New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-02-14
The President-It will be printed in the

l
journal anyhow.
Mr.. Ragan-I move that the reports OF
the various corporations and institutions
referred to In the message be also printed.
want to know upon what grounds this
| document was sent to the Senate.
Mr.. McMillen called for the order of the
day.
REGISTRATION BILL.
The special order of the day, the regis
tration bill, was taken up section by Sec
ton.
| Mr.. Hunsaker-I understand that the
Senator from Orleans (Mr. Campbell) in-
| trOduced substitute to this bill few
days ago, which was referred to the Com
mttee on Election and Registration. ]
will ask the Senate to instruct the commit
tee to report that bill back and make it the
special order of the day for to morrow at
one o'clock. My only object is to bring all
the information possible on this question
before the Senate. Mr.. Ray also offered a
bill on the same subject, which should also
come up regularly. l hope my motion will
prevail.
Mr.. Gallup seconded the motion.
| Mr.. McMillen-I do not know what the
| gentleman from st. James (Mr. Hunsaker)
means, when he refers to a bill introduced
| by the Senator from Orleans (Mr. Camp
belly. AS a member Of the Committee on
! Election and Reg istratiOn, l am not aware
that any other bill has been referred to that
committee besides the one introduced by
! the Senator from Ouachita (Mr. Ray),
which was carefully considered and re-
ported upon by substitute, which substitute
| is now before the Senate. In that report
Senator Ray concurs, generally, although
he may not, perhaps. favor all the features
| of the substitute. This is an important
| subject, and will demand full investiga-
! ton at the hands of the Senate. l think we
! should adhere to our resolution to act upon
| it to-day.
| Mr. HunsSJ ler-The reason l ask for post
| ponement is that this is substitute for the
| bill introduced by Senator Ray, which sub
stitute | have never read. 1t is impossible
! for me to act upon this measure advisedly
! This hasty, indecent mode of proceeding
will never result in any good to the people
| of the State.
Mr. McMillen objected to the word 90 in
| decent He thought it supplementary.
Mr. Hunsaker-I withdraw the word. 1t
is because of such hasty action as this that
| the people are now demanding the repeal of
SO many laws. | claim that, as a Senator,
| have rig Int to understand thoroughly every
measure vote upon. l intend to vote for
| the modification of the registration law, in
! order that justice may be melted out to
| every citizen OF the State; but will not,
at the dctation of any Senator, vote for
| shows that bill on this subject was intro
duced by Senator Campbell and referred to
| the Committee on Election and Registra-
| ton, and ask that it be reported back to
| the Senate simultaneously with this substi-
| tute. l am not responsible tor the fact that
| the chairman of that committee has not yet
| received the bill.
The President said the bill had been re-
| ferred to the committee, and the Secretary
ha1 % MT of ch n for
Mr.. McMillen-In explanation will state
| that a messenger came to me this morning
with couple Of bills, which receipted for
without examination. Possibly the bill re-
| terred to may be one of those.
| Mr.. Hunsaker-I have seen neither the
original nor the substitute, and am, there
| fore. unprepared to vote upon the latter.
| If the gentleman insists upon its imme-
diate consideration he may move to table
| my motion to postpone, and thereby test
| the sense of the Senate.
! Mr. McMilen-In justice to myself l de.
sire to say that was not aware until this
moment that the Senator from Orleans
| Mr.. Campbell) had introduced bill on
| this subject. That bill it seems has only
been placed in the hands of the Committee
on Election and Registration this morning,
and. therefore, we have not had time to
consider it. ! believe the Senate is as well
prepared to act upon this substitute now
as it would be if the bill of Senator Camp
bell were reported back, or as it will be on
tomorrow. | hope the Senate will adhere
to its decision by taking up this matter
to-day and adopting a just and efficient
registration law. | do not think we could
employ our time better in the considera-
ton of any other subject. l, therefore,
move to lay the motion to postpone upon
the table. Carried.
On motion Of Senator Ray the Senate re-
solved itself into a committee of the whole.
The first section of the bill was read.
Mr.. McMillen-I desire to call the atten-
ton of the committee of the whole to the
tactVhat in this section is made one of the
most important changes which we propose
to make in the registration law. 1t ahol-
ishes the Office of State Reg trar of Voters.
and imposes, III part. upon the Secretary of
State the duties now performed by the in
cumbent of that office. The Secretary of
State is, under the constitution, the proper
officer to perfo; m those duties. Many other
services now discharged by the State Regis
trar will be performed by the supervisors of
registration in the different parishes and the
different wards OF the city OF New Orleans.
| move that we recommend to the Senate
the adoption of this section.
Mr.. Hunsaker-The very first objection l
have to this section is based upon its uncon-
stitutionaity. The constitution very clear
State, in reference to elections. One pro-
vision declares that he shall not be regis
trar Of voters for this parish.
Mr.. Blackman-The Senator is mistaken
as to the constitutional provision. Article
forty-eight says, The returns of every
election shall be sealed up and trans
mitted by the proper returning officer to the
Secretary of State, who shall deliver them
to the Speaker of the House of Representa-
tives, on the second day Of the session Of the
General Assembly then to be holden This
substitute simply provides that the Secre-
tary of State shall strike from the list of
voters the names of all persons who are re-
ported dead by the various sections, which
duty is now performed by the State Regis
trar. This certainly does not come i'll con-
conflict with the constitutional article.
Mr.. Ray-There is another reason why
this section should be adopted. In
aholishing the office of registrar we ecOno-
mize to the amount of three or four thou
sand dollars year. The duties imposed
upon the Secretary of State are very slight.
He is simply required to furnish the neces-
sary blanks to the registrars, and to perform
a few other triiling services The bulk of
the duties now performed by the registrar
are transferred to the supervisors of registra-
sion. and therefore it was unnecessary to
retain the registrar. We must also take
into consideration the fact that we will
have portion of these duties performed by
an officer elected by the people, and not by
an appointee as heretofore.
Mr. Gallup can not see how we can
adopt this section legally. Article III
of the constitution says: mo person shall
hold or exercise, at the same time. more
than one office of trust or profit, except that
ofjustice of the peace or notary public"
Mr. Blackman-There is no office of trust
or profit given him in this bill. 1t simply
provides that he shall perform these duties