New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-09-13

~ SAAS S>APSnseS VI the Genera1 Assembly,
having been read, and being under consid.
eration-
Mr.. Ray: This bill (Senate bill No. 2OeJ
strikes me as one of great deal of impor-
tance, and would like to explain its object.
1t is to provide money to pay the current
expenses of the Legislature. The plan Of
the bill authorizes the Auditor to draw
warrants upon the State treasury to the
amount of 5000, 900, to pay the expenses Of
the Legislature. These warrants are to be
sold to the highest bidder, but at discount
not to exceed fifteen per cent and to be
pald-out OF the first moneys that come into
the treasury for taxes, and they are good
for taxes. 1t will be readily seen that the
warrants contemplated by this bill can be
negotiated to much better advantage, and
At better rates than those we have now.
This is provided for in the bill itself, which
provides that they shall be disposed of at
discount not to exceed fifteen per cent.
A great many members of the Legislature,
who have now been here for months with.
out pay, except in our present deprecated
warrants, are suffering In consequence for
the means OF supporting themselves and
families. This is also the case with many
of the employees, and it is the object Of this
bin to provide the means Of relieving them.
1t has the same end in view as the
resolution just offered by Senator Poindex-
ter, though it proposes to reach it by a diff
forest route that will not only, as we be-
lieve, prove more beneficial and satisfactory
to members themselves but it will result in q
glestsaving to the State.
senator Poindexter's resolution, if adopt.
ed, will cost the Taxpayers at least twenty
tive per cent, and will probably not eyen
then secure full pay 70 members and en-
ployes, while it is believed that the passage
OF this bill will secure them full pay and
only cost the State fifteen per cent at the
outside. In order that we may more clear.y
| h n nj nj Of 4
will ask the Secretary to read it again.
The Secretary accordingly read the bill.
Mr.. Ray Now it will be seen that this
| bill will not only secure tull compensation
| to members and employees, and that at most
it can cause a loss OF but fifteen per cent to
| the taxpayers while Senator Poindexter's
resolution would entaila loss oftwenty five
| per cent upon the taxpayers and probably
not even then secure full pay TO members
and employees. 1 therefore hope the bill
will pass.
Mr.. Poindexter Mr.. President We
members have been here now for near three
months and we have got nary dollar for our
| pay. All we got is these warrants that we
| have got to stand shave of from fifteen
to twenty, twenty five, thirty per cent ON.
| Yes, Sir, we can't sell them to day nowhere
unless we stand loss of thirty
cents on every dollar. This is tol-
| erably hard for a poor man to stand
| who nave got families TO support these hard
times. Now we can't sell these warrants
for less than thirty cents discount on every
| dollar; and what l ask for in my resolution
is 10 have these warrants drawn for only
| twenty five per cent more than they are, and
! then we will still lose considerable be-
cause they sell for thirty cents discount,
| and this discount will be on the twenty-five
per cent addition, as well as on the other,
and besides this discount is all the time q
rising. Now, Mr.. Rays bill, as / under
standit, don't seem to meet the case in hand
a. all. This bill is simply to put money in
the treasury, and that won't do us any
good. 1t will all be paid out to
these gentlemen who have bought up
this bill don't help us any for the past on
these warrants we have been compelled to
sell and sacrifice on. That ought to be pro
vided for too, Now, the point is, that,th
article of the Constitution says that mem
bers of the General Assembly shall have SS
day out of the treasury for their services.
Now, we are only getting about Sc so a day;
not out OF the treasury, but on the streets
from any shaver we can find to take advap-
tage OF our necessities. Now, sir, | think
something. ought to be done to cure this.
evil, and don't see how this bill is going
to do it.. 1t don't attempt to compensate
| us for what we have already lost
Mr.. Ray: 1t is true that there is no pro-
vision in this bill by which compensation is
secured to members for what they have lost
ulsDDEeu
at sacrifice; but it imposes no obstacle In
the way of future legislation upon that sub
iect. But what is desired to be done in this
bill is to prevent further losses of this kind,
and we can provide for the past hereafter,
if it is thought just and advisable to do so.
Mr.. Pollard: l want to know at what rate
Of discount these 5000 900 of bonds have to
be sold. l don't understand that.
MIR. Ray: The bill provides that they shall
be sold at discount not to exceed fifteen
per cent. 1t is highly probable they can be
sold at much better rate than that; but
fifteen per cent.
Mr. Braughu: Mr.. President, | believe
that if the members of this Senate UNDER
stand this bill they will support it. 1t is in
my opinion the only bill we are likely to
pass that will accomplish the object which
it contemplates; and believe it will do this
at the least possible expense to the State.
This bill proposes to secure to members and
employees OF this General Assembly their
full pay, and it will do 1t at the least possi-
BILE expense to the people. The Treasury is
| empty, and the only alternative is to carry
on the government for the time being upon
the credit of the State, and what this bill
proposes is, to meet this emergency with
the least possible sacrifice to all concerned.
II provides for the issuing of these warrants
| in these large amounts and guarantees their
payment out of the first moneys that shall
come into the Treasury. This must
necessarily give them the highest credit
which we can give them and secure their
sale at the smallest sacrifice. am in favor
| OF this bib and trust that every member
WAC desires to provide any means of pay
ing the expenses of this Legislature will
vote for 1t. Senator Poindexteris bill pro-
poses to protect the members of the General
! Assembly. The object of this bill is the
same and it proposes to accomplish it at
| saving TO the State Of at least ten per cent.
This bill provides for the negotiation Of
$500, 600 worth of these bonds at the
smallest possible sacrifice to the State, and
then it provides for the payment of mem
bers and employees out of the proceeds OF
the same dollar for dollar. This seems to
me to be the most expeditions and economi-
cal mode Of meeting the exigency in which
we find ourselves placed. And If the reso.
luton Of Mr.. Poindexter should he adonfed
| a howl would be set up all over this State
against members for asking TWENTY-FIVE pel.
| cent more pay than they are entitled to.
| The people would not stop to exaraino care
| fully into The circumstances and necessities
| which caused such action upon our part, but
| they would persist In charging us with
pocketng one. quarter more of their money
than we were entitled to, and for this reason
alone should oppose that resolution were
II before the House. This bill seems to Of
Ter the only proper mode of extricating our
selves from the emergency in which we find
ourselves placed, and am in favor Of its
| passage.
Mr.. Day: Mr.. President, I desire to make
\ one statement It seems to me that If the
| General Assembly would take the proper
| steps to make the warrants already Issued
payable for taxes, it would obyiate the diff