MADISON.

R. V. Montague.

RAPIDES.

accept the nomination from the citizens. I knew such practices would be made use of; but, notwithstanding, I faced this great dis

elected.

That Emile Collin and J. E. Richard each received an equal number of votes, and consequently neither of them was elected.

Your committee.have thought proper, under such circumstances, to recommend that another election be ordered in said parish of one delegate.

Upon investigating the returns from the parish of Plaquemines, it appears that the sheriff thereof was guilty of the following acts of negligence, which, in the opinion of your committee, renders the election in that parish null and void :

First-He did not appoint deputies, or cause the polls to be opened at all the various precincts in that parish.

Second-He did not cause any return to be made of the result of the poll at Fort Jackson.

Third-He has made no official return whatever of the election in that parish.

Your committee would recommend that another election be ordered in that parish. All of which is respectfully submitted. JOHN MONTAMAT, Chairman.

that in case I should be defeated I should

find those who would not give this their sanction. I call upon this Convention to decide whether I am entitled to my seat, and if not so, to some credit for having made a stand against the frauds. If you had observed the requisites of the law, you could not have had an election within a of old shall be prejudicial to this assembly? month. Is it to be said that the iniquities But is it rather not time to frown them down? Mr. President, I leave it to this House to decide, and call upon my opponent to come forward and state why it should not be so.

MR. DECKER-I was not a candidate, but was elected by the people. I am satisfied with the report of the committee, and with the will of the people, and am willing that the election should go back to them. I have no more to say.

The question was then called for.

MR. BELL---I would move that a special committee of five be appointed, to whom the matter may be referred.

Mr. Montamat moved that the motion be laid on the table.

The president stated that there was a motion already before the House to adopt the report of the committee. Mr. Bell having moved an amendment, the motion now would be to lay that amendment on the table.

held according to the orders of Gen. Banks, and returns legally made, we would like to vote. I laid a communication on the desk, signed by the two delegates, in relation to this matter.

Mr. Thomas rose to a point of order. PRESIDENT--These votes cannot be counted without the order of the Convention, and as no such permission has been given, the gentleman is out of order.

It was moved and seconded that the delegates be heard, and on being put was carried.

MR. BALCH-My object is that we may be permitted to take our seats previous to the organization of the Convention, so that we may vote. The fact is notorious that the election was legally held, and the other candidate and myself legally elected. By some mischance the returns of the provost marshal are lost, and have never reached the secretary of state. I dispatched a messenger yesterday to Capt. Cox, and requested him to send the certificate as soon as possible. Under these circumstances I consider it nothing but just we should have the privilege of voting in the organization. There was no opposition to this election, and we were elected beyond all question. Such being the facts, Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, we ask the privilege of taking our seats and voting.

vote and carried.

MR. BROTT-I notice that when the roll was called, three members answered from the parish of Ascension. This parish is entitled to but two, and only one is elected according to the report of the committee.

SECRETARY--I would state that those names were called through a mistake, but I did not deem it necessary to correct it, as none of them answered at the last call, and their names will not be read again.

The secretray then read the votes of the candidates for presidency as follows: T. B. Thorpe, one; Christian Roselius, seven; M. F. Bonzano, fifteen; Judge Howell, twenty-five; Judge Durell, thirty-five; and consequently there was no election.

The names of Messrs. Bonzano, Thorpe and Roselius.were withdrawn.

Mr. Stocker moved that M. DeCoursey be requested to act as temporary sergeant-atarms, which, being seconded, Mr. Montamat declared it to be out of order, and upon Mr. Stocker calling for a decision of the chair, it was ruled to be in order.

It was moved and carried that the motion be laid on the table.

