Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??, 1866-02-20
sPECIAL LEGIsLATION.
al bill passed the Senate Of the

of Orleans, by virtue of any order q
Court, shall Z be published in th
newspaper hereinafter provided 70
that purpose, in French and English
!. for the number of times and for tn
period now required by existing
laws; and that it shall no longer b.
deemed necessary to insert said ad
. yertisements in any other newspape
in New Orleans"
The bill then sets forth how ,
printer shall be chosen, to do, thi,
advertising work; enumerates at con
siderable length some unimportan
details, and concludes in these words
"That this act shall take effect from
and after its passage; and the first
election to take place on the first
Monday after its becoming law"
Some years ago an effort was made
to create judicial advertising mo.
nopoly in favor of the New Orleans
Courier, then the official gazette OF
the Commonwealth The Courier
was the old-time organ of the Demo
cratic party, and its pretensions were
sustained, ably and unqualifedly, by
the leaders Of the party in power
then, popularity designated as "Sli-
dellians" In the Senate, where the
bill was effectually killed, the De-
mocracy We're about three to one in
the majority; but the arguments,
showing up the monstrosity Of the
proposition, employed by Senators,
were SO convincing and powerful,
that it was defeated despite the en-
deavors of party drill and discipline.
Senators Kenner, of Ascension, and
Ryan, of Rapides, were extremely
able, vigorous and eloquent in their
denunciations of the proposed statute.
The entire press of the city-the
Bulletin, Bee, True Delta, Crescent,
Delta, etc.-with the exception Of
the Courier, denounced the contem-
plated monopoly in strong and vigor-
GUS terms, and demonstrated that the
law then and now in existence, which
gives to the parties directly inter-
ested the right to select for them
selves, was just and equitable, and
public sentiment, outside certain
political circles, ran so decidedly
against the measure that it's very
authors became ashamed of their
offspring, and soon repudiated it
altogether.
For our part we care very little
whether theebill passes the House of
Representatives or not, further than
that we regard special legislation as
unjust, impolitic and injurious. Be- /
sides, there is very little room for
doubt that the bill, if it ever becomes |
a law, will be pronounced unconsti-
tutional by the Courts whenever
test question is properly presented.
If the Legislature can regulate
mans advertising business, it can
direct where he shall buy his hat,
boots, shoes, clothing-restrict the
dimensions of his wife's crinoline, or
prohibit her from wearing hoops
altogether--and do anything and
everything, for its authority will only
be limited by the whims, interests or
caprices of the moment aana
The above from the New Orleans
True Delta, hits the nail upon the
head in what it says Of special legis-
alton. This kind of Legislation, in
wolves an unjust partially of princiie--
pie quite as obnoxious in it's way as
S that odious system Of class or sec
,ional legislation which has fastened
Itself upon the Republican Congress.
Both lead to the most unwarrantable !
abuses upon the rights of citizens at
arge. Under the aimsy veil or pre-
ext of protection, this sort of legisla-
ion in the end, works to the exclu
i've benefit of few and the serious
injury of the many. It bears the
lamp of monopoly upon the very {
ace of it, and like most monopolies, S
vhen legislated into being, carries
With it crushing weight to all out
ide its immediate sunshine Of favors I
nd benefits. 9
AS the True Delta well remarks, t
the Legislature can regulate /
mans advertising business, it can !
irect where he shall buy his hat,
oots, &c. One would be as just :
nd fair as the other. !
Why not leave this matter of ju- E