Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1857-03-07
The New orleans Election Bill.

4SSAV
We have not as yet felt sufficient interest
to read a bill now before the Legislature for
regulating the elections in New Orleans and
as the comments Of the N. O. papers gives US
an insight into it, we doubt if we ever shall.
With the exception of one journal in the city,
it is unanimously and bitterly condemned
The Bee thinks the bill is unconstitutional
The Picaytne says "it is q most extraordinary
and unprecedented measure, full Of
tons, and we cannot imagine the possibility Of
its receiving the sanction of the Legislature.
On the contrary, zoe can. The Delta says
"every voter shall be compelled, if he choose
to use his prerogative as an American citizen,
to walk unarmed like a lamb to the shambles
we mean the polls-while the Superinten-
dent and his hosts of deputies, perhaps all of
a different political stamp, shall be provided by
law with weapons to use against him, if he can
be made to take part in o broil. We protest
against such legislative acts as this" The
Bulletin says it has no party animOsities to
crafty: "but as q citizen we regard this meas
sure as not only of doubtful policy for the
party originating it. but as q dangerous eXpe-
dent" The Crescent seems more bitterly
opposed to the bill, if possible, than any of its
cotemporaries we have lost the paper contain
ing its first remarks upon the subject in o
subsequent number it says: "If the Legisla-
ture of Louisiana supposes, or any members
thereof suppose, that the free born, indepen-
dent, intelligent and honest citizens Of this
metropolis are going to submit to the unparal~
leled, uncalled for and outrageous tyrannies
proposed by this bill-that they will taEAely
truckle to the abrogation of trial by jury and
to d revival of the atrocious system
of Imprisonment for debt,--they are wofully
mistaken. The future, under any and all cir
cumstances that may arise, can have nothing
in store for us half as bad as this bill proposes
to inflict upon us.
Notwithstanding these hard licks of public
as exemplifed by the above quotations,
the bill passed its third reading in the House
on Saturday last by q vote of SO to l9--many
members being absent. There was a lively
debate previous to the taking of the vote, as
telegraphed to the Picayune, from which we
extract the following:
Dir. Downes also disclaimed all party feel~
ing; in fact, he had never seen the necessity Of
any bill for the protection Of Democratic vo-
tiers in New Orleans. SIR. D. became perfectly
terrific in the expression of his sanguinary
ideas, and my thin blood was chilled by his
suggesting that the Democrats of New Or
leans should have long since deluged the streets
with blood. and strewn their bodies about in
the most CORY and CONSPICUOUS manner, rather
than to submit to such wrongs as were COM
planned of. He ventured The assertion that it
would not be healthy for Red Warriors" to
make q display in I~berville, and then vent on
to say that this was not the first reign of ter~
ror-that in the days of John Adams, Demo~
Gratis could only approach the polls in safety
by going in armed bands.
Mr.. E. Woodbridge expressed desire to learn
in what portion of American history the gem
had found the chronicles of the first
reign of terror alluded to, and was informed
that it was q tradition in his (Mr. D's.) family.
If the reporter or Mr. Woodbridge, or both,
the reply Of Mr. pownes, as here
given, we must confess that we do not.
Since the above was in type We find the fol-
telegraphic despatch in the Picayune :
BATON. ROUGE, March 3.-The Election bill,
prepared by Mr.. Semmes, and which passed the
wass killed in the Senate caucus last ]
and Mr.. st. PauI's bill was substituted
all the military features stricken out.
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