The Weekly comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1853-1855, 1855-10-07
Removal of the sent of Government.

The bill to take the sense of the people
of this State on the subject of the removal
of the seat of government to New Orleans,
ought to enlist the attention of all the pub
lie iousnals devoted to the interests of the
State intelligent and competent citizens
ought also to esteem it a duty to present
this question: in all it's bearings before the
people The last Legislature was for the
greater part composed of ignorant and
senseless beings, who unscrupuously viola
ted the constitution in voting for the afore-
said bill. In this vote, the Legislature en-
deavored to screen itself from the censure
they would have exposed themselves to,
had they voted conformably to law, an
amendment whose consequences will per-
haps be regretted. They preferred that
their misdeed should be shared by the peo-
pie, SO as to prevent any reproaches from
that quarter hereafter, when experience
will have demonstrated that the only per-
sons benefited by the removal of the seat
of government to New Orleans, will be
those who are inclined to spend one third
of the year in the city, at the expense of
the State Treasury. How deplorable it is
to think that the welfare of our State is en-
trusted to such men
| Will not the time arrive when the peo-
pie will learn to know the men who are
worthy of their confidence Will not the
time come when they will wipe off those
Ieeches who are sucking then life blood
| firmly believe that that time will come
in November next,
What can the people gain by the remov-
al of the seat of governments The State
has already spent half million of dollars
for the erection of the State House and 9th
er necessary Improvements. Shall we
abandon that building and re-commence
fresh expenses, to satisfy the whims o the
peoples agents. And that people whom
they treacherolusy desire to consult will
not see the trap laid for them. They will
not perceive that they are already weighed
down with taxes, and that in voting for the
removal they would Increase them nateri-
ally. They complain of what they have
now so pay and they would still add to
them. They would be the passive tools
of faction, intri que, and corruption. They
will not suffer themselves to be continual
ly duped by paltry minority.
The advantages which can result in hav-
ing the seat of government at Baton Rouge,
cannot counterbalance what that town
loses in a moral point of view and for that
reason, it would be desiraE that the legis-
lature be as far removed from it as possible
But it is important to the interests of the
State that the seat of government shall be
permanent. PriD,o: Because financial
pressure exists, which requires the strict
est economy. Cd Because the State is in
volved in debt, and it is just and necessary
she should pay now what she owes, before
contracting any n]v liabilities. Sd. Be-
cause New Orleans is in a state of bank
luptcy, and it would seem more reasonable
Tor the State to come to her assistance
than for her to make useless expenses.
1t is therefore evident, on the score oil
economy, that the removal of the seat OF
government would be an act of folly. Every
reasonable and honest man must acknowl-
edge the fact Can it be denied that as
soon as the seat of government would be
removed to New Orleans, new capital
would have to be erected Who is there
that has observed the actions of the Legis-
lature, and cannot foresee that, that new
capitol will cost million of dollars Who
is there, that understands the Aexibility Of
legislative bodies, and does not foresee that
our honorable legislature, for the purpose
of prolonging their abode in New Orleans
as soon as the removal takes place, will
amend the clause of the constitution fixing
the time of session at sixty days ? And
who cannot then surmise that the legisla-
lures will be unreasonably prolonged.
think have advanced sufficiently or
the subject of economy. Let us now ex-
anime the subject in moral point Of view
Is it not reasonable that the General AS
sem bly, should be removed from the corrup-
ting influence of large city. Is there nc
fear that the interests of the country will
be sacrificed to that same influence 1t is