New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-02-16

and annually thereafter, as provided in said ct,
chaFter, at each OF which said elections sufficient
number of aldermen and assistant aldermen shall
be elected to f the places of those going out,
| SEQ 3. BE u further enacted. etc., That ~,
and after the first Monday of June, 1868, elections
1 shall be held for mayor, controller, recorders
aldermen and assistant aldermen, for the period,
stated, and in accordance with the reaulrements
and provisions Of the said act to consolidate the
city of New Orleans, etc., approved March 2oth
| 1866.
SEC. 4. Be further enacted, ETC., That this ACT
shall be in force from and after its passage.
{Signed) -@ DUNCAN S. CAGE,
1 .-a Speaker of the House of Representatives
(signed), ALBERT VOORHEES,,
Lieutenant Governor and President of the Senate
The accompanying message of the Governor
was then read, as follows: n
STATE OF LOUISIANA, EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT. !,
.Ya-gsfts, usrs February 9th, 1866.
| Tothe Honorable Senate of the State of Louisiana:
| Gentlenen-The bill which originated in vour
honorable House. appointing day at an unusual
time for the holding of municipal election in the
city of New Orleans, would were there no more
powerful objections to it, challenge its rejection bv
me on constitutional grounds. Exceptional sgis-
aton, unless in seasons of peculiar need or great
emergency, is to be greatly deprecated.
The necessity for anticipating the period fixed
by law for holding this election is not apparent
no public opinion can be invoked in its support,
even,were ! to permit my judgment and conscience
to be controlled by popular clamor or legislative
urgency.
But very serious objections, apart from consti-
tutional scruples, exist in my mind to the holding
of municipal elections in New Orleans unaccom.
panied by proper guarantees that it will be in my
power to see the laws faithfully executed.
| Such guarantees suitable amendments of the
present charter with radical revision of the
registry and election laws applicable to the parish
| of Orleans, will, in my opinion, give.
1t is within the knowledge of all citizens resi-
dent here before the war, that for years preceding
the rebellion, elections in the parish of Orleans
| were cruel moekery of free government. Bands
| Of organized desperadoes, Immediately preceding
and during an election, committed every species
of outrage upon peaceful and unotfending citizens
to intimidate them from the exercise of the inest
mable privilege of freemen, the elective franchise.
registry of fourteen thousand names, in
| the days alluded to, could scarcely furnish one
fourth of that number of legal votes at the polls
although six or seven thousand votes were usually
ds 40 SudtA dilat 'ut possibility
of a return to such condition of affairs, many
citizens Of integrity, intelligence and loyalty to
the Union, who believe that new danger will now
be added to the pre-existng ones, in the expected
rapid increase of population, advise reconsidera-
ton of the electoral qualification in all municipal
elections for the future; holding that experience
has shown conclusively that they cannot be con
fused with the political contests of the times with
safety to the true interests of the country. This
view is worthy of respectful consideration.
| Preeminently demanding the serious attention
| of legislators in the altered circumstances of our
State and its institutions, is the unequal dstrbu-
ton of the white Inhabitants of the common
wealth, by means of which perilous preponder-
ance of political power is placed at the disposal
of the ever changing population of its chief city.
At this moment it is safe to affirm there is larger
white population in the parish Of Orleans than in
all the other parishes of the State combined, and
the likelihood nay, the certainty is, that for years
to come the increase will continue to be largely in
favor of New Orleans mention this in no spirit
of unkindness to our queen city.
entertain none of that jealousy of her some
times charged to exist among agricultural people
like myself; but while desire with all my heart
to see her great prosperous, and free, and will do
all in my power to render her SO, with my consent,
she shall never be endowed with political power
to the transient degradation or lasting injury of
the rest of the State. A just equilibrium must be
required and retained. If the electoral system ap-
pcable to the parish of Orleans is so constituted
that subsidized scum can diminish by violence
and intimidation one half of the electoral strength
the same dangerous agency, when their employers
have apurpose to serve, can double the legal vote
by frauds familiar to such men. Before the usual
time, indicated by the charter for an election of
municipal officers, the legislature can secure the
State against the dangers to be justly appre-
hended, by the enactment of suitable laws, and
remove other minor objections that are urged 1t
is with extreme wilingnessI come to conclusions
different from those reached by legislative wis
dom, but in the present instance, the pain should
ordinarily feel is lessened, by the confident belief
that your honorable House will appreciate Justly
my reasons for returning this bill unapproved.
(signed) MADISON WELLS,
h N.7- er-r-- Governor of Louisiana
On motion of Mr.. Jonas, q call of the House was
ordered, and the roll being called, there were
present: 7"'
Hon. d. S. Gage, Speaker, and Messrs. Ander-
son j., Anderson s., Austin, Addison, Bailey, Ben
sci, Blacknan, Bonnabel, Brown, Buie, Bruton,
Collins, Couvllon, Davenport Daigle, Deblanc,
Delamore, Deporter, DeLabarre, Decker, Ditto,
Durable, Eastn, Eager, Elan, Eldridge, Eustis,
Edwards, Fagot, tenner, Freret, Fishburn, Fulda,
Gaisser, Green Gottschalk, Hanlon, Halsey, Har-
rison, Head, HATCH, Hays, Henderson, Higgins,
Holt, Hudspeth, Jonas, Kent, Kelly, Kidd, Kile,
Labranche, Lagroue, Laurent, Leeds, Lemarie,
Leblanc, Lewis, Lpscomb, Meredith, McEnery,
Mcconnell, Mcdonald McGee, McCloskey More
land, Montgomery, Murray, Mutt, Ormond,. Peter
son, Phillips James, Phillips Alf, Powell, Pujo,
Regenberg, Richardson, Richards, Roman Rogers, |
Robinson, Ryan, Sambola, Seaman, Seger, Snider,
Smith, Stille, Scott, Solomon Tete, Theriot,
Theneman, Tucker, Voorhies, Walker, Whiting
ton, Witt, Waggaman, Williamson and Weeks
9S Representatives.
Mr.. Mcconnell called for the previous, question,
and the call was seconded by the House, by the |
following vote, the yeas and nays being called for
by Messrs. Elan and Mcconnell:
Yeas--Messrs. Anderson j., Anderson Samuel, |
Austin, Addison, Bailey, Bensel, Blackman, Bonna-
bel, Brown, Buie, Bruton, Collins, Couyillon, Dav-
enport, Dagle. Deblanc, Delamore, Deporter,
DeLabarre, Decker, Ditto, Durable, Eastin, Eager,
Elan, Eldrdge, Eustis, Edwards Fagot, Fenner,
Freret, Fishburn, Fulda, Gaisser, Green, Colts
chalk, Hanlon Halsey, Harrison, Head, Hatch,
Hays, Henderson, Higgins, Holt, Hudspeth, Jonas,
Kelly, Kidd, Kile, Labranche, Lagroue Leeds,
Lemarie, Leblanc, Lewis, Lpscomb, Meredith,
MCkefypy McEnery McEnnneU Mcnnpol5 No