New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-09-24
THE LEGIsLATURE


Mr.. Todd: This committee had nothing
to do with investigating the usefulness Of
that committee; but their business was tC
| examine whether the clerks had performed
this extra work. The gentleman was moi
present when the report was made, nor was
he there when the books were examined,
but this was his own fault.
Mr.. Campbell: / will merely state that
the committee made report stating the
| facts in this case. They stated the fact thai
these clerks had submitted TO a shave upoI
their warrants and had worked all day and
part of the night, consequently they deserve
this extra compensation.
Mr.. Bacon: 1t is a fact well known tc
every Senator on this floor that
| there is large number Of clerks
employed to do nothing, who, by the
WAY, seem to be attending TO their employ
| ment most admirably. And these clerks
| who have done this hard work before this
| committee, no doubt have great cause for
| complaint, that while they have been thus
working very hard, there is number OF
others who do nothing at all. We would be
glad to see men who have done hard work
paid in proportion, and l think it is time
that we dispensed with those who are doing
nothing, and make them give their assist
ance to those poor clerks who are over
worked on that election committee. The
committee is of no account, of course, but
the clerks ought to have their pay. ...
Mr.. Campbell; Mr.. President, will simply
say that concur fully with the remarks of
the Senator; but suggest that it is not Just
to have innocent men suffer tor the short
comings of the guilty. It will be time
enough for the Senator to judge of the ne.
cessity for the committal when its report
has been heard. l will merely state that In
order to finish this as soon as practicable
we engaged our clerks to work at
trYht Eutl hoA MA TrnN
submit the matter Of extra compensation
for them to the General Assembly.
If they had not work ed at night it would
have taken them two months longer. As
to the work of this committee and its use
fulness, will merely say that when the
testimony taken by it is published, the Sen.
ator himself will admit to the Senate that
it has accomplished good work in holding
the mirror 40 to nature.
Mr.. Bacon: / merely said that while these
clerks had been working so hard there have
been a large number of others who have
done nothing at all.
The report of the Special Committee was
rejected.
An act respecting improvements and fines
having been returned by the Governor with
out his signature
Mr.. Bacon: Mr.. President, don't know
when ! have been more astonished than
WAS W lehIu Int OONtIuOE ludl LudJ
bill had been thus passed, for the original
bill upon this subject was bill submitted
by myself at the beginning of the session,
for the express purpose of preventing the
very things which this bill before US pro.
vides shall be done. This bill which / in
troduced passed the Senate, and expressly
prohibited these Judges and other officers
and functionaries from doing any acts such
as this bill now provides they shall do.
How this bill Of mine became transmog-
rified into the very opposite can not imag-
inc. 1t must have been done in the House
or it was incorrectly enrolled by the En-
rolling Clerk. / would, therefore, ask that
that committee be appointed to examine
and see how it happened that this bill, which
was introduced into the Senate to prevent
these Recorders and other minor justices
who are in the habit Of renting and com
pounding fines and imprisonments, which
they impose, and which is contrary to law,
has been transformed into one authorizing
them to do this thing.
Mr.. Ray: Mr.. President, on Saturday l
CHANGED to step into the Governors office,
and he told me, he was writing veto mes
sage. He showed me the bill, and told
him that no such bill had ever passed the
Senate, but exactly the opposite. | think
there must be some mistake about this bill,
Mr.: Lynch: A member Of the Judiciary
Committee informed me he voted for law
exactly the opposite of what is in this bill.
committee to investigate the matter
was appointed.