The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1872-01-13


houses ought not to exceed $25, 900.
Then what has become of the excess
$685., $50 so? 1t has been squandered
by the officers of the Assembly in
paying extra mileage and per diem of
members for days services never rem
dered; for an enormous corps of use
less clerks, pages, ETC., for publishing
the Journals of each house in fifteen
obscure papers, some of which have
never existed, while some of those
that did exist, never did the work
they were employed to do, although
every one has received the compensa-
ton for it; in paying committees
authorized by the House to sit during
vacation and to travel throughout the
State and into Texas, and in a hum
bred other different ways. The en-
rollment committee of the House had
over eighty clerks most of swhom
were under pay during the whole
session, at eight dollars per day, dur
which time only one hundred and
twenty bills were passed which did
not require more than eight or ten
clerks to perform the whole work
of enrolment.
Permit me to suggest that neither
house has any right to spend the pub
lie money for purposes for which the
law has already provided. The pub
LEGATION of the journals of the General
Assembly being provided for by the
printing law, 1t was not competent
for either house separately to direct
and pay for such services. 1t is not
legitimately a part of the contingent
expenses of either house.
| will venture to lay down a propo-
sition which | believe to be sound
policy as well as good law. The con-
| stitution limits the session of the
/ General Assembly to sixty days. Both
houses must adjourn at the expiration
of this time. