178 



CONGRESS, UNITED STATES. 



i-w York, moved to suspend the rale* and 

 adopt the following resolution : 



Wlunu, The State government of Louisiana ii 

 now administered bj order* from the Federal court* 

 npported by Federal bayonet*, which condition of 

 thing* I* lub'vcnive of the civil government of said 

 State and dangerous to liberty : thorefore 



SnrM, That the President of the United State* 

 i> hereby requeted to inform thin House at the 

 earliest Jar pouible why the Executive of the United 

 State* interfered in the affair* of the State of 

 Louisiana, giving all the fact*; and he in further 

 nqnaated to give to thi* House all the information 

 be ha* on thi* subject relative to the conduct of E. 

 H. Durcll, one of the judge* of the United States in 

 Louisiana ; *o that thi> House may determine w hat 

 steps, if any. should be taken in con*equence of his 

 interference in th political affair* of said State. 



M r. Cox : " With the permission of the House 

 I will strike off the preamble, and will insert 

 in the resolution after the word ' requ. 

 the words ' if not incompatible with the pub- 

 lic interest.' If gentlemen on the other side 

 cannot vote for personal or public liberty 

 without some scruples, I wish to accommodate 

 them." 



Mr. Eldridgo, of Wisconsin, said: "I hope 

 the gentleman from Now York (Mr. Cox) will 

 not insert in his resolution the words ' if not 

 incompatible with tin' public interest.' Itseems 

 to me there can be no such incompatibility in u 

 matter of this kind. Congress must be entitled 

 to know by what right or authority the Presi- 

 dent interferes in such a case as this. The ( '< in- 

 stitution points out the only manner in which 

 the President can intervene in such cases; and 

 it should appear to us and to the country by 

 what authority he does so." 



Mr. Cox : " I have inserted in the resolution 

 the words ' if not incompatible with the pub- 

 lic interest,' so that the r. -<.liiti.>n may pass 

 without any partisan or aerimoniotiR discus- 

 sion. What I want is that the facts shall come 

 out, I think that with the resolution, as now 

 couched, we may get the facts. We do not 

 want a simple expression of opinion from this 

 or the other side of the House. We want the 

 whole basil for the action of the President in 

 this most important matt, r." 



Mr. Sypher, of Louisiana, said : " We deny 

 that the President has interfered in any way 

 in Louisiana matters, except to order the exe- 

 cution of the mandates of the United State* 

 court*. That U the whole question." 



The question was taken ; and it was derided 

 in the negative as follows : 



YEA* M*a*r*. Acker. Adam*, Archer, Arthur, 

 Ramum, Jama* B. Beok, Bell, Austin Blair, Boar- 

 man, Boles, Braxton, Bright. Brook*. 



' roasland, Davis, Dodd 



DuBn**, Duke, Eldredire. Farnswortli, Ilenrv D. Fos- 

 ter. <ieti. Griffith, Hancock, Handler, 

 Harper. John T. Karri*. II . Hil- 

 lisril. Holman, Kendall, K. rr. Kit 

 Ix-ach, Lewi*, Manaon.Man.ln. 

 Cormli-k. Mcltenrr. M 

 Bmiavnln F. Meyer*, Morgan, Nit. In. H 

 Harkrf, Perry, Price, Read, John M. Ri<x>, W. K. 

 Robert*, John Roger*. Sion H. Roger*, Sherwood, 

 -. Storr. fiwann, Terry, 

 Tuthill, Van Trump, WaddeU, Well*, Wbltt 



William* of New York, Winchester, Wood, and 

 ' 79. 



