Rensselaer Union, Volume 10, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 May 1878 — The Potter Resolution. [ARTICLE]

The Potter Resolution.

The following is the full text of what is known as the Potter resolution, recently adopted by the National House of Representatives: Whereas, The State of Maryland has, by its Legislature, formally declared that due effect was not given to the Electoral vote cast by that State, on the 6th day of December, 1876, by reason of fraudulent returns in the Electoral votes from the States of Florida and Louisiana: and, Whereas. An affidavit by Samuel B. McLin, Chairman of ihe Board of State Canvassers of the State of Florida, on the election held in that State in November. 1876, for Electors of President and Vice-President, has been made public, alleging false and fraudulent returns for votes for such election 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 returns was influenced by the conduct and promises of the Hon. Edward F. Noyes, now Minister to the Government of France: and. Whereas, It is alleged that a conspiracy existed in the State of Louisiana whereby the Republican vote in all the precincts of the Parish of East Feliciana and in some precincts of West Feliciana at the general election in November, 1876, was purposely withheld from the polls to afford a pretext for the exclusion by the Returning Boara of that State of the vote cast in those precincts for Electors of President and Vice-Presi-dent. and that James E. Anddhsun, the Supervisor of Registration at East Feliciana, and D. A. Weber. Supervisor of Registration in the Parish of West Feliciana, in that State, in furtherance of that conspiracy, falsely protested that the election in such precincts had not been fair and free, and that the State Returning Board thereupon falsely and fraudulently excluded the votes of the said precincts, and by means thereof, and of other false and fraudulent action by the 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 the assurances of the Hen. John Sherman, Secretary of the Treaauryof the United Stales; and. Whereas, The gravity of these charges, the nature of the evidence upon which they arc reSirted to be based and the official dignity and potion of the persons nanu’il in connection with the said frauds, make it proper that the same should be inquired into to the end that the honor of the Nation may bo vindicate! and the truth as to such election made known: therefore, be it I'esolvtd, That a sele< t committee consisting of eleven members of this House be appointed to inquire into the aforesaid allegation as to the conduct of the persons in office aforesaid in respect of the said election, and into the alleged false and fraudulent canvass and return of votes by State, county, parish and precinct officers in the said States of Louisiana and Florida, and into all the facts which in the judgment of said committee are connected with or pertinent thereto, and that said committee, for the pm pose of executing this resolution, shall have power to send for persons and papers, to administer oaths and to take t< stimony. and in their discretion to detail sub-com-mittees with like full authority of said committee in every particular, and with power to sit in Florida and Louisiana, which sub-committees shall be committees of thia Bouse, and the Chairman thereof shall be auUiorized to administer oaths; that the said committee and sub-commit-tec may employ stenographers and be attended each by a Deputy Bergeant-at-Arms, and may sit during the sessions of this House and during the vacation, and that said committee proceed in this inquiry and have leave to report at anytime. General D. Bility has killed thousands; but Genera] A. Bility never hurt anybody, r