New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1859-03-22
GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION.

The following graphic we do not say entirely truth
full description of the late Legislature, is taken rom
the Farmerville tUnion Parish) Democrat Of the
18th inst. The editor Of that sterling Democratic
sheet must have been slightly angry when ne penned
the article 10 question. Read and ponder, il you DO
not unqualifedly believe, gentle subscriber;
THE LEGIsL AruRE.-The results Of the labors OF
the law.making department Of Louisiana are NO.
| unlike those Of the seed that was sown in bad
ground for all their Iabors are barren
/ bad and beautifully worse. In the first place, every
| fellow fought manfnlly to send somebody from his
own parish to represent the State in tue Y. 5 Senate
next adjourned for te,c days. then they adjourned
again, and still again Then they would of course,
proceed down to New Orleans on regular bust
| what delightful legislation! What fine eating in the
public pantry" roast beef and pay with ven
geance!s And hear the words Of command among
| those wise ones"
Honorable sirs, attention! Make ready, handle
the public money! Charge glasses and take some
grog!
"Oh, consistency, thou art jewell"
How beautifully consistent and funny for the
farmer to labor hard and pay enormous taxes to
tnnate as to be as well represented in the Legislature
as in the grog shops and gaming saloons of the CAPT
tai our laws would be more wholesome As it is,
the past presents miserable aspect; the future
promises nothing better.
We feel it bounden duty, as faithful journalists,
to correct some errors into which our Farmerville
contemporary has no doubt unwittingly fallen In the
first place, every fellow in the Legislature did not
seek to send somebody from his own parish to
represent the State in the U. S. Senate" Union
parish, for example, did nothing Of the Sort although
she had an able and wholesouled representative
Hon. J. G. Taylor-to move in her behalf. In fact,
there were no aspirants except from the parishes of
Bosser, Benvle, Carroll and Demonstrating some
forty-fye unambitious parishes--and Orleans came
out VIGOROUSLY ahead, we predicted she would on
numerous occasions, months and months prior to the
settlement of the great event in controversy. Here
is error number one, to which we respectfully beg
leave to call the attention of our contemporary.
Then, again, if the " seed that was sown in bad
ground has resulted in crop of Improbable legisa-
ton, who's to bame2 Why the sewers of the afore.
said seed and nobody else. The people are primarily
responsible for all the faults that have been commit.
ted; and we are determined that they shall not be
allowed to shrk any portion of the responsibility that
properly attaches to them, off upon the shoulders of
wearied agents, many of whom are now delightedly
vending their way homeward rejoicing at their es-
cape from their sixty days Of legislative imprison-
ment at Baton Rouge Let the people blame them
selves-not their representatives If they find,
after few more years experience, that they still re-
main incompetent to choose efficient and trustworthy
legislators, the sooner they change their system of
government the better for all parties concerned.
The first and longest adjournment was necessary,
and always will remain necessary, as long as the
seat of government continues at its present location.
The travelling committees cannot perform the duties
assigned them under week or ten days-that is,
perform them well and safely and it would be
neither just nor proper to carry on the business of
legislation with bare quorums in either House. This
proposition, we presume, will remain undisputed
In regard to the other adjournments we have nothing
to say, further than to express the opinion frankly
that if our Legislatures only convened every six
years, it would be happy and fortunate event for
people, especially that class known taxpayers.
Louisiana legislation, Of late years, far expen
diture of public money is concerned, seems to have
been based on the principle that the ends of wise
economy were subserved by watching the drops that
fall slowly and reluctantly and meagerly from the
spigot of the Treasury barrel, wholly unmindful of
the ruinous torrent that gushed forth from the bung
hole! Spigot parsimoniousness aud bung-hole waste
fulness have, in the first place, brought contempt
upon our boasted liberality and, in the second
plae, enlarged our taxes and bankrupted the trea-
sury.
Besides, the taxpayers have no right to complain
Representatives.. 1t doesn't half pay fifty per cent
Of gentleman's necessary expenses; and it would
be better that the per diem should be wholly abolished
or that the pay should be quadrupled in amount.
Then, firstly, men of wealth and leisure, if not Of
intelligence and patriotism would take charge of the
Government, and talented and ambitious poor men
would be ruled ont, as they now are, to great ex
tent, from participating in public affairs and, if
the second suggestion should be carried into effect,
and the pay increased, poor men of worth, learning
intelligence and patriotism, would be justified in
abandoning their private for sixty days. to
take part in the councils and government of the
Commonwealth. It strikes us that the adoption of
either proposition would be splendid arrangement
for the bona fde taxpayers of the State.
But, as " it's none of our funeral" we will close
by again drawing attention to the article from the
Farmerville Democrat. If there is some poetry in
Il, there ia much truth in it, also.