Daily clarion and standard., 1866-07-17
Correspondence of Ghe Daily Clarion and
STANDARD
LETTER FROM NEW ORLEANS
NEw ORLEANS, July 18th, 1866

New ORLEANS, July 18th, 1866
The absorbing topic of conversation
in this city now, IS the proclamation
recently made by Judge Howell, Presi-
dent pro TEN, Of the Convention of
1861, ordering the re-assembling of
! that body, and requesting Governor
| Wells to order an election to fill such
vacancies as may be in it. This is
one Of the boldest and most outra-
| geous attempts to override the rights
of the people that has been made yet.
Originally acting without legal author
ty, this Convention after adopting a
| constitution which was satisfactory to
the military authority, which called it
together, adjourned and became ex-
tinct of course The constitution al
though never accepted by quarter of
the citizens of the State, has since
been regarded as the supreme law, and
it is under its provisions that the whole
machinery of our State Government
now works. A part of the men who
formed this constitution becoming dis
satisfied at the present state of affairs,
all having been beaten for office at the
last elections, now set to work up the
State Government and organize over
again on a basis which will preclude
their ever again being left out i'll the
cold. They propose to disfranchise
all who sided with the Confederacy
during the war, and to enfrachise ne
groes to approve of the amendment
to the Constitution lately passed by
Congress, and to do hundred other
things which their malice may prompt
They desire Gov Wells to order an
election but will take care that no
one will be admitted in the Convention
but men of their own stripe-for as
every body has the right to decide up
pom the qualifications of its own mem
bers they will exclude all but such as
have agreed before hand to their plat
form. Rumor says that the Gov
ernor is with them and will order the
election. Ifhe does, they will have to
get President J Johnson with them too,
for no one will obey their ordinances
the President backs them in this move,
the white people of Louisiana are "up
a spout and no mistake
City railroad schemes are being got
ten up with a rapidity that threatens a
speedy abolition of pedestrianism in
all the principle thoroughfares Last
night the Board of Assistant Aldermen
adopted an ordinance for selling the
right of way for railroads on about
forty streets and petition was pre-
sented asking the privilege to build
railroad over six or eight more
lord sakes, as an old friend of mine |
used to say, who would not be an al |
derman these days? Next to owning |
all the property in the city, we know |
of no more comfortable position
The city continues to be remarkably
healthy, there being only 81 deaths
during the week ending last Sunday.
Business of all kinds is very dull =
Messrs r. Blekely d Co, wholesale
groeers, corner of Tchoupitoulas and
Poydras streets, who have one of the
largest and best selected stocks of
goods in their line, to be found in the
Southwest, inform me that they have
never known it to be so dull The
heat which has been intense during
the last ten days may perhaps account
for this stagnation of trade, as people
do not like to exert themselves much
in hot weather.