The daily comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1850-1856, 1856-02-01
4 REGISTRY LAW.

text from tQ2t lnStIuUeut VI WIICiu8
called The Constitution Of the State
Of Louisiana" by which, there arc
some people Of very obtuso intellect,
who say we are governed. The text
is q good one, and runs somehow thus ::
ART. 1.-THE Legislature shall provide
BY lav that the names and residence OF II
qualified electors Of the city Of NeS Or
leans shall be yegistsysd. in order to entitle
them to vote; the registry shall be free Of
cost to the elector.
Here two or three grave questions
presents themselves. First. Is there
any installing tho object and intention
Of the writer's who wrote and endorsed
this paragraph in that ancient instru'
ment? Is there any law in the last
acts, or tho acts before, conflicting
with this Constitutional clause, and if
so, which ought to succomb, and give
place to the other. If the text means
anything, is there any member from
New Orleans constitutionally entitled
to a scat in the Legislature These
are serious questions to examine
which, law making lawyers ought TO
put on their quizzing glasses and look
into. The Philistines. whoarc admir-
able at::calculating ways and means to
accomplish any object, and who can put
their thumbs upon the acts Of IA and
Is, should look moment at this; be-
cause the biblical axiom which says,
the first shall be last, and the last first !;
does not hold good to laws. The last
law is always considered the best aud
first referred to. If such were not
the case, what wasteful expenditure
of time is it for q hundred industrious
citizens to meet daily at the capitsl
and work themselves into passions and
wear out their breeches seats about
bills, memorials, resolutions and nets
As age advances, man rubs out the
land. marks, or time does it for him,
which is the same thing. The past
generation which is sleeping quietly
in the Magnolia cemetery, and Green
wood has nothing to do with the pres
ent, and we have no sympathy either
with them or their laws; let them
sleep together. But the constitution
under which we now live, to cut fan
tastic tricks before high heaven, is
o modern document, comparatively
speaking, and as it is supposed to be
the highest authority in the State, we
like to refer the gentlemen who have
come here to play grab for the spoils
of office to it. In doing so. the first
thing said to us by the opposition is,
"Well the last democratic Legislature
passed registry law. but prominent
Know Nothing. Col. w. j. A. Rob
crts, then a member of the House of
Reps, defeated its object with kill
ing clause" Granted. This is no
justification for the democrats who
voted for the death; on the contrary
it may have been done by the COL,
for capital, perhaps he wanted to test
the moral courage of the democracy
and used this method. What makes
us think so more strongly, is that al
though the Col. lat the time a demo
craft was squirting Know Nothing
wards. But say for argument that he
was not, and that he offered it in good
faith and with an eye singlely directed
to the interests of democracy. If he
did. he was then in the service CT the
democracy and it was a democratic
measure. The Col. has repented-
has been forgiven the sin and come
over to the path Of rectitude. The
service he has rendared the American