PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. 



741 



Wiltz was elected Speaker, and states nothing as to 

 what bub.sc.iuenily occurred. Mr. Foster remained 

 j.erhiii.rt mi hour, mill Mr. I'help.H remained uliout im 

 hour longer, until 1m learned that the inilitiiry were 

 about to enter under (iovernorKellogg's orders. The 

 doing* in the Btate-IIouse on the 4th of January, as 

 necii by the committee or subsequently in evidence, 

 wore subhtuniiully us follows : 



At twelve o'clock, noon, William Vigors, the Clerk 

 of the lost House, called the Assembly to order and 

 proceeded to call the roll of members, M made up 

 Ir.nu tin* returns oi tho Returning Board. Thin roll 

 contained tho names of 106 members, clamed by Gov- 

 Ivellogg as 63 Republicans and 63 Democrats. 

 But it i> claimed that one of tho Democrats was not a 

 iiiocmt. The Republicans claimed that 

 one ot their members, Mr. A. G. Counin, ha<l \>f>-n 

 iiped and forcibly taken to a distant pari.-h to 

 at his presence at the organization of tho House. 

 Your committee were about to investigate Una charge, 

 when in [>ul>lio session, it was churned by the Demo- 

 cratic counsel and admitted by tho Republican counsel 

 that the arrest was undor legal process and by the 

 hands of the shorilF. It was further claimed, and not 

 denied, that tho privilege of his office did not shield 

 liini from arrest. The charge was embezzlement. 

 The full House would contain 111 members, of which 

 66 would be a quorum. On the first call of tho roll, 

 102 answered to their names. It is claimed by the 

 BtpabUoana. and we believe conceded by the Demo- 

 ihat 50 of these answering to their names were 

 Democrats, and 52 were Republicans. The instant 

 the Clerk finished the roll-call, several members rose 

 t<-> their feet, but the floor was successfully held by 

 Mr. Uillicu, who said that he nominated L. A. Wiltz 

 as temporary chairman. The Clerk suggested that 

 the legal motion was to elect a Speaker. Mr. Billieu, 

 himself, paying no attention to the Clerk, proceeded 

 hurriedly to put hU own motion, which was received 

 by loud yeas followed by loud nays, and declared it 

 carried. Mr. Wiltz sprung instantly to the platform, 

 took from tho Clerk the gavel, was quickly sworn in 

 by Justice Houston, who followed him to the plat- 

 form, and then rapped the House, which during this 

 time had been in great confusion, into a temporary 

 quiet. Mr. Wiltz, as temporary chairman, adminis- 

 tered the oath to the members en, masse, who rose to 

 receive it. Some member made a motion to elect 

 Mr. Trezevant Clerk. Mr. Wiltz put the motion and 

 declared it carried. Trezevant at once came forward 

 and 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 Sergeants-at-Arms 



being put, numbers objected and called for the yeas 

 and nays, all of whicn was disregarded and pro- 

 nounced out of order by the acting chairman. Colo- 

 nel 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 decided the point not well taken 

 until a motion for permanent organization was made. 

 Next, a motion to go into election for a permanent 

 organization was offered, and declared premature. 

 Against this ruling the Republicans protested. A 

 motion to seat the Democratic members alleged to be 

 elected in the four parishes, whoso election was re- 

 ferred to the Legislature, was immediately made and 

 carried. During this stage there was much disorder. 

 The Republican members protested, but their pro- 

 tests were disregarded. Those gentlemen then ap- 

 peared and were sworn in. A motion to adjourn was 

 then put and declared lost. Mr. Lowell (Republican) 

 then moved that the House proceed to a permanent 

 organization, and that the vote be taken upon the roll 

 of the Returning Board. This motion was declared 



lost, Mr. Lowell protesting. Mr. Matthews (Repub- 

 lican) then nominated Mr. Lowell M temporary cnair- 

 iiuui, and put tho motion amid great confusion and 

 disorder, and declared it panned. Mr. Lowell <1. 

 to serve. The Houite then proceeded to elect a Sinuk- 

 er ; tho roll was called by Clerk Trozevant. 

 ported 6ft votes for Wiltz, 2 for Hahn, and 1 (Mr. 

