New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-02-11

best interests OF our people. Inc COM
| mittee have had the bill long enough, and
| they have had plenty of time to report,
and think If they can not do SO the House
should take the bill into their own hands.
We are near the end of the session, and
vet nothing of any consequence has been
done. We have but few more days, and
it is time we should take these obnoxious
bills up and repeal them, or modify them
in such manner as to release our con-
| stituents from the burdens they are forced
to bear. Resolution after resolution has
been offered, and yet nothing. has been
done to relieve the people of the State.
hope the members will see the necessity
of adopting this resolution and have the
bill brought before the House so that we
can take action upon it.
Mr. WOrrall-This subject is now before
the House in some tangible form, and L am
glad of it; l propose to express my opinions
and speak with perfect freedom. am not
willing that measures OF such Importance
to the people of the State should be put Oft
from day to day. l am not only pledged to
reform, but propose to redeem those
pledges to the very letter. You all make
the same professions. Why then be so
anxious to delay and postpone! If the OBJ
iect is to delay the passage of reform bills
until the end of the session, SO that they
may remain in the hands of the Governor
for the whole year, 1 tell you am opposed
to such dangerous proceeding. From past
experience we ought to be able to judge Of
of the probable consequences of such a
course 1t is time that those who make
such pretensions. should give some evidence
of good faith. The people do not want talk,
but action. You can parley and delay as
much as you please, but these obnoxious
laws must and shall be repealed. The time
has passed when man can go for ten days
into parish and return himself as a Rep
resentative. If the Republican party can
not maintain itself without resorting to
such expedients, then it ought to go down,
and as a member Of that party l am willing
that it should go down rather than be
Dolstered up by vicious legislation.
What excuse do gentlemen have for delay!
/ hear of nothing, except that certain
members have been summoned before the
grand Jury. If the conduct of gentlemen is
such as to make it necessary for thep to be
summoned before juries, do not think that
reform measures should be delayed Oh that
account l have never been in such a pre-
dicament, and hope never shall be. l re-
peat, that our constituents Lave right to
demand that immediate action should be
taken, and an equal right to suspect every
motive that leads to further delay; and |
propose to demand the yes or no from every
member, SO that it shall be known who are
and who are not in favor of reform. The
committee have certainly had time enough
to report if they had been so disposed.
During Mr.. WOrralTs remarks he was fire.
auently interrupted by Mr.. Demas, with
questions which Mr.. Worrall characterized
as impertinent and which he refused to an
swer.
Mr.. kenner-As chairman of the COM
mittee which was appointed to examin Q the
bill referring to re istratiOn, deem it my
duty to say few words in reference to it.
A number of the committee met yesterday,
and not having quorum, we adjourned to
meet to-day. We did this in order that the
absent members might have an opportunity
to examine and take action upon the bill.
l will state to the members that House bill
No. 325, known as the registration bill. we,
the committee, met last evening, and adj
journed to meet at ten o clock this morning;
80 the honora bic gentlemen who are crying
for the repeal of this obnoxious bill can not
say we have been idle.It was through
courtesy to the gentleman that we adjourned
until to-day. | will state, furthermore, that
we are prepared to report and could do so
to-day, if SO required. l can not vote for
the resolution forcing the committee to re-
turn the bill. | venture to say that am
as much pledged to the constitution and
reform measures as any member upon this
floor. l want the registration and election
framed SO as to suit the people of my
L
that will prove detrimental to my race, or
that will, in anywise, conflict with their
rights.
Mr.. Thompson-I claim the right to close
the debate Oh this subject, but if any mem
Der on this floor wishes TO say anything
about it, will yield the right.
Mr.. Blunt would like to say a few
words on this question. | am opposed to
this resolution for the simple reason that
the committee have not had an opportunity
to examine the bill. The committee was
appointed, and think it is their right that
they should examine the bill, and report
back to the House. The gentleman from
st. Tammany is a member of this commit
tee and do not see his object i'll taking the
matter out of the hands OF the committee.
Now this gentleman comes before the House
and complains that the committee can get
no quorum, and asks the members to have
the matter brought before the House. Now.
sir, am decidedly opposed to the resolu-
ton. l want the committee to have time to
report. Let them examine the merits of the
bill. We should allow them to do so as a
matter of justice and right. | presume
these gentlemen can meet and frame the
law so that justice can be done to both
parties, and l say here, Mr.. Speaker, that
no good thinking man in this House will
take up that bill and act in a hasty man
ner without first having carefully examined
it. Now, l am as much in favor of reform
as any member upon this floor, and that is
more than some members can say.
One of the honorable gentlemen upon this
floor has just made big speech asking for
the repeal of this law, and l would like to
ask him if he did not vote for the same bill
at the last session. | say that he voted for
every one of these obnoxious and objec-
tionable bills, and the journal of last year
will uroye the fact
In reference to this resolution, hope
every honest and true-thinking man and
Republican will vote it down. The com
mittee should have the time in which to ex-
anime the report and hope the House will
allow it. The chairman OF the committee
has fully explained to my satisfaction, and
| hope the members will not vote tor the
adoption Of this resolution, which will force
us to vote upon the bill in hasty manner.
do not want to act Oh this important bill
without due deliberation and fair time to
consider it; and in closing, hope the MEM
beers will vote it down
Mr.. Demas, of st. John the Baptist
am not in favor of such a resolution as the
gentleman from St. Tammany offers.
l think, Mr.. Speaker, that Mr.. Devices, Of
De Soto, offered an amendment to this bill,
which Was ordered to be printed and laid
upon the desks Of the members. Now, sir, l
have not seen such printed amendments, and
do not think the bill can be reported on by
the committee without the amendments.
Mr. Thomps0n-f no other gentleman has
anything to say on this resolution, will
close the debate.
am extremely glad this resolution has
caused so much debate, for it shows me in
what position these members stand, and who
are for reform. and who are not. l wished
to know how this bill would be received
hofn T