There being no choice in the election of president, the secretary again called the roll. The following is a list of the votes for the

candidates :

Mr. Waters moved that the matter be referred to the Committee on Credentials. MR. THOMAS-Before the question is put I will state that it has already been referred to the Committee on Credentials. I do not doubt these gentlemen, neither do the committee, but there was no evidence brought before them other than the statement of the gentlemen themselves. Since there is no other evidence before them now, it would be useless to refer it back to them again, for the committee would be unable to make any different report, since it would not be based on any other evidence further than that body has already had.

The motion was then put and lost.
The original motion that the delegates be

For Judge Howell-Messrs. Stocker, Wilson, Schroeder, Henderson, Fosdick, Austin, Foley, Harnan, Cutler, Durell, Wenck, GasMendiverri, Bonzano, Baum, Millspaugh, tinel, Abell, Buckley, Maurer, Montamat, Kavanagh, Spellicy, Poynot, Cook, Flood, Dupaty, Ennis, Kugler, Heard, Morris, S. Pursell, Ong, Beauvais, Burke, Normand,

Edwards, Cazabat, Newell, Balch, Dufresne, Hills-41.

Mr. Thorpe moved that Judge Durell be considered the choice of this Convention, which, being seconded, was put and unanimously carried.

It was moved and seconded that a com

mittee of three be appointed to escort Judge Durell to the chair, which being duly carried, the speaker appointed Messrs. Howell, Roselius and Bonzano.

Judge Durell was received with loud applause, and addressed the meeting as follows:

Gentlemen of the Convention-I thank you heartily for the honor you have conferred upon me in making me your president; and I thank you still more heartily for this proof of your confidence in my abilities and my patriotism. When, in presiding over your deliberations, I may show weakness, I know that you will give me of your strength; and that I shall not be disappointed in my expectation of finding with you that courtesy which is the best aid to an efficient business in every legislative body.

Gentlemen-In this time of great trouble, in this supreme hour of our country's battle for its life, you have been entrusted by your fellow-citizens with duties commensurate with those of the soldier in the field; you have been called upon to finish the labor which he, necessarily, leaves incomplete.

Gentlemen--On the 26th day of January, 1861, a few ambitious and bad men had assembled in convention, and representing a minority of the people of the State, declared "the connection between the State of Louisiana and the Federal Union dissolved;" you, gentlemen, have been chosen the elect of the loyal people of Louisiana to undo that work of folly and crime; to restore the State to its former legitimate position in the Union; to replace it under the protecting folds of that flag which, everywhere, upon the land and upon the seas, has been ever hailed as the symbol of liberty and equal rights.

Gentlemen-You are all familiar with the rise and progress of the grand drama which is being enacted in these days upon this continent, and of which we also are a part. With this knowledge, you will accept the progress of ideas; you will accept the changes which great convulsions in the opinions and in the societies of men make a necessity; you will willingly exchange a dead past for a living future.

Gentlemen-The first, chief cause of the present rebellion, is patent to all; you have been called together, invested with the plenary powers which, under our institutions, belong to an organic political body, not only for the purpose of restoring the State to the Union, but also for the equal purpose of removing that fatal cause of strife and rebellion from Louisiana forYou will, I know, perform those and the many other duties confided to your charge boldly, with decision, looking only

ever.

to the prosperity and happiness of your State and of our common country.

Mr. Bell moved to elect the secretary by ballot.

Mr. Montamat moved that the members cease from all motions relative to voting by ballot, as they were not there to vote by ballot, but to record their opinions and proceedings, and that the motion be laid on the table. The vote was put, and the motion of Mr. Bell was laid on the table.

The following gentlemen were then nominated for the office of secretary: Messrs. Neelis, McClellan, Girard, White, Reynolds, | Derickson, Holland and Murphy.

The secretary read the names of the nominees, and the votes recorded were: for Neelis, 44; Derickson, 10; McClellan, 8; Holland, 6; White, 6; Girard, 4; Murphy, 2; Reynolds, none.

John E. Neelis was declared duly elected as secretary of the Convention.

Mr. Henderson moved, and it was second

ed, that a committee of three be appointed by the chair to wait upon Mr. Neelis and inform him of his election, and conduct him to his seat.

