The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1859-02-09

islature of Louisiana should exercise a little
economy The Indebtedness of the State fall,
but little short of eleven million of dollars, and
is hourly increasing. Such is the impoyished
condition of the public money chest that the
treasurer is forced to inform the Legislature
"the State would have been protested for the
interest due on the public debtin July, August
September, October and November, had no
the State Bank voluntarily paid i'll" In Other
words, that the State of Louisiana would have
been dishonored and her credit ruined bul fol
the lberality of the directory of the State Bank,
who are more solicitous for the character of the
commonwealth than the members Of the legis-
lature appear to be- Who is to be held respon-
sible for this depIorable condition of public af-
fairs? Surely, the political party who now and
for many years past have managed the State
just as suited their pleasure or caprice. Can
not something even now be done to mitigate
the evils? tits apparent that the legislature
must inaugurate system of 'retrenchment and
REFORM otherwise our citizens must submit to
an increase Of taxation. The latter alternative
would not prove very Palatable. The people
Of Louisiana are more heavily taxed than those
Of any other State-neary so per cent. greater
than any of their neghbors bordering on the
Mississippi river Then let the expenditures
be curtailed and kept within the limits of the
annual revenUe-let ear Legislators be just be-
fore they are generous. The governor esti
mates the expenses Of the State this year at
S746, 600; but many of the items can be cut
down, and not few dispensed with. He puts
down for public printing $43, 600, when to our
personal knowledge for many years the public
printing Of Louisiana never exceeded $4,000.
In South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi and
Tennessee, States more thickly settled and with
greater populations than Louisiana, consequent
ly requiring larger expenditure for general
diffusion of governmental affairs, the annual
expenditures for public printing, including bind
ing, ETC., never exceed 81 5000; while in Ma
ryland they average $4,000, and in North Ca
rolna $1,000. Last year strenuous efforts were
made to abate this scandalous waste of public
but they were successfully met and de-
feated by the plea set up by an enthusiastic de-
member of the house Of the necessity
of keeping up "acentral organ" in the southern
parishes. We are at loss to discover why the
people at large should be taxed from $4,000
to $4,000 per annum to maintain central
organ" Of democracy. The expenses of the
legislature might also be considerably reduced,
800 600 being more than the laboris worth
A few years ago, when the legislature compriS-
ed larger number of members than at this
time, 600 per annum proved sufficient to
meet all demands; but then The present race Of
hungry hangerson and expectants were not
fed out Of the public crib. In 1857, our gen
erous legislators veted SIG, 400 TO pay off the
clerks of the senate alone, when the work could
readily have been executed for $4,000, and
money been made by the job. The same thing
occurred with the clerks of the house, only they
cost a little more As it was in 1857, SO it was
in 1853. Vast amounts were thrown away,
without benefit to the State her citizens, or any
one save the particular friends Of those in place
and power Every year thousands Of dollars
are donated for useless purposes, and the en-
condition of the State demands that
henceforth its means shoad be husbanded, at
least until we are out Of debt.
It's an interesting item, and one almost IN
known to travellers, that with the exception of
gap of so miles on the Mississippi Central rail-
road-which is graded, the ties, trestle-work
and bridges progressing rapidly and the iron
for the track to be Oh the ground by the 1st of
July, and the eighteen miles Of steamboating
between Columbus and Cairo-the whole dis
ance between New Orleans and Cincinnati, as
we'll as Louisville, St. Louis, Chicago, New
7 ork. and all the principal northern and east
I'm cities, can now be traversed by railroad d. |
'ect and without detention. The route entire
) as follows from New Orleans to Canton,
oy the n. 0. and Jackson railway; from Can
on Including the so miles of staging named
lbove) to Grand Junction, Tenn, on the Mem
1his and Charleston road, SO miles east of (
Memphis, by the Mississippi Central road; from
Grand Junction to Jackson, Madison county, |
Tenn, by the Mississippi Central and Tennes-
zee road; from Jackson to Columbus, KY, by
he Mobile and Ohio road; from Columbus to
Jaro by steamboat; and from Cairo, by the
illinois Central road andits connections, to Gin
innati, Louisville, St. Louis, Chicago, Pitts
,urg New York, &c. When the Shreveport
DAD is completed to the Mississippi, we will be
n direct daily communication by railway with
II the above places.
GREAT DIscovERY.-Dr. Beck, Of Dantzic,
laims to have made curious and important
scovery-nothing less than an antidote or pre-
entiye TO drunkenness. tits mineral paste,
nclosed in 40 olive, which, once absorbed, de-
troys not only the rising effect but all the evils
rising from an over indulgence in ardent spir-
5 and wines. The doctor tried number OF
experiments on Pole, named Radevil, an II
eclaimable drunkard, with astonishing success