Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1843-05-20

Removal or fHB SEAT OF eosBNHMBFT=@
Mn. LAHAtvE's vefE-A large space IN our
paper to-day has been conceded To Mr, La
hause Of Ihervilla III explanation Of the vote
given by hin. on The question Of renewing The
sea. Of government, 10 Ha'on Rouge. II will
be- resollectsj that Mr.. L. voted against the
melton. andtha', not understanding the reasons
by which he was controlled, we eensarea him
for 80 doing. We now solieit The most stritt
and patient attention Of every person interest.
cd 10 the arsiele in reply 10 our se,narbs.
The objections of Mr.. Labause TO the bill
Of Mr.. Downs. wa regard a. il every sense
vote n against That bill, end not arHjnst The
removal of the seat Of government to THE
place. Ii fact. he has 80 expressed himself
~ conversation with us aud others.
But unless the citizens Of Baton Rouge take
this matter in hand and show a little spirit
therein themselves. do not The statements Of
t1r /. TT for 10 prove that no bill. however
perfect, can be passea With rtop1iety for this
object b. our legialatute7 They certainly do.
A want Of funds is an iusnperahlr objection,
aatl one Tint aiil not 90 less sensjbly felt neAt
vear than now. Il then necessarily devoltea
OH The ~eitisens Of BATON Enttge,jf they desire
10 see iitis place the capitol ei tho state, 10
make the government n uraiuitous tendesuf a
tt,sd lot Of ground, and 10 render such other
mid in their power ~ will facilitate the &C.
complement ri The project. We have any
quantity Of vacant lots here, end lotr which the
owners ought 10 be glad to ~satriiee for such
n purpose, and we trtis, that either ty public
subscription OF private 1iberality, ample and
sp1stt grounds will be offered the Legislature
40 a present nj the very commencement Of
The NEXT session. This. with The we'll kneWn
fact that through the MD Of The %cenvietH in the
PenitentiHry. buildings could be erected Mt a
very tritling expense to The sta'e. must crush
oil objections Oh the score Of funds, and WIG
accomplish the desired result.
10 the Editor ef the Uatou Rouge Gdsefte.
rt%laufm1vE, May 18th, 1s43.
nrAp SIN .=-Atcorting to promise. | I'm
dertake 10 set fertl, and explain the motives
which influenced my vote btaihFt the bill in
,ypducrd IN the slanatr by Mr., Downs, for the
nurpcee Of renewing the seat OF government
from New 0rleana to Baton Rouge. That
bill, which made iis appearance only n lew
days ~lrevionR to the final adjournment OF The
Legislature, was drawn up as i"llnws:
Section IEt. BE II ennrted &c. That the
-set of government IF The State. be removed
frnm New Orleans 10 the town at Baton
Rouge.
Sec, ID. he il further enacted, &c, That
the Governor be authorized and directed, aH
soon M may be, after tho passhge Of this act,
and before the session OF The next Legislature,
TO procure by purchase, or otherwise, IN the
,nyyn ef Baton Rouge. The necessary buildings
Ipr the accommodation of the two HotFes ii
the General Assembly. and for The public
State Officers, whose duty il is to reside al
The seat Of government, and that he chlse to
be removed TO that place, all The archives, fur-
niture, books and other movable property for
The Use or belonging to the government Of The
state.
Sec. 81. BE it further enacted &c. That
for the purpose Of carrying THE aft into effect,
The slim not exceeding $ln.0N be, and The
same In hereby appropriated. out III any money
in the treasury, not otherwise appropriated, 10
he paid on the warrant Of the Governor. and
% in his opiniott. 1t be necessary Tor The pur-
pores Of this act, or cxpedient, he Is author
iRei 10 dispeEn of, by eaIe. or Otherwise. any
Of The moveab'a property Of Tho state, situated
in New Orleans, on euch terms as he may
deem advantageous 10 the state.
Sec. Ath. Be 1t further enacted &c, That
ali pubic officers, whose duty It ia to reHlde
At tho ssat OF government, ahall, ma soon ne
he necessary buildings are prepared and they
are notified Of It by the governor. remove TO,
and keep their Offices at tho town OF Baton
Rouge.
Viewing the Importance of ite object, this
bin appeared to me ridiculous, absurd and
tending TO defeat forever, The great end FOR
which It was apparently introduced. and ny
which. tho seat OF government was to be re-
moved from New Orleane.
A vain and costly attempt for the same pt1r
pose. had long before been made, which ought
10 serve HI an instructive lesson for every
! wise and prudent man whatever be the rea.
aonH which influenced the author al the above
bill, 40 improperly introduced. and 80 much oni
OF seaeen, ] have not az yet been able 10 rs.
certain the motives which prompted the Hon
| Senator in this measure for. he appears to
me TO possess too much good sense. not 10 have
been a better Judge of It's fatal tendency. As Ia
me, the tenor Of. and the loose and l%nconsld
crate manner in which that bill war framed,
together with all the circumstances attending
it, satisfied me Al once, that il was premature,
and would inevitably prove unsuccessful ana
abortiso.
No attempt to remove The seat Of govern
nent should be made, unless there were &C,
~,ually in the treasury, dtsposable funds euffi
Glen, to cary into execution. a measure OF suel
vast importance. and . provident law. looking
to all reasonable contingencies, enacted fot
that purpose. oil necessary expenses ought t'
be cacuIa,ed; a suitable lot Of ground provided
and all the necessary buildings erected il
such a style and elegance az would redoint
to the honor of The state, and serve as an or
nament TO the place in which 1t was proposed
10 erect them.
A bill nearly similar to the one in question
removing the seat Of government from New
Orleans 10 Dunaldeonvllle after the LIST day o
December 1926. was appr'ved OH the 4th da,
of February 1926, and a committee was APP
pointed to prepare the buildings necessary 70
the Legislature anu S'ate oHcefss tact OF fo<o
D. S6) That law had scarcely been sane
toned, when the legislature discovered ha
the necessary provisions had not been made
to compass lis object, and another law post
poning the removal of the seat OF government
to the first of May 1920, (act 1925, p. 200
was enacted. Thirty thousand dollars wa
appropriated and placed at The immediate dis
posal of the committee, which was at the SANE
time authorised to purchase a lot of ground
and cause to be erected a Stale House an
buildings for the State Officers. All that th'
appropriation would allow, was procured a
Donalasonville, the place selected, and tn