The motion passed, and the chair appointed Messrs. Henderson, Thorpe and Campbell to wait upon Mr. Neelis. The committee reported that he could not be found, and Col. Hills, secretary pro tem.,

continued to officiate.

A motion was made to ballot for sergeantat-arms. This was laid on the table, and the following gentlemen were nominated : T. F. McGuire, C. Baumbach, Thomas K. Flanagan and M. DeCoursey. The roll was called, but there was no choice. Mr. Flanagan then withdrew, and the roll was again called, but with the same result. The secretary read the names again, and the following vote was cast: DeCoursey, 41; Baumbach, 36; McGuire, 1. Mr. DeCoursey was accordingly declared elected sergeant-at

arms.

It was moved by Mr. Brott that the committee appointed to wait on the secretary also wait upon the sergeant-at-arms, and inform him of his election. The motion was carried unanimously.

It was then moved and seconded that the Convention adjourn till to-morrow at 12 o'clock.

FRIDAY, April 8th, 1864. The Convention was called to order at a quarter past 12 o'clock, Mr. Shaw in the chair.

The roll being called by the Secretary pro tem., the following members answered to their names:

Messrs. Abell, Austin, Balch, Bailey, Barrett, Baum, Beauvais, Bell, Bennie, Bofill, Bonzano, Bromley, Brott, Buckley, Burke, Campbell, Cazabat, Cook J. K., Cook T., Crozat, Cutler, Davis, Dufresne, Duane, Dupaty, Durell, Edwards, Ennis, Fish, Flagg, Flood, Foley, Fosdick, Fuller, Gastinel, Geier, Goldman, Gorlinski, Gruneberg, Gaidry, Healy, Harnan, Hart, Heard, Henderson, Hills, Hire, Howell, Howes, Kavanagh, Knobloch, Kugler, Maas, Maurer, Mendiverri, Millspaugh, Montamat, Montague, Morris, Murphy E., Murphy M. W., Newell, Normand, O'Conner, Ong, Paine J. T., Pintado, Poynot, Purcell J., Pursell S., Schroeder, Schnurr, Seymour, Shaw, Smith, Spellicy, Stocker, Stumpf, Stiner, Stauffer, Sullivan, Terry, Thomas, Waters, Wenck, Wil

of any persons who may assault our members, and it is taking the time of the Convention unnecessarily; and therefore I move that the resolution be laid on the table.

The reading of the resolution was then called for.

The previous motion was amended by a motion that it be referred to a committee to report thereon; and this being stated by the chairman, it was announced that the when majority had voted in the affirmative, the yeas and nays were called for on the question and preference.

MR. STAUFFER--I will call the attention of the chair to the fact that the unfinished business of yesterday must be concluded before we take up any new business. At that time there was a resolution passed in regard to the election of president, secretary, sergeant-at-arms and doorkeeper. These have not all been chosen; and it therefore strikes me that this new matter is entirely out of order. I ask the decision of the chair on that point.

PRESIDENT—This is a question of privilege, and I believe it to be in order.

Mr. BROTT--I request the privilege of changing my vote in regard to the question of reference to the affirmative.

No objections being made, Mr. Brott's vote was changed.

Upon calling the roll, 48 answered in the affirmative, and 30 in the negative; whereupon it was decided the matter should be referred.

As an amendment to Mr. Harnan's resolution, it was moved that the president appoint the committee, the number constituting it to be left to his discretion; which amendment being accepted, the chair appointed Messrs. Wilson, Roselius and Mor

ris.

It was moved that Col. Thorpe should constitute a member of the committee; but Mr. Thorpe begged leave to decline.

Mr. Wilson was suggested as a member of this committee, when the chair announced that he had already been appoint

ed as such.

MR. THOMAS-I move we now proceed to yesterday's unfinished business, which is the election of remaining officers.