New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-02-28
but two transactions Of any interest to the

public at large.
AT the opening Of the session, Speaker
Carter made some very pertinent remarks,
calling the attention of the House to the
fact that the session was rapidly drawing
to close, with large amount Of bust
ness unfinished. He suggested tina: the
business should proceed by alphabetical
order; that as each members name was
called, he should be allowed to call up
| two bills for the action OF the House. No
| action, however, was taken upon the
Speakers remarks.
The first business was a bill to amend
| the charter Of the city OF Shreveport.
This caused very stormy debate. SO
| far as we could discern the merits of the
case, amid the confusion caused by
several speaking at once, some wanted
| the bill to pass and some did not The
event, however, was that the bill passed.
Then came the tug of war between
Benjamin Buchanan, who filed the seat
Of Representative from the Fifth District
of New Orleans, and Frank Alexander,
who contested the seat on the ground that
he would rather have it himself. After q
tremendous amount of contest, consist
ing OF making motions and laying them
on the table, calling the yeas
and nays, and so forth, the report
of the committee recommending the
unseating Of Buchanan and seating of
Alexander WAS adopted. But when the
resolution which accompanied the report
came up, Mr.. Brewster, of Ouachita,
offered substitute to the effect that the
seat of the Representative from the Fifth
District Of New Orleans be declared va
cant, and that the Governor be requested
to order an election to fill the same This
occasioned an uproarous debate, which
terminated in the passage of the substitute
by vote of forty-seven yeas to forty-fonr
nays. So the termination of the contest
is that both of the contestants are no
where and the people of the Fifth
District are to try it again.
A message from the Governor notifying
the House of his approval of several bills
also contained a veto of the bill recently
passed in relation to the inspection of
beet, etc. The Governors message, which
was very brief, stated that the law already
provides for the inspection Of beef and
pork whenever either buyer or seller desire
such inspection. His Excellency could
not approve of an act which levies tax
OF thirty-three and a third cents npon
every barrel of beef or pork that comes to
the city. The Governor considers the
bill"not only unnecessary, but unwise and
ruinous to the commerce and interests of
the city.
The balance OF the morning wa. taken
up with the discussion of the veto. Mr..
Burch took the ground that the veto had
come in too late. Mr.. Yorke made a few
but very able remarks, showing that the
message had come within the time pre-
scribed by law. Mr.. Carr made a lengthy
and forcible speech in favor of sustaining
the Governor veto, and after some other
debate, the veto was sustained b, a vote
Of seventy-eight against eleven.
In its evening session the House was
occupied with the bill to provide State
revenue, levy taxes and establish licenses
The bill was the subject of long debate,
but was finally postponed until to-day, at
one O'clock
After the passage of two or three bills
Of no general interest, bill Of great i'm
portance to the city was called up. This
is an act Ito provide for the unsettled
debts and estimated deficiencies Of the
revenues of the city Of New Orleans for
the year 1871 and authorize the issuing
Of bonds for the said purpose,
From the preamble to the bill We learn
that there is a floating city debt Of six
hundred and two thousand dollars, and
an apparent deficiency of one million,
one hundred and sixty-eight thousand,
eight hundred and forty-eight dollars
The bill authorizes the issuance OF city
bonds for two millions of dollars, payable
in ten years, and bearing ten per cent in
terest. The bill makes further provision
for retiring the bonds or any portion of
them under certain circumstances After
some discussion on the bill the House add
journed. We noticed the presence of
several members Of the city administra-
ton on the floor Of the House during the
debate on the above bill. 1t is certainly
a matter Of great interest to the we'll being
of the oity