclusions is nrtyet being written out. It will be submitted hereafter if It shall be deemed desirable. The committee themselves voted to adopt the report, and also to report the tame to the House," with the recommendation that the same be printed and recommitted. For the committee, Geo. F. Hoar, Chairman. RELIGIOUS FANATICISM. A .YOUNG GIRL MAKES A FUNERAL PYRE AND OFFERS HERSELF A SACRIFICE LTING DEAD IN ASHES HER LA8T LETTER. The correspondent of the New York Times, writing from Ilonesdale, Penn., on the 14th inst. gives the following account og a most remarkable sacrifice: Crissy Hacker, an intelligent and beautiful young lady, living at Whites Valley, 16 miles west of this place, deliberately burned herself to death yesterday, while under the influence of extraordinary religious lanaticieni. She was the daughter of William Hacker, a wealthy and . prominent farmer of tbe county". For some five or six years past she has at times been subject to temporary insanity, daring which lapses she Imagined that she had committed eins against "her Immanuel" which could be ouly absolved by the making of burnt offeriogs. While laboring under this mental hallucination, she would erect altars in tbe Meld of her father's farm, and sacrifice lambs to appease the wrath of her offended deity, aud also burn clothing and household goods of different kinds. Her father (a widower,) fearing that she might, during one cf these intervals, do herself bodily barm, kept a strict watch on her movements. Yesterday Mr. Hacker had occasion to go to a neigh boring village, and as his daughter manifes ted the signs of recurrence of one of her insane intervals, he charged bis hired man to watch her during his absence. At noon the man went to his dinner, leaving tbe young ( lady in the. kitchen reading the Bible. For some reason he did not return to the honse until Mr. Hacker came back, which was, about 2 o'clock. When the latter entered k h?a Iritohfln hA trfla mraltwH with linrrnr at M the sight that confronted him. On the coals and ashes of what had evidently been one of Miss Hacker's altars, lay the body of his daughter, literally burned to a CTisp. The face was tbe only part not burned. Not withstanding THE INTENSE AGON V that she must have endured, her features were not destorted in the least, but wore an expression calm and peaceful, her lips being parted in a smile, as if she died believing that through the fiery ordeal she was to pass, into a joyful- eternity. It appears that while the hired man was absent Miss Hacker had formed out ot a set of quilting frames a pyre or altar. On this ehe had spread some carpet, and made herself a pillow. When found she lay on her right side, with her cheek resting on her hand. Everything seemed to indicate that this was the position she had taken at first, acd from which she had not moved. At one side of the altar she had piled up a quantity of combustible wood, and when all was tn readiness had fired it, from which tbe flame j soon spread and enveloped the altar.' In the family Bible, which was found open at j the Bovk of Job, the following note was found in the handwriting of the decease' Dear Father: My Immanuel appeared to me to day He reveals to me the tact that j ha?e commitiea tne UDparuonaciei sin, which I can only obtain forgiveness for by passing through tbe cleansing of fire. I will intercede for you, my dear father. You will find my purified body in the north-east comer ot the house. I wish to have mv ashes buried in mv Immanuel' ground, at tbe norih-wesst corner of thr uouse. uooa uye. .ueet me on tne eternal ground. Cejsst. Mr. Hacker went to the corner of the hou.e indicated in the note as the snot where the remains were to bs buried, and lound that his daughter had staked out there a space for her grave. Martin Prentiss, Esq., summoned a jury and held an icquest on the remains. A verdict in accor dance with the above facts was rendered A correspondent writing of tho Fcandal in Brooklyn says: Even in New York the scandal is the topic of conversation in all circles. Bjecher's misfortune is tho subject of all kinds of street hawkers' literature, and this evening dirtv little dov are veiling mt-. "Here you are Henry Ward Boecher sitting uii m i mgi;eu cage, ana you can see whether ileum iter HOI a cent Iwlr fop iter, cents.' , - a v a ttvv