New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-03-22
LEGISLATIVE WORK.

few days since, they have done SO moro W
crafty bitter party feeling and preJudlce
than to subserve the ends Of truth and JUS
tice. They have failed 10 see anything out
ignorance, usurpation and corruption OF
the most astounding character in the work
of men that were chosen to do the first
legislation of the State after its admission
to representation in Congress under con-
stitution made and adopted in accordance
with the reconstruction laws. 1t has been
the chosen work of the opposition press to
misrepresent the efforts of the Re-
publican party to reconstruct the
State upon a thoroughly legal basis, and
give to the people code OF laws that
would meet and sustain the new order of
things, and secure a peaceful adminstra-
ton of the laws. The carrying out OF the
reconstruction measures in this State has
shown itself to be the same difficult and
even unpleasant task that has characterized
the work in all the States that were in
rebellion. The same prejudices and DIFF
fculties have had to be encountered and
overcome and in doing this, those who
have gone into the work as the represen-
tatives of the State, forming the legisla-
tive branch of the government, have met
with nothing from the opposition but
malicious denunciations and harm
less ridicule. If they had not
entered into this work of recon-
struction. for which they had received
nothing but abuse from those who rem
dered the work necessary, this State must
have remained under military govern
ment and without representation in Con-
gress. This condition would have pre-
vented the coming of immigrants into the
State; would have prevented, to large
extent, the cultivation of the soil, and re-
tarded all works of internal improvements.
Property would have been almost worth
less, and business Of all kinds at dead
halt. And for changing this gloomy pic
ture into one of brightness, and placing
our people again in fellowship with other
portions of common country, that were
anxious to receive and well
come them back-the men who
were foremost in this good work-men
who could meet their fellow men, without
regard to color or previous condition, in
accordance with the requirements of the
reconstruction laws and in good faith, in
every position of civil life; in the jury box,
at the ballot box and in the halls of legis-
lation-these are the men who are most
bitterly assailed. The Legislature has
come in for large share of this wholesale
denunciation. In the effort to keep up
the old prejudice against the new order of
things, the opposition have failed to see
any good in the work of those who
have been called upon to take
part in the State government under
the new constitution. Everybody has
been proclaimed infamous, vile. ignorant
and corrupt, that has had anything to do
with State Government that recognized
the civil and political equality of the col
ored man. Yet it must be confessed,
even by the opposition. after their anger
has cooled down, that much good has been
accomplished for the State by the Legis-
lature just adjourned. Many laws of
most wholesome nature have been passed,
looking to the assessment and collection
of the revenues of the State to appro-
priatioas for the support of the State Gov
eminent to a thorough system of public
education; to provide for the floating in
debtedness of the State; enacting militia
laws, registration laws and laws regulat-
ing elections; law for the reorganization
of the land Office, and to make provision
for the survey of the unsurveyed lands of
the State; law restricting the powers of
the courts to issue writs Of mandamus
and to provide for new District Court of
the parish of Orleans, and defining the
jurisdiction of the several courts, relative
especially to iDjunctions, mandamuses,
etc. Besides these, and many
other laws of most important
character to the whole State, the
Legislature has provided the city of New
Orleans.with new charter, consolidating
Algiers, Jefferson City and New Orleans
under one government in such form as to
secure cheap, efficient and responsible
administration of municipal affairs.
Many of these laws have not been pub
lshed, from the fact that they have not
yet passed into the hands of the Secretary
of State. When he receives them they
are copied, authenticated and forwarded
to the REPUBLICAN,, and published for the
information of the people.
The census of the United States for 1870
will soon be taken, and as the constitution
of this State requires that new apportion-
ment of representation shall then be had
on the basis of the new census, it is more
than probable that there may be q neces-
sity for another extra session of the MEM
bers of the present Legislature, as that is
work that should be accomplished, if pos
sible. before the elections next fall.
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THE RECOVERED COUPONS.
Soon after James Graham's installation
into the Auditors Office, he discovered a
deficiency in coupons amounting to more
than half million of dollars. This dis
covery was made a few DAYS previous To