488 



LOUISIANA. 



says: "I can now, of course, only speak for 

 myself, but I would even now be willing that 

 the returns, though they have been for nearly 

 two years in the hands of the spoilers, should 

 be submitted to the examination of three or 

 five disinterested persons, to be appointed, say, 

 by the President of the United States, and if, 

 after a thorough investigation, it does not ap- 

 pear that I was elected, I will willingly resign. 

 The circumstances attending the last election 

 in this State have never yet been thoroughly 

 and fairly investigated, nor can they be except 

 upon the spot where the election occurred and 

 where the proofs, pro and con, are readiest to 

 hand. I fear nothing from an inquiry so con- 

 ducted, but, on the contrary, earnestly hope 

 that some such investigation may be had." 



The Advisory Board was not destined to ful- 

 fill the useful functions of which it gave prom- 

 ise. On the 15th of October Dr. Bonzano, the 

 umpire, resigned. This action was in conse- 

 quence of a protest made by the two Conserva- 

 tive members against the decision of the umpire 

 in the matter of certain charges against P. J. 

 Maloney, an assistant State Supervisor of Reg- 

 istration; Dr. Bonzano holding that "a protest 

 against the decision of the umpire by one-half 

 of the board is to me an indication of the fail- 

 ure of his efforts to inspire this board with the 

 confidence in his capacity, impartiality, or gen- 

 eral fitness for the important and delicate du- 

 ties called for by his position, that should warn 

 him against persisting to remain an obstacle to 

 the harmonious action of this board." 



Representative committees of the two con- 

 tending parties of the State now held a confer- 

 ence, having for its object the appointment of 

 an umpire to fill the place made vacant by the 

 resignation of Dr. Bonzano, and also the ad- 

 justment of alleged violations of the agree- 

 ment creating the Advisory Board. On the 

 part of the Republicans it was claimed that the 

 first article of that agreement relating to the 

 suppression of disorders had not been satisfac- 

 torily observed by the Democrats, and that 

 powers should be given to the Advisory Board 

 "to enforce a strict and fair adherence to the 

 provisions of the first article of this agreement 

 to the extent of calling upon the constituted 

 authorities of the United States, both civil and 

 military, and of the State through Governor 

 Kellogg, to use such power and force as may 

 be required " for the purpose of maintaining 

 peace over and throughout the State, and in- 

 suring a fair registration and election. In 

 answer to this proposition, the Democratic 

 members of the conference submitted " as a 

 counter-proposition that they cannot inquire 

 into the alleged violation of the agreement by 

 the Conservatives, or recognize the right of 

 the Republicans to make said charges until the 

 Republican members of the Conference Com- 

 mittee establish as a fact that the agreement 

 has been complied with on their part by hav- 

 ing qualified as agreed upon two Conservative 

 members of the Returning Board and an um- 



pire in the Advisory Board, to fill the vacancy 

 caused by the resignation of Dr. Bonzano." 



The Republican members replied that the 

 matters contained in this counter-proposition 

 were not within the instructions which they 

 had received from the Republican State Cen- 

 tral Committee, and therefore they could not 

 act upon them. The conference now (October 

 20th) adjourned without having agreed upon 

 any thing, and the functions of the Advisory 

 Board virtually came to an end. 



The law governing the November election 

 differed in some important respects from that 

 under which the election of 1872 was held. It 

 was passed in 1872, but after the election of 

 that year. Under the old law the Returning 

 Board consisted of the Governor, Lieutenant- 

 Governor, Secretary of State, and two other 

 designated persons. The Returning Board un- 

 der the new law comprises " five persons to be 

 elected by the Senate from all political parties." 

 A majority constitutes a quorum, with power 

 to make returns; and the board is empowered 

 to fill vacancies created by the death, resig- 

 nation, or otherwise, of any of its members. 

 Under the new law commissioners of elections 

 are appointed by the Police Judges and must be 

 chosen one from each political party. The re- 

 turns must be made out in triplicate, and one 

 copy forwarded to the Returning Board. The 

 election was held on the 2d of November, and 

 was attended with general quiet. Previous to 

 the election United States troops had been con- 

 centrated in New Orleans, the object of their 

 presence being explained in a general order 

 issued from the Department of the Gulf, two 

 days before the election, as follows : " The 

 troops are in this city to preserve peace and 

 order, and to prevent a conflict between armed 

 bodies of men, and for no other purpose. They 

 will continue to abstain from political discus- 

 sions and any interference with the election. 

 All the officers and men are required to remain 

 in their quarters during the day of election, un- 

 less called out to prevent a conflict between 

 armed bodies, or by orders from superior mili- 

 tary authority." 



After the election the following protest 

 against the presence, in Louisiana, of Federal 

 troops, was addressed to President Grant, by 

 the Committee of Seventy : 

 To His Excellency U. S. GRANT, President of the 

 United States, Washington, D. C. : 



The Committee of Seventy Lave the honor to in- 

 form your Excellency that on the 2d day of this 

 month, at a general election hplden in this State, 

 under the auspices of the Acting Governor W. P. 

 Kellogg, the Conservative party was entirely success- 

 ful, and will have in the next Legislature a clear ma- 

 jority upon a joint ballot. It is a well-ascertained 

 fact that thousands of our colored fellow-citizens 

 voted the Conservative ticket. 



We address you now to make a solemn but re- 

 spectful protest against the future occupation of the 

 State by military forces, and to request their with- 

 drawal with the return of our people to power. We 

 can assure you that the civil law will become su- 

 preme, that its sacred obligations will be recognized 

 both by the ruler and the ruled, and that there will be 



