Q. Do you recollect whether you received certified copies of the election-returns for Congress from the first, second, third, tenth, eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth wards from the State supervisors of registration in those wards?-A. We did not receive any certified copies of the returns in those wards from the State supervisors of registration; my recollection is that they all came from Mr. Woolfley, United States supervisor of elections. Q. Had you any affidavits before you from the second congressional district showing that anybody had been denied the right or privilege of being registered or of voting?-A. I do not remember. Q. Did you have before you the statement of any State supervisor that there had been fraud in the election for the second congressional district?—A. There were statements made by some State supervisors, but what they were I do not remember. Q. Had you any statement from any State officer, supervisor, or commissioners, of fraud, illegality, intimidation, disturbance, bribery, or corrupt influence which prevented a fair, free, and peaceable vote?— A. My recollection is we did not. Q. While making your compilations was the building you were in under seizure of the United States marshal, on Judge Durell's order, and guarded by United States troops?-A. A portion of the time we occupied a room in Mechanics' Institute in which there were United States soldiers on duty. By what authority they were placed there I know only by rumor. The greater portion of the time, however, we occupied rooms over the Germania National Bank, unguarded by soldiers, except on one occasion when the secretary of state sent for a guard for a few hours. Q. You have stated that your action as a member of the returning-board was controlled by the conviction that we were in the midst of a revolution; what do you mean by that?-A. I mean by that that the executive of the State, whose duty it was to see that the laws were executed, was himself violating the laws and using all the powers conferred upon him by his position to accomplish his ends, contrary to law, as illustrated in withholding the returns of the election from the returning-board, issuing commissions to certain officers without the returns being canvassed or the result promulgated in the official journal and by forcibly installing certain of them into office. JOHN LYNCH. There being no other witnesses present, the meeting stands adjourned until to-morrow, at 5 o'clock p. m. New Orleans, March 23, 1874. E. NORTH CULLOM, Judge Fifth District Court for the Parish of Orleans. E. N. CULLOM, JR., Clerk. In the matter of R. L. Gibson, contestant, vs. L. A. Sheldon, sitting member for the second congressional district of Louisiana. NEW ORLEANS, LA., March 24, 1874. Met pursuant to adjournment, at 5 o'clock p. m. Present, Hon. E. North Cullom, commissioner, and J. E. Austin, representing contestant. No witnesses being present, adjourned until Wednesday, the 25th, to meet at same time and place. E. NORTH CULLOM, Judge Fifth District Court for the Parish of Orleans. E. N. CULLOM, JR., Clerk. In the matter of R. L. Gibson, contestant, vs. L. A. Sheldon, sitting member for the second congressional district of Louisiana. NEW ORLEANS, LA., March 25, 1874. Met pursuant to adjournment, at No. 5 Carondelet street. Present, Hon. E. North Cullom, commissioner, and J. E. Austin, representing R. L. Gibson, contestant. No witnesses appearing for examination, this meeting stands adjourned o meet on the 25th at same time and place. E. NORTH CULLOM, Judge Fifth District Court for the Parish of Orleans. E. N. CULLOM, JR., Clerk. In the matter of R. L. Gibson, contestant, vs. L. A. Sheldon, sitting mem ber for the second congressional district of Louisiana. NEW ORLEANS, LA., March 26, 1874. Met pursuant to adjournment, at No. 5 Carondelet street. Present, Hon. E. North Cullom, commissioner, and J. E. Austin, representing the contestant. No witnesses being present, adjourned until to-morrow, to meet at same time and place. E. NORTH CULLOM, Judge Fifth District Court for the Parish of Orleans. E. N. CULLOM, JR., Clerk. In the matter of R. L. Gibson, contestant, vs. L. A Sheldon, sitting member for second congressional district of Louisiana. NEW ORLEANS, March 27, 1874. Met pursuant to adjournment, at No. 5 Carondelet street. Present, Hon. E. North Cullom, commissioner, and