Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1852-03-27
lff. McCutchen and tho Washington
Guards.

- Is 49,
The course OF Mi. MoCu tcben, In rela.
ton 10 the disposal 81 the Commute.
ton tax, has been n1ado 4 subjset Of
fidicule and Political capital by those
opposed / % him III politics. We cannot,
however, zee the wit Of lhe funny resolu.
ton published In the Advocate and
Comet,
Nj. M9Cutchen has been the constant
friend oftte Washington Guards. Ills votes
stand recorded Ia favor Of eppiopfiatihg
monies out Of The treasury finds for theft
support. Wien Mi. pafhnm introduced
b resolution instrncting the Finance Com
mitsee not to mike appropriations for
military companies, Mr.. MeCdteheh NOV
ed to amend. by t~asttecttng them 10
make an appropriation IF $500 per az.
nun for tiso yeats 10 the Washington
Guayds. Mr., Lutnsden did the sattie for
New Orleans, but they failed. Mr.. Par.
hams resolution was carried. After this
Il bill was introduced making oil appfopfi-
ation out OF dry funds Ia the treasury, not
other wise appropriated, TO certain conn
panies Mr.. MeCutchen moved that $500
per aanum for two years be appropriated
to the Washington Guards tlis bill was
lost. Now, does this look ~ IL Mr.. Ne.
Cutclien would rather see the money
q thrown into bayou Fountain, than
90 TO The Washington Guards Mr..
McCutehen considered that the act APP
prepriating the amount collected under
the communication law Of 1850, TO the Pol.
ice Juries, was correct, and that 1t tacitly
acknowledged that the fund derived from
the tax did not belong 10 the State treas
ury, and that as IL did not belong TO them,
the legislature had no right TO appropriate
IL to any specific purpose, aud though he
was anxious aud willing to vote for a
liberal appropriation for the Washington
Guards, he could not consistently with his
oath or office vote to give them money
which he believed the Legislature had no
right to give away, but which properly
and legitimately belonged to the Police
jury.
Mr.. M eCutchen may be mistaken ~ to
,lie control which the legislature hid over
this fund, IL 10 many others were, for the
delegation from St. Mary and Feliciana
shared hi the belief that they could not
give II to the military companies; that their
duty was 10 return 1t to the Police jury.
10 be by them appropriated to tho ccm-
panies OF any other purpose they might
think proper. Mr.. McCutehen did make
two attempts TO have All appropriation
made for the Washington Guards, but
could not vote for a bill which gave away
money that he considered dill not belong
to the State treasury, which was raised
by an arbitrary and illegal tax, and which
the people had raised a united voice
against, and over which the Legislature
had no ether control than to restere to the
people who had paid 1t, The fact that
tho representatives of the parishes of Or.
leans, Jefferson and Ascension, felt author.
lied to ask the Legislature to give the
money to the companies In their respective
parishes, does not say that 1t was right,
Il only says that the representa'i,e s from
said parishes either thought 1t befsaged 10
the State, aud that the tax WI a legal
and just one, or that they were ! .structed
as to the manner In which the people
wished the tax disposed Of We arc in
duced 10 make these remarks, not that we
altogether agree with Mr.. McCutchen,
Ibu, because we think he was conscienti-
QUA In his vote. aud we have no doubt
that when his motives are properly
thought Of, and the question 10 brought
before the people, many who arc now at
tempting TO make capital out Of It viii
find that ID cnts both ways.
We feel assured that no true friend of
the Guards will for one moment blame
Mr.. McCutchen, when they know that
his best efforts were made on W. occa.
sions 10 obtain from the State treasury an
appropriation for them. and that the rea.
son that he did not have tho money col.
lected under the act Of 1850, appropriated
for their use. was thar the Legislature had
no right to dispose OF 1t.