 Wilt/' it own) blank. This result wan ascertained by 

 the Clerk by simply keeping a tally of the member* 

 voting as they answered to their names; no roll of 

 members voting was kept, neither were tellers or- 

 dered, or any such other means employed than calling 

 the roll to ascertain the number voting. This vote in- 

 cludes tho five members who hod been sworn in to fill 

 vacancies ; during the roll-call, when Mr. Hahn'snamo 

 was called, he rose and asked to be excused from 

 voting, and to be allowed to state his reasons. Objec- 

 tion was made, and then the Speaker pro tern, asked 

 tor unanimous consent to his explanation : consent 

 was given, and Mr. lltihn spokoat sorno length. Af- 

 ter 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 thus sworn in were said to num- 

 ber CO in all, made up of 50 Conservatives and 5 Re- 

 publicans who were returned by the Returning Board, 

 und the 5 Democratic members who had just been 

 admitted. 



Outside of the bar of the legislative hall in the 

 State-House there were a large number of police, sup- 

 ported by the Federal troops. No person was permit- 

 ted to enter the State-House except through the orders 

 of Governor Kellogg. Within the bar of the House 

 were permitted only the gentlemen returned by the 

 Returning Board, and the Clerk and Sergeant-at-Arms 

 of the former Legislature, ten persons allowed to the 

 Conservatives as messengers, who suddenly became 

 their assistant Sergeants-at-Arms, and a tow other 

 persons, such as were admitted by courtesy to the 

 floor. Without the bar in the pubue part ot the hall 

 stood the contestants and other persons admitted ; 

 they numbered by actual count 127. Besides these 

 the door of the hall was kept by 27 police. Wiltz 

 maintained control of the Assembly until some time 

 after he was chosen Speaker. When the Republi- 

 cans undertook to withdraw from the hall, Mr. Wiltz 

 gave instructions to the Sergeants-at-Arms not to al- 

 low any one to pass out or enter the hall. Then the 

 disturbance without the bar at once increased, and 

 pistols were displayed, when, at this juncture, a Con- 

 servative member moved that the Speaker be request- 

 ed to ask Colonel do Trobriaud to preserve order. A 

 committee was appointed to wait on Colonel de Trobri- 

 and and request his compliance. Colonel de Trobriaud 

 camo to the bar, unaccompanied, except by one aide, 

 whom he left there, and then alone approached the 

 Speaker. The Speaker requested him to ask for or- 

 der in tho lobby. Colonel de Trobriand did so. and or- 

 der was then restored. The Speaker thanked him in 

 the name of the House for his courtesy, and he with- 

 drew. The action of the body proceeded for an hour 

 or so without interruption, during which time a com- 

 mittee on contested seats was appointed, minor offi- 

 cers elected, and debate had ; but no message was sent 

 to the Senate or to the Governor notifying them that 

 the House was organized and ready to proceed to busi- 

 ness; when, at length, Colonel deTrooriond returned 

 and stated he had orders to remove the five members 

 sworn in who hod not been returned by the Return- 

 ing Board ; and, after the protest and resistance of M r. 

 Wiltz and the persons relerred to, and after General 

 Campbell had been sent for to point them out, they were 

 removed by the United States soldiers. Mr. Wiltz then 

 left tho chair, as Mr. Vigors, to organize the House, 

 began to call the roll mode out by the Returning 

 Board ; and two Democratic members had answered 

 to their names, when Mr. Wiltz interrupted the Clerk, 

 and called upon the Conservative members to refuse 

 to answer and to leave the hall. The interruption 

 over, Mr. Vigors began anew his roll-call, ana ob- 



