Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1853-06-11
The Parish Printing.


It is not often that we bring our personal af-
fairs before the public, either to excite their
sympathy or their applause; but the proceed
ings of the Police Jury last Monday, in which
they most extraordinarily and unprecedentedly
annulled an existing and publicly adjudicated
contract with the proprietor of this journal for
printing their proceedings, &C., are really of
a public character, and demand that the whole
matter be laid, plainly and truthfully, before the
people. At the bar Of pubic opinion, high
handed acts of injustice and wrong, are surely
and speedily repudiated and righted.
But before We allude particularly to the inn
mediate act which has caused this publication,
it is proper that we refer back, and briefly, to
the period when this journal first became in
possession of the Parish Printing. This &C.,
Cured with its first issue, in the beginning Of
August, ls4s, when the proprietor purchased
the Berrilian from Judge DJTToN, and chan-
ged it to its present name. At the time, there
was an existing contract between that paper
and the Parish for publishing its proceedings,
&c, at 5000 per year, with extra work that
amounted probably to $50 more, which con-
tract reverted to this journal.
In the beginning of 1s4e-the Police Jury
at that time being composed of a majority of
Wing members--it was proposed to and sane
toned by US, that the Parish printing be divi-
ded between this paper and a paper called the
Democras-that is, both papers to publish the
proceedings, &c, and each to receive $lOO.-
This act, recollect, was performed by a WING
Police Jury. In the spring of 1850 the Demo-
Graf was discontinued, and the whole sum
$4,000 for the printing was paid this paper.
In the fall Of the same year, in accordance with
a resolution of the Police Jury-which was
still Whg-a new written contract, identical
with the original, was entered into between the
Parish and %ourself, to perform the identical
work, and for the same sum Of money, $4,000
per annum. And such contract continued in
force without interruption until within n short
time passive endeavoring to perform all work
to the best Of our ability, and never under
standing otherwise than that the parochial au-
thorities were entirely satisfied with it. But
at the sitting of the Police Jury in April last
the Jury being still Whig-through a petit
ton of the proprietor of the Gazette, (the same
who was proprietor of the Democrat,) to get a
share ofthe Parish printing, the following re.
solution was passed:
Resalued, That the parish Constable be and he
is hereby ordered and empowered to offer and ad-
Indicate the printing of the parish of Iberville, to
the lowest bidder, said printing 10 include all mat
ter for the printing OF which the parish has to
make payment or may be at any time hereafter
liable. Said adi publication to be made under the
direction and within the control of the clerk ofthe
Police jury; this Resolution to be carried into eff
feet forthwith, and the purchaser of the same shall
be bound to furnish a copy of all printed parochial
matters to the clerk of the Police Jury for record
and a copy of his or their newspapers TO each mem
Der Of the Police Jury at their respective postof-
flee, without any additional charge, and further,
that the contract entered into with w. P. Brad
burn, Editor of Southern Sentinel, on the 3rd day
of September, 1850, be and the same is hereby
annulled. The same contract to include all prin-
ting whether emanating from this body or from the
State OF from any source, including p~roelamations
of Governor, proceedings of Police Jury, Election
notices, handbills, &c, and all matters for which
the parish may be at any time called upon to pay.
The above resolution, then, annulled the con-
tract with this journal which had been running
since the fall Of 1850, (and which did not ex-
pire till Sd Sept, 1852 done in consequence of
there being two papers at present published in
the parish, and with the desire to give each an
equal chance to obtain the work. In accor-
dance with this resolution, the following adver-
tisement was posted up about town by the Par
ish Constable:
NOTICE.
In conformity with an order from the Police Ju-
ry of the Parish of Iberville, to me directed, |
will offer at public sale to the lowest bidder at
the court house, on the 18th inst. at 10 O'Clock,
the Parish Printing for this Parish.
HENRY SULLIVAN, Parish Constable.
Plaquemine, April 11,1s53. .". t
AgreeabIy, then, to the time appointed for
the sale, and well knowing the value to our
columns of the Parish printing, we were in at
tendance and determined to get it at any price
at least zoe avere not to be underbia.
The bidding commenced, the proprietor Of
the Gazette beginning with $500 and falling
to 1888, when we offered to do the work for
nothing, and it was knocked down to US by the
Parish Constable, according to The conditions Of
a copy Of the resolution uhich he held inhis hand.
And in a day or Two we commenced the work,
(by publishing the proceedings of the Police
Jury) which WI had thus obtained at public sale
by a public officer, through warrant of a Parish
official resolution. sa ag
Subsequent to the above sale, an election.
was held for Police Jury members from three
wards in the Parish, which resulted in the sue
cess of three gentlemen, who were Democrats,