New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-02-24

fed time, will offer resolution that 'ho
printing be taken elsewhere.
MIR. JohnsOn-This bill is an important
one, and one that every member on this
floor who represents constituency Is IN
terested in. / want the bill brought before
the House, and am satisfied that the bill
can be printed and made the special order
of the day for Friday.
In reference to the revenue bill, Mr..
Faulkner of Caldwell. said:
think, sir, that the tax referred to in the
second section should not be reduced. If
the State treasury was overfOwing it would
be different; we could make great reduc-
ton: but as it is quite the opposite, think
we should keep the tax as high as possible.
Mr.. Matthews-I am opposed to inereas-
ing the license on retail merchants to 5000.
The section calls for 500; that is entirely
too much. Last year it was only SIS. l
am opposed to the license business in toto.
l look upon it as a per capita tax, and IL
legal. consider it unconstitutional. Why,
sir, some of our merchants do not carry
500 worth Of stock: and do you want to
tax these men the same as those who carry
thousands of dollars The Supreme Court,
l am told, has directed that it is illegal to
make the licenses pro rata on amount OF
business done; therefore, if there must be a
license at all, let US make it low as posi-
BILE. and not freeze out the small merchants.
Now, the gentleman from Caldwell says
we had better make the license large, and
keep the treasury full of money. Does he
want to wiring the money out OF merchants
to keep the treasury full, and exempt the
property holders A man is taxed on his
capital stock same as the man who holds
real estate or personal property, and now
the man who carries on business must
paw a large license. You see that does not
make taxation equal and uniform, as our
constitution provides. Now, l am in favor
of cutting down this license. l offer an
amendment to strike out ''Sl0O' and insert
$50" Why, sir, there is not State In
the Union that pays such heavy license as
Louisiana. Ten dollars on all is the usual
amount
Mr.. Carl want to make revenue to
pay the expenses of the State govern
ment. l am tired of having our war
rants offered on the streets at such low
figures, but l think one hundred dol
lars is too much for the retail merchants to
pay in this city and the country. Our idea
should be.tO fix it so as to do the greatest
good to the largest number.
Mr.. Young-We should do justice to the
country merchants as we'll as the city mer-
chants. 1t is a we'll known fact that the
country merchants can not afford to pay
even twenty-five dollars. 1t was only tit
teen dollars last year, and now you want to
raise it to twenty-five. think fifteen dol
lars is sufficient.
Mr.. Blunt-What is the use of reducing
the taxesl They will not sell any lower.
In reference to section four, Mr.. Moncure
said that if the State did not tax draymen
the cities would not.
Mr.. Young-I am from the country and l
know what hard time the draymen there
have to procure living. Now, then. when
they want to tax anything, they simply vote
It. for or against, as the occasion may be.
know that these poor men have to labor all
the week just as hard as they can, and
know they can not afford to pay thirty dol
lars. and move to amend by saying two
dollars and half and that is too much.
Mr.. Stamps, of JeffersOn-I think it is
unjust to tax public hackmen SO high;
twenty-five dollars is too much l also
think, Mir. Speaker, that the members are
not sent here to legislate for individuals,
but for the good of the State at large. l
hope the members will perform their duties
as legislators, and not come here for indi-
vidual purposes.
Mr.. Garstkamp, of Jefferson-I think, Mr..
Speaker, that twenty-five dollars is too
much for the hackmcn of this city to pay.
Four-ffths of them own their hacks, and
have to make a living, and / think it an
outrage to tax them 80 much. 1t they pay
twenty-five dollars to the State, they are
compelled to pay twenty dollars TO the city,
which makes forty live dollars. This is too
much for them to pay; besides, that is more
than merchant in this city is compelled to
pay.
EVENING SESSION.
Mr.. Gaddis-We can never legisiate while
there is so much confusion and noise. and
hope the Speaker will have the rules en-
forced.
SactiOn fifth waS read
Mr.. Harry Lott offered to. amend by strik-
ing out $500 and inserting $500.
Mr.. Carr-That will never do. l do not
care about theatres; | very seldom go, but
/ think $500 is as much as any theatre can
afford to pay. l do not believe there is a
theatre in this city that has paid expenses
for the last four years. Mr.. Ben DeBar, Of
the st. Charles Theatre, has never realized
the interest on the money he has invested
in that theatre, and l reiterate my state
ment, $500 is as much as any theatre can
afford to pay, and l move that the amend
ment of Mr.. Lott be laid upon the table.
Mr.. Lott-My reason for making the
amendment is, there is no theatre where a
colored man can 60, and the concert saloon
is taxed $500, and that is the only place the
colOred man can go to. OF course, there is
people can SIT, but it is about one hundred
feet in the air and in a chicken coop or hen
rOost
Mr.. Quinn-I do not think this amend
ment will do any good. A civil rights bill
was brought up in 1868, and yet the cOlored
people can not go to the theatre.
Mr.. Young, Of Concordia-I don't know
what good the amendment of Mr.. Kenner
will do. Every ticket that is sold in the the
atre has contract upon the back by which
the prOprietOrs can reserve the right to admit
or refuse. just who they please. A civil
rights bill was introduced in 1868, which
gave my friend, Mr.. Kenner, the rights of
an American citizen, and Mr.. Kenner is not
there vet If any of the colOred members
of this House feel aggrieved at not being
admitted, they have the resource-the
courts. l will help them as much as | can
with what money l have. The law of this
land will protect them The law Of this
land may soon decide that the colored men
can go into those places, and may yet take
the arm of my friend, Mr.. Bryan, and walk
into the dress circle together
Mr.. JOhnsOn-Do you know of any civil
rights cases that have been decided by the
courts.
Mr.. Young-Yes, sir, plenty of them, but
whether the courts have decided or not, is
not question to raise in the House as to
whether the courts have done their duty or
not. We have nothing to do but to wait.
Many things which we at one time thought
impossible have been accomplished. This
is but question of time. and only time can
decide it, can say here, sir, that the class
OF people represent, the people am iden-
titled with in the country parishes, have no
interest In theatres. Now it was but few
days ago that we adopted bill organizing
a company to be known as the Theatre
Company" If my friends are anxious
to so to the theatre, let them wait a short
I'll