J. E. Austin, representing R. L. Gibson, contestant. No witnesses being present, adjourned until Saturday, the 28th, 1874, to meet at same time and place. E. NORTH CULLOM, Judge Fifth District Court for the Parish of Orleans. E. N. CULLOM, JR., Clerk. In the matter of R. L. Gibson, contestant, vs. L. A. Sheldon, sitting mem ber for the second congressional district of Louisiana. NEW ORLEANS, LA., March 28, 1874. Met pursuant to adjournment, at the office of R. L. Gibson, No. 5 Carondelet street. Present, Hon. E. North Cullom, commissioner, and J. E. Austin, representing contestant. There being no witnesses present, adjourned to meet on Monday, 30th, at same time and place. E. NORTH CULLOM, Judge Fifth District Court for the Parish of Orleans. E. N. CULLOM, JR., Clerk. In the matter R. L. Gibson, contestant, es. L. A. Sheldon, sitting member for the second congressional district of Louisiana. NEW ORLEANS, LA., March 30, 1874. Met pursuant to adjournment. Present, Hon. E. North Cullom, commissioner, and J. E. Austin, esq., representing contestant. No witnesses being present, adjourned until to-morrow, to meet at same time and place. E. NORTH CULLOM, Judge Fifth District Court for the Parish of Orleans. E. N. CULLOM, JR., Clerk. In the matter of R. L. Gibson, contestant, vs. L. A. Sheldon, sitting member for the second congressional district of Louisiana. NEW ORLEANS, LA., March 31, 1874. Met pursuant to adjournment, at No. 5 Carondelet street. Present, the Hon. E. North Cullom, commissioner, and J. E. Austin, esq., representing R. L. Gibson, contestant. No witnesses being present, adjourned to meet on Wednesday, the 1st day of April, 1874, at same time and place. E. NORTH CULLOM, Judge Fifth District Court for the Parish of Orleans. E. N. CULLOM, JR., Clerk. In the matter of R. L. Gibson, contestant, vs. L. A. Sheldon, sitting member for the second congressional district of Louisiana. NEW ORLEANS, LA., April 1, 1874. Met pursuant to adjournment at office of R. L. Gibson, No. 5 Carondelet street, New Orleans. Present, Hon. E. North Cullom, commissioner, and J. E. Austin, representing R. L. Gibson, contestant. No witnesses being present, this meeting stands adjourned until tomorrow, the 2d instant, to meet at same place, at 5.30 o'clock p. in. E. NORTH CULLOM, Judge Fifth District Court for the Parish of Orleans. E. N. CULLOM, JR., Clerk. In the matter of R. L. Gibson, contestant, vs. L. A. Sheldon, sitting member for the second congressional district of Louisiana. NEW ORLEANS, LA., April 2, 1874. Met pursuant to adjournment. Present, the Hon. E. North Cullom, commissioner, and J. Ë. Austin, representing contestant. No witnesses present to testify, this meeting stands adjourned until to-morrow, at 5 o'clock p. m., to meet at same place, No. 5 Carondelet street. E. NORTH CULLOM, Judge Fifth District Court for the Parish of Orleans. E. N. CULLOM, JR., Clerk. In the matter of R. L. Gibson, contestant, es. L. A. Sheldon, sitting member for the second congressional district of Louisiana. NEW ORLEANS, LA., April 3, 1874. Met pursuant to adjournment, at No. 5 Carondelet street, in office of H. Mis. 85-3 R. L. Gibson, at 5 o'clock p. m. Present, Hon. E. North Cullom, commissioner, and J. E. Austin, representing the contestant. The witnesses summoned not being present, this meeting is adjourned until to-morrow at 1 o'clock, to meet at same place. E. NORTH CULLOM, Judge Fifth District Court for the Parish of Orleans. E. N. CULLOM, JR., Clerk. Pursuant to adjournment, the examination of witnesses in this inves tigation was renewed this 4th day of April, 1874, in the office of Gen. R. L. Gibson, at No. 5 Carondelet street, New Orleans, at 1 o'clock p. m. D. A. WARD, being duly sworn by Judge E. North Cullom, deposes and says: Question. What was your position in the election held the 4th day of November, 1872?-Answer. I was assistant supervisor of registration of the Second ward. Q. Do you recollect how the vote stood for Congress in your ward?— A. I do not remember the precise figures. Q. Were your returns canvassed by yourself at the Mechanics' Institute, and was the count fairly made, and your returns correct?—A. Yes, to the best of my knowledge. Q. According to the returns furnished by the governor of the State to the canvassing-board from the Second ward of the city, R. L. Gibson received 1,992 votes and L. A. Sheldon 1,013 votes. Can you state to the best of your recollection whether those figures are correct or not?