New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-02-17


voting therein. There was another equally
proper, requiring to the city delegation
to report the bill concerning the city
floating debt.
In the evening session of the Senate the
principal business was the debate on, and
passage of. Senate bill No. 1877, being IAN
act to extend the limits Of the parish OF
Orleans, etc The bill was passed, but
so much amended that it makes but little
difference IN the city charter rs it was be-
fore the passage of the bill The first
seven sections of the bill were struck out,
which disposed of everything in the shape
Of extension, leaving the city limits pre-
cisely as they were before.
The main features in the bill as passed
are that it better defines the duties OF the
several city Administrators; particularly,
they are to hold over until the general
election of 1872 when the City Council
will be elected together, and so thereafter
every two years.
provision that the majority OF property
holders on any particular street should
have the power to decide upon the par
ticular kind of paving to be used, and
more especially in relation to patent pave
ments Of any description. The title of
the bill was changed to conform to the
various alterations made, before its final
passage.
We are by no means sure whether the
amendment leaving the limits OF the city
as they now are is q wise one. Bat we
have. already discussed the matter, and
1.-The deed is done"
The only other prominent matter was
the calling up of the bill relating to
slaughterhouses, SO summarily passed by
the House on Wednesday evening. This
bill, which is virtual abolition of the
Crescent City Slaughterhouse Company,
was made the order of the day for this
evening.
In the House, considerable part OF
tie morning was occupied in taking up
bills on a first reading, and referring
them to appropriate committees. This
involved considerable speaking-r0c e
prPierU Mill.
The only bill that passed was one in
troduced by Mr.. Brewster, Of Ouachita,
being an act ito protect laborers from
being forced to work on the public roads
and levees in the State, and providing a
punishment for violation etc. In adj
vocatins the bill, Mr.. Brewster said: 1T
is we'll known, at least to the country
members Of this House, that the various
police juries throughout the State have
been accustomed to enact laws
forcing poor men to work on the
public roads and levees from six to tit-
teen days in each year, without any pay
whatever, and this is done with the. more
impunity because the class thus oppressed
from this species of oppression. And all
this while the owners of plantations
whose property is benefited by having
good roads and bridges, and who are gem
orally wealthy, have no road tax to pay,
being exempt from every burden when
they have reached the age of torty-tive
years. Is it illst l ask, that poor men
shor',,, undergo the heavy burden Of Civ
Ing two weeks in the year to cratuitous
public labor, while the rich escape all
taxation of similar kind? We are bound
by every claim upon us as members
of the law-malzing power in the
State, to promote even-handed justice
between man and man, butmore especially
are We bound to extend protection to
those who have not the protection which
wealth and its appliances gives, and
whose poverty seems, in many cases, to
invite oppression" For these and similar
reasons, the gentleman said, he earnestly
urged the passage of the bill. 1t was
passed.
We have omitted to notice, among other
matters, the introduction, by Mr.. Burch,
of resolution to appropriate $500 to
repair the west wing of the University of
Louisiana, which was adopted
The only other matters in the morning
session of the House were reports of the
Committee on Elections. The first was
in relation to the condensation by Frank
Alexander of the claim of Benjamin Bu-
chanan to his seat as Representative from
the Fifth District of New Orleans. The
report, after certain averments respecting
fraud, recommends the unseating of Mr..
Buchanan in favor of Mr. Alexander.
Mr. Barrett moved to adopt the report
and upon this moved the previous ques-
ton and called for the yeas and nays.
The motion was defeated by fifty-three
nays to thirty-one yeas. The report was
made the order of the day for tomorrow.
A report was also presented in relation to
the seat of Mr. Carr, of DeSoto. The
report, which emphatically Endorsed the
gentlemans right to his seat, was received
and adopted by a vote of eighty-nine yeas,
there being no opposition.
The report Of special committee ap-
| pointed to investigate Legislative dis
bursements was read There was rather
loose way of doing business in some in
stances. but it WAS difficult to fasten the