Meiers. Ambler, Ame, BarL>-r, I'M v. ri'lgc, 

 Binghani, Buffiuton, Burchard. Burdett, 

 BrButler, Clarke, Cobb, Coghlun, ('. iif< T, Cotton, 

 Crocker, Dawes, Donnan, Duell, Dunnell, >.: 

 Esty. Farwe'.l, r inkilnburg, Charles Poster, Wilder 



D. Foster, Frye, Gar&t-ld, Hale, Harmer, George 



E. Harris. Haven*, John B. I law ley, Joaeph K. 

 Hawley. Gerry W. Hazelton, Ji.l.i. W. Iluzelton, 

 Hoar, Hooper, Houghton, Kelley, KeUofg, Kotcham, 

 Lamport, Lansing, Lowe. Lynch, May nard, McCrary, 

 Mctirew. McJunkiu, McHee, Merriam, Monroe, 

 Moore, Morey, Leonard Myer*, Negley, Orr.Pack- 

 ard, Packer, Palmer, Peck, I'eudU-tou, Pcrce, I'. 

 Platt, Poland, Porter, Kidney, Ellis II. Roberts, 

 Rusk. Sargent. Sawyer, Si..|\ld. Sessions, Shauks, 

 Sheldon, Shellabarger, 11. Boardman Smith. John 

 A. Smith, Snapp, Sprague, Starkweather. St,.\in- 

 son, Stoughton, Svphcr, Taffc, Washington Town- 

 send, Turner, Twlohell. TVIUT, Upnon, \Vuleniun, 

 Waldron, Wallace, Wall*, Wl,,>l,r, Willurd, Wil- 

 liams of Indiana, and Jeremiah M. Wilson 99. 



N..T VOTIUO Messrs. Averill, Banks, Barry, 

 Beatty, Erasmus W. Beck, Bigbv, Biggs, Bird, .lames 

 G. Blair. Buckley, Benjamin F. Butler. Caldwell, 

 Campbell, Coburn, Conner, Crebs. Crcely, Darrall, 

 DC Large, Dickey, Elliot, F.ly, Forker, <iom-tt, 

 Golladay, Goodrich. Haldeman, Halxey, H amble- 

 ton. Hanks. Hay. Havs. Hill, Killinger. Kinsella, 

 .\!.N..:\. Mitchell, Morphia, laaao e'. Purki-r, l'.t- 

 ter, Pnndle, Randall, Edward Y. Rico, Riteliii-, 

 Robinson. KooKevelt, Seeley, Sheii:ukrr, s.- 

 Slos*. Worthington C. Smith, Pnydcr, Stowell, 

 ^'augnan, Voordees, Walden, Warren, Whiteley, 

 and John T. Wilson 68. 



So (two-thirds not voting in the affirmative) 

 the House refused to suspend the rules and 

 pass the resolution. 



Mr. Stevenson, of Kentucky, said : " I move 

 to suspend the rules to pass the following reso- 

 lution. 



The Clerk read as follows : 



JftKlrtd, That the President of the United State* 

 is hereby requested, if not in hi* judgment iiienni- 

 pxtlblc with the public interest, to communicate to 

 this House such information a* he may have rela- 

 tive to the condition of affairs in Louisiana; and 

 what, if any, action he ha* taken with regard thereto. 



In the Senate on January 7th the Vice- 

 President said: "The Senator from Ohio 

 moves to take np the resolution offered by 

 him. The Secretary will report the resolu- 

 tion." 



The Chief Clerk read the resolution, as fol- 

 lows: 



Sttolftd. That the Committee on Privileges and 

 Elections is directed to inquire and report to the 

 Senate whetln r the rwnt election of elector* for 

 President and Vice-President has been conducted in 

 the States of Louisiana and Arkansas in accordance 

 with the Constitution and law* of the United S' 

 and what contests, if any, have arisen a* to who 

 were elected as electors in either of said State*, and 

 what measures are neoeaaary to provide for the dc- 

 ti rm i nation of such contests and to guard against 

 and determine like contests in the future ehcti.ui 

 < ( fit .'ti.r for President and Vicc-Presidi nt. Tlmt 

 for the purpose of speedily ixecuting tins rcc. 

 the ssid committee shall have power to semi for pi-r- 

 >ons and paper*, to take testimony, and at their dis- 

 cretion to aend a sub-committee of tlieir own num- 

 ber to eitln-r <>f said Stales with authority to take 

 testimony; and, if the exigency of this service de- 



