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

the Senate in amendments to several bills
passed by the House. the whole morning
session WAS taken up in discussing the
appropriation bill. This, it might be
supposed, would be one of the smoothest
pieces of work that it fell to the lot Of
either house to perform during the whole
session, yet it is disputed and argued pro
and con with dogmatical pertinacity
that can hardly be accounted for.
lii the evening session the Senate spent
something like two hours debating the
appropriation bill In the course OF the
discussion, we were gratified to notice
that several Senators took strong grounds
in favor of fostering the agricultural en-
terprise in the State. In particular. Sen
ator Ingraham advocated with great force
the subject of encouraging agricultural
fairs and similar organizations having for
their object the development of our agri-
cultural resources. Finally the further
consideration of the bill was postponed
until this morning.
The next prominent measure was
bill to clear and deepen Pass-a-lOutre,
at the mouth of the Mississippi. This
bill was made the order of the day for
two o'clock to-day.
Considerable interest was excited by
message from the Governor, returning
with objections ''an act to provide for
the interest of commerce by establishing
the Louisiana Warehouse Company, and
guaranteeing the bonds thereof"
The grounds taken by the Governor in
Directing to this bill are certainly very
strong. aud his reasons difficult to con-
flute. He objects on the ground that this
company is merely a private enterprise,
and there exists no reason connected with
sound public policy why the State should
indorse the commercial paper to be is
sued by the gentlemen who form this
company for the sole purpose of making
them rich Although it might be proper
to lend the aid of the State to promote
and secure objects of general welfare the
attainment of which was beyond the
reach of individual enterprise, this was
not one of the proper instances There
wa, no security that the State would not
have eventually to pay the obligation thus
incurred If the company thus bolstered
up could afford the requisite security to
the State, the same security would enable
them to raise the money elsewhere. The
Governor adverted to the constitutional
provision limiting the State debt to
TWENTY-FIVE millions Of dollars; the limit
is already reached, and the mourning of
such an obligation as this bill contem-
plated would, in reality. be violation Of
the Constitutional proviso The Govern
or's message was. We think, unanswerable
In fact, there was no attempt made to
| answer it. One Senator (Thomasl, who,
while be claimed to be opposed to the
Governor in politics, took the occasion to
eulogize his course as ''honest, just and
faithful to the interests of the people
There was no other debate, and the
Senate passed the bill over the veto by a
vote of twenty-four yeas to six nays.
At a late hour the Senate was still in
session.
In the House there was nothing Of
salient interest transacted during the
morning session. The Speaker, at the
opening of business, made few remarks
in connection with the revenue bill that
showed disposition to make the most OF
the time left, in order to dispatch such
business as would be absolutely neces-
sary for the welfare Of the State. A Joint
resolution, offered by Mr.. Faulkner,
seemed to second the Speakers idea. The
resolution was to the effect that joint
committee of eight members, three from
| the Senate and five from the House. be
appointed by the presiding officers OF
! each branch to meet in conference, take
into consideration all bills now pending
before either House, and decide upon and
recommend to the Legislature such bills as
it is most to the public interest to be acted
on. The resolution further expressed that
preference should be given to such bills
as have already passed either house. This
resolution, which seems to be the very
best one that could be adopted under
| present circumstances, was laid on the
table by large majority.
There was nothing else done in the
morning, except to refuse mileage to the
chaplain, and to call attention to the
claims of certain parties, levee contrac-
tors and Others to various amounts OF
compensation founded upon various
pretenses
In the evening session of the House,
several things were half done, and few
finished. A bill to fund the State debt
passed second reading, and was post
poned A bill to clear out Bayou Portage
and Bayou Mayeur, and giving one hun
bred thousand dollars somewhere about
it, was finally passed.
| There was intense debating about bill
relative to the New Orleans and North
eastern Railroad Company, providing for
it's extension from Meridian to New Or
leans, with all sorts of provisions, which
was finally passed. This bill, which per
Sc, is rather dull affair, was considerably
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