New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-09-05
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

1 AOOGAAA iAAN OLa
| -
NOTES IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
| On Thursday, in the House, petition from
j. Madison Wells was introduced. asking
| that the State reimburse MIN for losses in
| the destruction of his property by the State
and Confederate States authorities during
| the war.
Mr.. McMillen, of Carroll, objected to re-
ceivlng the petition, and declared the sub
ject of asking compensation from the State
FOR property destroyed by bands Of armed
rebels to be repulsive. He desired to see
1t published throughout the length and
breadth of the lard that this House refused
to listen to such petition.
Let this House declare that we are not
here to consider the question of payment for
property destroyed in the late war but that
we are here to reconstruct the State. Let
the House send back the petition to the
party from whom it came.
Mr.. Noble, OF Orleans, maintained that
the right OF petition should be respected
and advocated the reference of the memo
rial to some committee, that the merits of
the claim might be investigated. This he
regarded as tine proper course to pursue in
reference to any petition.
MIR. Murrell, OF Lafoutche: Whether we
greet this petition with courtesy or not, it is
a shame for the petition to find its way to
the Speakers desk. 1t is a shame to con
slider for a moment the payment of claims
for property destroyed by the Confederates.
Other disgraceful bills may come to this
House: others may come here asking com
pensation for property that has been de-
stroyed by the Confederates 1t is not the
province of this House to consider such
petition as that presented here now. 1t is
an imposition to bring such bill into this
House. 1t should be referred back TO the
member who presented it.
Mr.. Garstkamp, Of Jefferson: 1t IS an IN
suit to the member who Offered the petition
to reject it and return it to him. We have
committees to consider petitions and inves
tigate claims, and this petition should be
referred to a committee.
Mr.. McVean, OF Caddo, The petition
ought to be received, and the motion to re-
fer it to a committee ought to prevail.
Tue petition was not received.
III the discussion on Senate bill No. TO- to
create Board of Public Works, and divide
the State into internal improvement dis
tricts, Mr.. McMillen, of Carroll, declared
that he was opposed to districting the
State,
Mr.. Noble, of Orleans, favored some legis-
latiol to secure protection to the levees.
Before the war, at the tap of the plantation
bell, three hundred men could at any mo.
ment be summoned to stop crevasse.
Then serious breaks in the levee were IN
frequent. But under the new system of
labor, for the benefit of the whole people,
the House and Senate should agree upon
some plan by which levees can be built and
foundations be prevented. He announced
himself in favor OF a system compelling the
riparian owners to protect the levee on their
own frontage, and this plan he believed
would, at some time, be adopted.
M. Murrel, of Lafourche: | don't think
we should swallow everything the Senate
sends US. They are men like us, and we
should act upon our own responsibility and
Judgment in the consideration of this bill.
Mr.. Carr, of Orleans; | am not in favor of
the commissioner of another internal i'm
provement district having the expenditure
Of money for this district, and am in favor
of the amendment of the Committee, declar-
ing that the First District shall comprise all
that part Of the State east of the Mississippi
river.
The amendment was adopted.
On the bill from the Senate authorizing
the city of New Orleans to borrow an
amount, not exceeding one. million dollars,
for current expenses, at a rate OF interest
not exceeding ten per cent.
Mr.. Noble, OF Orleans, moved to substitute
eight per cent, as the rate demanded by
capitalists would be sure to come up to the
limit fixed in the bill. The motion to thus
amend was lost.
On the registration bill and the additional
sections, in it, Mr.. Noble said: to each one
Of hundred thousand voters registered
under the machinery of the reconstruction
laws was given certificate of registration.
DO you mean to say that they cannot vote
with these certificates? The proper policy
is to put the new Registers in possession Of
the books of the reconstruction registra-
ton.
It is 4 sheer impossibility to register a
hundred thousand voters between now and
election day; the new Registrars should
register only the sc who have become voters
since the last election,
1t is legal question, a very nice and
very elaborate question, to decide that those
who have been registered shall not vote
without a new registration. 1t is tanta
mount to declaring that the hundred thou
sand voters already registered shall not be
allowed to vote.
This House should appoint a committee.
and draw upa bill to register additional
voters. This bill denies registration to one.
half the Republicans Of the whole State,
who were in majority of twenty thousand
1t the late election.
NV remarks are crude, for / am unprc-
pared, having supposed the whole matter
was settled yesterday.
Mr.. Morey, of 0uachita: agree with the
gentleman from Orleans that his remarks
were crude. The registration law requires
that all voters shall 6e registered. Discus.
sion on the bill in its present shape is use
ess. r.
The amendments were adopted, and the
Dill passed through all its stages, and sent
10 the Senate for concurrence.
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