— A. I cannot. Q. Do you recollect if they are incorrect?—A. I do not. Q. Do you recollect how the vote stood in your ward between the two parties for governor and other officers?—A. I don't remember the majority. Q. Did the United States supervisors certify to the correctness of your returns?-A. I believe they did, as a general thing. D. A. WARD. HENRY GALLAGHER, being duly sworn by Judge E. North Cullom, says: Question. What was your position in the election in this State on 4th November, 1872?—Answer. I was assistant register, and had charge of the election in the Tenth ward, in the city of New Orleans and parish of Orleans. Q. Do you recollect how the vote stood for Congressman in your ward?-A. R. L. Gibson's majority over L. A. Sheldon was in the neighborhood of 1,000 votes, as I recollect. Q. Were your returns canvassed and counted in the Mechanics' Iustitute, in the presence of the United States officers under General Longstreet?-A. Yes, they were so counted; and the tallies kept by all par ties agreed. There was no variation in the connt. Q. Did you ever furnish to Col. John Lynch, or to any member of the returning-board of which he was a member, or to Mr. Woolley, a certified copy, or any copy, of the returns or statements of the vote for Congressman R. L. Gibson and L. A. Sheldon for your ward ?—A. I never did; nor to any person. HENRY GALLAGHER. JAMES BEGGS, being duly sworn by Judge E. North Cullom, deposes. and says: Question. What was your position in the election held on 4th of November, 1872?-Answer. I was assistant supervisor of registration for the Twelfth ward, parish of Orleans. Q. Was the count or the returns of your ward made up in the presence of United States supervisors-A. Yes; they were. They kept an account, and theirs and mine tallied. We made the count together, and discrepancies, if any occurred, were corrected during the count. Q. Did the United States supervisors sign your returns?-A. They did. Q. Did you ever furnish to Mr. Lynch or to Mr. Woolfley, or to any member of the Lynch returning board, any certified copy of the returns or votes for Congressman of the Twelfth ward?—A. I did not. Q. Do you remember how the vote stood for Congressman in that ward?—Â. The vote for Gibson stood 742, and for Sheldon 491. Q. Was there any disorder at the polls-any fraud or violence used to prevent persons from voting?-A. None whatever. It was pronounced by United States officers and all other parties to be a fair election. JAS. BEGGS. Mr. I. T. N. MASON, being duly sworn, says: Question. What was your position in the election held on 4th of November, 1872?-Answer. I was assistant supervisor of registration for the Fourteenth ward, parish of Orleans. Q. Do you recollect how the vote stood for Congressman in your ward?-A. The republicans had a small majority in that ward. Q. Did you ever furnish to Mr. Woolfley or to Mr. Lynch, or to any member of the Lynch returning-board, certified copies of the returns for Congressman of that ward?-A. I did not. ISAAC T. N. MASON. Mr. J. M. CASS, being duly sworn by Judge E. North Cullom, says: Question. What was your position in the election held on 4th of November, 1872?-Answer. I was assistant supervisor of registration for the First ward, parish of Orleans. Q. Do you know how the vote stood in your ward for Congressman?A. I do. General Gibson received 1,681 votes and Sheldon received 725 votes. Q. Were the returns from your ward counted in the presence of the United States supervisors?-A. They were, and the United States supervisors kept a count, and theirs and mine tallied; any discrepancies between us were corrected by a recount during the canvass of the returns; there was no difference between the counts kept. Q. Did you ever furnish to Mr. Woolfley or to Mr. John Lynch, or to any member of the Lynch returning-board a certified copy of the returns or votes for Congressman from your ward?-A. I did not. J. M. CASS. J. S. BEERS, being duly sworn by Judge E. North Cullom, says: Question. What was your position during the election of the 4th of November, 18721-Answer. I was assistant supervisor of registration for the Thirteenth ward, parish of Orleans. Q. Were the returns from your ward canvassed in the presence of the United States supervisors?-A. They were; and a tally was kept by |