The weekly echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1868-1876, 1871-02-23
THE LEGTsLA TURE.

4 ~
spectator who understood what
was going on coule accuse our leg
islators Of standing all the day idle.
When the session had been
opened in the usual form, the
Speakea, Mr.. Carter, announced
that be had q few remarks to offer
which, he hoped, would receive
their favorable attentio. On ac-
cepting the speakership Of the
House, he had considered it prop
Ell to "post himself with respect
to various matters connected with
| the routine of business of the House,
particularly with regard to legislv-
/ tive employees, clerks. pages, etc.
For this purpose he had consulted
the Sergeant-at-Arms, or had OBJ
tanned from him and others such
proper information as to the ca
pacity and efficiency of those en-
lployed as would enable him to act
intelligently. He had found that
in some way or other there were u
great many more persons appoint
ed to positions than allowed by law
or warrented by oxpediencY, That
the expense of this host of employ
es brought the expenses of the
Legislature fully up to the sum of
one thousand dollars daily. I'm
der these circumstances, he had
thought it a duty to reduce the
clerical and attendant force, and
in striking out names OF retaining
them he had been guided solely by
the best information he could OBJ
tain respecting qualifications.
Necessarily somebody's friends
had to be displaced, but members
should look to the wellbeing Of the
State.
The Speaker went on to say that
he had taken measures to have re-
lieyed the policemen who had Gus
tonarily been stationed in the hall
of the House. He considered this
as needless, We are surely
gentlemen enough to behave our
selves 50 as not to require the pres
ence Of police among us; the prop
er place for these officials IS the
lobbies, the galleries and the en-
trance to the building, where some
times unruly persons might be
found, whom il might be necessary
to repress. The speaker took oc-
casion to pay some compliments to |
the members of the police force
who had been on duty in the build
ing He concluded BY saving that
he had yet on file about two hum
dred applications for positions in
legislative employ, and he begged |
that The members would not in- |
dorse any more applications. We
do not give the exact words Of
Speaker Carter, but we believe the
above expresses the burden Of his
remarks. What lie said certainly |
no small share Of admin |
istratiye ability.
One Of the resolutions offered, /
and after some attempts to amend, |
passed, was one to hold two daily /
sessions one commencing at /
twelve o'clock, as is now the prac-
tice, and another to commence at /
seven o'clock. This looks like a
determination to push business.
We expected that yesterday the
war befeen the giants Benjamin
Buchanan, who occupies a seat as
Representative from Algiers, and
Frank Alexander, who would ra-
Their have the seat himself, would /
have moved heaven and earth.
But it didn't. The one thing that
was the Chairman of the
Committee on Elections: and he
moved that the case be continued
IN order to give one Of the contest-
ants perhaps BOTH time to got
more testimony.
Mr., Overt0n hos intraclnaea 4