New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-10-29

cHARTEA OF BATON. RoUGE.H u
! The bill in reference to tue charter of thu
city Of Baton Rouge having been considered
as engrossed- .sn,a9 q, tGso5
Mr.. Raglan moved that the rules be sus
pended to place the bill on its third and
Mr.. Ingra6am Before the yeas and nav.
/ are called on the motion to suspend the
rules, l desire ia make a few remarks il
reference to the bill in question. In my ca
pacity as q member OF the Committee on
the Penitentiary, had occasion to visit the
city Of Baton Rouge, in which the Peniten.
tiary is situated. While strolling through
that town was requested By several Of the
citizens to visit the courthouse, which did.
through nearly every pane Of glass, and
through all the panels Of the door, could
see tho bullet holes which were made by
the mob which rioted in that city on the
night Of the last election day there. Il went
also to the graveyard, and saw the green
mounds there covering the forms Of two
men who were killed ON that fatal evening
One Of them was Mr.. l. Officiel. member elect
to the House of Representatives Of this State,
Williams. Iasked the citizens how it came
these two men could be murdered thus in
cold blood, and the invariable answer was,
''Our city officials do not throw any pfOtec-
ton whatever around u.s." I make this
statement Of facts to the Senate In order
that 1t may he Informed Of the true merits
Of the bill under consideration. willstate
further that there is delegation in this
city at, the present time Of the very men
who caused the riot in Baton Rouge. which
ended SO sadly. have seen them here upon
the floor of the Senate using their best en-
deavOrs to induce Senators to oppose, this
bill. !. for one, have been importuoed ,by
at least dozen of them to vote against it.
They do not want this bill to pass, and WHY!
because it will put an end to outrage and
murder in the city Of Baton Rouge They
know that if q new city government is
placed OYER them, the lives and property
safe and secure. Even now there is
before the Senate an application from the
widow and children Of Mr.. L Otiiciel, ask
ing the Legislature to grant them some
thing out Of the Golfers of the State to re-
lieve their necessities. The present mum.
cipal government of that blood stained
city will not listen to any appeal from her
on behalf of herself and her suffering chill
,dren. IT behOoves us, as Republicans, to
which 1hSlaw can give. Itappeal to YOU.
Republican, Senators, by aH'the ties which
bind us together, to join with me In apply
ing tho only adequate remedy for this mon
strous evil 1t has been. said that all the
taxpayen of Baton Rouge ARE opposed
to the "a, passage 10 OF this bill. % / de-
nounce thet assertion as untrue, for /
know colored men in that town who pay "a
much taxes ~ any white citizen. who have
resided there for the last thirty-fiye or
forty years, and whom l have known since
my earliest recollection. But suppose that
assertion was true, suppose the taxpayers
were, to q man, opposed to this Till, is
that any reason why the poorer classes,
who own -. property, and, consequently,
lfy NO taxss,e should not be protected in
their persoasnaaal lives! Susely.A 10
such argument will be made BY any
reasonable man. ] voted recently for