New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-03-19
the following resolution was


and he is hereby empowered to proceed |
at once to New Y rk, Washington City or
such other places as may be necessary for
the iurtherance and mpishment OF
the object Of this commission, fully vested
and clothed with authoritv to negotiate,
on behalf of this said commission, loan or
appropriation, for levee purposes OF SIX
millions dollars, psedging for payment OF
the same the swamp lands OF the State OF
Louisiana not Otherwise approprlaled,
subject to the approval or the actloh OF inc
LEGISLATURE of the State of Louisiana, ana
upon terms not 10 exceed twenty per cent
discount.
"Said negotiations to be consummated
finally upon the deposit to the credlt
of the Board of Levee Commissioners OF
the proceeds of said loan or appropriation.
iSigued) WILLIAM W. PUGH,
Chairman of Committee.
(SiSned) c. IzAnD, Secretary.
Approved. ,,o.r WHY'S
Governor of the State OF LOUISIANA.
BY the Governor. !
(Signed) j. H. HARDY,
Secretary OF State"
also hold in my hands evidence COM
posed of documents and vouchers to show
an expenditure Of money by Angamar and
lard, and the report OF the Board OF
Levee Commissioners shows that every
item of their account was substantiated.
The gentlemen went to Washington aud
obtained the passage of an act OF Congress
| for the purpose OF indorsing our BONDS
pnon certain conditions which the State
never complied with. They afterwards
| went TO New York to negotiate THESE
| bonds.
Mr.. Coupland: How many days do they
claim. four hundred and odd, do they not!
Mr.. Ray: Yes.
MIR. COPELAND: They were appointed on
the twenty-ffth of October, 1866, and
they were recalled in August, 1867. How
do YOU make it more than year
| Mr. Ray: They went on two commls-
sions: they were af terward sent to Ne"
York for the purpose OF performing
commission there, if necessary; L could
show by the report of the committee OF
the House of Representatives hat the evil
| dence sustains all the items of the account
Believing the claim founded in law and
Justice, and with the evidence before us,
the Committee on Judiciary have reported
favorably on the claim. SO
Mr.. Lewis: I move the adoption OF the
bill on second reading.
Mr.. Bacon: On that question wish to
speak. / have distinct recol!ec-
ton of the circumstances transplr-
ing at the time these indivld-
uals went to Washington. L have no
documents before me to speak from the
figures. the condition OF things at the time
they went on. and the feeling and sentl-
ment respecting their mission. the amount
of authority they had. what they went to
DO. and what they effected. There was
l Wills fhpr acting
Governor of the State, and the Board of
I,evee Commissioners in existence pre-
vious to his administration, and the board
which he appointed, as to who should
have the custody aud disbursement OF the
leyee fund. They were very anxious to
oct hold of these funds and use them, aud
make all the money the could out OF them.
! The dispute respecting the custody OF the
bonds was such that they could not 90
ANYTHING with them. and it was hoped that
by going on to Washington that they
raipbt get some Endorsement by Congress.
J or in some other way get hold Of funds
/ there which could be employed here, aud
/ for the purpose of settling the disputes
= between parties who interiered on behalf
/ of Governor Wells: these men were sent
on by him without par icle Of authority,
3 without the slightest warrant for 1t, to get
t some Congressional Endorsement by which
t Governor Wells and his friends could have
/ the management of these funds. They
e went on to Washington, stayed at the
!, | hotels. went on to New York and then
came back here. In the meantime Gov
n ernor Wells had ceased to act, Flauder;
being appointed in his stead, and ne re-
yoked whatever authority they might have
bad. They came back after spending
a $40 OuO. as they said, and the
a very accounts which were referred
to in the report of the committee
: of the House of Representatives show
that in 1868 we had acknowledged seven
teen hundred dollars FOX one and about al
equal amount for another, and show bow
). enormous are these accounts which they
It have rendered as their expenses for thel
9 | commission.
h The Court of impeachment here assem-
: bled, and having adjourned, House bill NO
:. IO3 was adopted on second reading. Yeas
q IA. pays, ii. On subsequent day tn
@ bill was passed.
y Mr.. Braughn asked a suspension of th
e rules to introduce joint resolution.
h Rules suspended on a dlvision-a5 yeas
g. nays.
= The title is q "Joint resolution author
> ling a Joint committee to Investigate tn
affairs of the Opelousas Railroad Company
"a and report thereon, and authorizing to
Governor 10 carry out the recommends
tons of said committee.
Mr. Braughn: l will state. in explain
) alton OF this joint resolution, that for tn
d construction of the Opelousas Railroa
the city of New Orleans contributed on
4 and @ half millions of dollars, and tn
'e State of Louisiana contributed seven hun
70 dred thousand dollars, making total
n twenty-five hundred thousand dollars
d which the city and State have jointly con
le tributed toward the construction Of tina
n eoad. Mr.. Charles Morgan has becom
s, the owner Of that road, and it seems to N
OF that, as the representatives OF the people
10 we should take some measure to inquire
te into the nature and character OF the pre-
5 ceedings by which the city and State tav
r. been Invested of 50 large an interest. Flo
Id that purpose this joint resolution has bee
al introduced.
E. 1t looks to the appointment of a joir
go committee of the Senate and House
tn sit in the approaching recess. The men
II hers who compose this ymmittee are nc
to to have per diem CT mileage, but WI
is have one clerk to do the required writing
and.I think, there can be no objection to
p measure OF this kind, and |, therefore NOV
n, q further suspension of the rules to put tn
Joint resolution upon its second reading
a Mr.. Ray: | am in favor OF the resol'
OF ton, but it is very evident that 1t will X
auire legal men; il is a matter that ca
only be properly examined by those a
ouaiptad with the law. and 1t seems to IL