New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-01-27
DEBATES IN THE HOUSE.
WEDNESDAY, January "a, 1872

WEDNESDAY,, january "a, Io|~.
After the usual routine of business, the
special order of the day was taken up, in
reference to the veto messages Of the Gov
ernOr.
Mr.. Thomas, of St. Tammany-I will vote
for the veto message Of the Governor IN
reference to the improvement OF the rivers
Tchefuncta and BOgue Falia, and will ex-
plain my reasons for SO doing.
1t has been stated by one of the official pa
pers Of this State, that this thing was got
up to defraud the State out OF $25OOO This
is not SO. The citizens were to build 1t and
pay for it out of their own pockets, at their
own expense: if the work was done, the
Governor was to appoint members to exam
inc the work and see if it was done in
workmanlike manner. Then the State was
to aid them by repaying to these citizens
the amount of money they had spent out of
their own pockets. The statement that this
project was to defraud the State is simply
false. and now l wish to sustain the Gov
ernOr's veto.
One o'clock being made the special order
of the day to discuss the outstanding
warrant affair, Mr.. WOrrall was recognized
as having the floor.
Mr.. Worrall-I was about this morning to
rise to privileged question, but as this
resolution is now before the House, shall
embody my question in my remarks.
was the amendment that was before the
House.
Mr.. WOrrall-Then, sir, l will speak on
the amendment, and l hope the members
will listen attentively to NE, as l will now
take the opportunity to speak upon the
| amendment, and it will require all that
can do in this compound task that l have
taken. l wish to reply to the charges made
by tie gentleman claiming to be my col
league. l wish to reply to this amendment,
which is so unjust, SO unfair and so unpar-
liamentary. No gentleman who understood
parliamentary usage would introduce such
an amendment into this body.
Mr.. Stamps-Does the gentleman mean
to say am no gentleman!
Mr.. WOrrall-I did not insinuate anything
of the kind. l simply said that no gentle
man who understood parliamentary usage
would introduce such an amendment, and
chall n e any gentle nan here to say that
sail anything else.
Mr.. Stamps-l wish
Mr.. Worrall-Call the gentleman to order,
Mr. Speaker. l wish simply to answer the
malicious charges that this gentleman made
against me yesterday. Now, sir, the posi-
| the Legislature certain vouchers were issued
and certain committees were appointed.
As chairman of one Of these committees, l
paid the expenses out of my own pocket
| paid for hack hire and other things. The
committee can judge as to the truth of this
statement, as a number Of them are here.
Now, sir, hold in my hand, or at least in
my pocket, voucher for the amount spent
which can not to-day sell for twenty-five
cents, and l do not think, Mr.. Speaker.
that any member on this floor will
question as to the legality of that
voucher. l present this as a sample
of the case. Now. there are members on
this floor who hold similar vouchers, for
services rendered, and again there are
members who hold them who have not re-
turned any service-that is, service actually
rendered. Now, l do not want these
vouchers paid: yet some of these vouchers
were sold-sOld to innocent persons, who,
having faith in the State and the legislators
bought them at fair price and now, to
repudiate these vouchers, is to injure the
State: it would shake their confidence in
the Legislature. and l say, sir, such an act
of reputation would do more damage to
the State than the whole amount Of these
vouchers could compensate for. l do not
want this committee to be an er parte COM
mittee. | want both sides to be represented
on this committee.
stand between two fires. am in favor
| of reform. but there is no reform in repu-
diatiOn. am willing to refer it to COM
mittee, and such committee as the Chair
may appoint. W men We electeu Tue oPeanGi
who now occupies the chair, we had full
faith in his integrity and honesty, or we
should never have elected him. Now the
| Chair has been insulted. No one has right
to tell him who he shall appoint, aud who
| he shall not appoint. Let him choose such
| a committee as he thinks will act right in
this matter. When we voted for the
| Speaker, we sci ,cted a man who is in every
WY capable Of judging, and now move
thai the amendment be laid upon the table.
After laying the amendment upon the
table, the House adjourned until tomorrow
| at twelve o'clock.