New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-03-01

YOU can do il is this: the only way that you
can break up this monopoly, this terrible
incubus which the gentleman says is upon
the people of this city. is through the courts
course of law, and if it appears that they
ever violated their charter it will be forfeited
!, and commissioners will be appointed to regu
late their affairs. That is the only recourse
the Legislature has; that is the only way
| to revoke this charter and break up this
monopoly. The only way is to enter suit
in the courts against this company. Tina.
is the only legal way; that is the only way
that will have any effect. Proceed in that
way, and before another Legislature meets
you may have your object accomplished III
a manner that you and the country will
know is right and just, and the only way it
can be done. Proceed through the courts
under the statute, and if the decree of the
courts is in favor of the State, then a
li4uidator is appointed, their affairs wound
up, and then the Legislature can appoint
another corporation. But to divest this
right. which has been given to this com
pany IN good faith on the part of the State,
TO come here and ,ivest that right by il
simple act of the Legislature. ii is not com
petcnt for you to do do: it is unjust: it is I'M
, lawful. it is in direct violation of the
constitution which You have sworn to sup
port. Proceed by the courts. and if the tcs-
| timonv is in favor of the State, then Won
Will have accomplished your object without
| placing yourselves upon record is having vio-
lated the constitution you have sworn to
| support. ! hold that the passage OF this
bill over the veto OF the Governor, in the face
| Of the law which l have quoted, will work
very bad: it will be so declared by your own
Supreme Court. 1t is in violation OF an ar
| t:clc in our constitution. which you have
! sworn to support, and il is i'll violation of
section ten OF the fir>, article OF the consti-
| tItion of the United States, from whence
| we derive authority: would you put Your
selves upon the record as establishing pre-
trdent which is wrong. which has never
! been heard of, which has never been dreamed
Of. No one ever though. of it no one ever
dreamed of it. Think for Il moment of
what will he the effect of this action OF this
Legislature in other States. There il Lou
is!una," they will say. they can grant Il
vested light to-day and divest il Tomorrow
without cause. What care they for the con-
stitution they have sworn to support! What
care they for the constitution OF the United
States! Look what they have done. One
Legislature grants IA charter; another takes
it away by a simple act of their OWL |
tell you will not place myself on lecor,. in
this way. l will represent my constituents
to the best OF my ability, and support the
constitution. l was sent here in the inter
est of all parties, and am not going to
back and tell my constituents so. am
going to stand by the acts of my predeces-
sors if they be bad, unwise and unjust: and
l will stand 10y the constitution of my State.
l will not stultify myself by any such ac-
ton IA this. grant You there are acts which
are ten times worse than that. There are
acts which were passed by legislatures
before the war which give vested rights
and they can not be Invested. And to tell
ME that the Legislature can divest these
rights is preposterOus. and tor one will not
place myself upon record as voting for any
measure looking to such an end.
MIR. Thompson, Of st. Tammany: Mr..
Speaker, l. for one, intend to vote TO pass
this bill over the Governors veto, and l |
propose to state my reasons for SO doing
briefly, not upon the legal points of the
question: those points have been thoroughly |
argued i'll our courts by the best legal talent |
IN the country: but propose to apply those |
great moral principles which influence not |
only one State or one nation. but the whole |
wOrld-the principles of what is right and !
just between men. These gentlemen en-
deav0r to get us to support this veto on the |
ground that We would be deprivins this cor
pOration of a vested right given them by
the last Legislature of this State, forgetting
at the same time, that that very act de.
prived the people of this city of vested
right. which every man has in this country
to earn his living by any occupation. a
right which is far greater and tar older
than any ever given by the Legislature
Of Louisiana. This Slaughterhousc mo-
nopoly was passed only because it was Tor
the benefit OF the sanitary condition OF
New Orleans. That was the strongest
point. and the only point, that the counsel
urge in behalf OF the act. But those build
ings have been removed. there's no slaugh-
tering carried on above the city, con>c-
Iuently the only ground they had is taken
from under their feet. They ask you 70
support this veto. What would ne It's
effect Ii would prevent any Of you who
might wish to pursue this occupation OF
butchering IN this market; it dcpriyes you
of the right to io SO without getting
hcens, from them, paying their own price
to pursue your occupation. They appeal to
you as members OF this House not to
stuluty yourselves by depriving men % d
vested right. appeal to you not to 90
back to your constituents and tell them
that you, representatives of the laboring |
classes. voted to deprive men of the right
to follow an honest occupation. and
place that right solely in the hands
OF a few large capitalists. This is
question simply between labor and capital,
and 1t rests with you to say how you will
decide. 1t rests with you, who call your
selves the bone and sinews OF this State, to
say whether you are gong TO deprive
laboring class in this city OF the right to
follow that occupation. Because the last
perpetrated an act of injustice
are we called upon to sustain it Most GER
tainly not. And l tell you the gentleman
can find just as good authorities against his
position as he can for it. The Supreme
Court OF this State has decided, it is true, in
favor of this slaughteIhou>e law. bu: the
Circuit Court OF the United States has tie
cided against it, ana very rightly too. 1t
has decided that the rights Of any man to
follow an honest occupation is a far greater
right than any right granted bv this or the
last Legislature.
Now. gentlemen. tell >-ou do not allow
yourselves to be blinded by this auibbling
about vested II 9hts: do not allow Yourselves
TO 90 against this vested right which every
one OF You own as citizens OF this
because the last Legisla-
ture chose to deprive yOu of it. !
and vest it in one Or two individuals, one
,r two capitalists Your vote upon this |
question will prove simply this fact: whether
you are in favor OF labor or capital Let |
iour vote he to give labor Il fair chance. If
'ou are in favor OF giving all trades and
occupations i'll the hands OF a few men, vote !
or the veto, and go back to yOur consti- .
uents and tell them what YOU have done |
md see what they will say. If you want to
ave every man a fair chance, vote against |
he veto. and remove this prescription, and {
20 Dack TO your constituents with a clear
conscience, with the sense that YOU have | +;
lone justice and right to the people of I
he State. tell you, gentlemen, there is
lot one thing to be said i'll favor of this I
laughterhouse company retaining its :
ap1 -, |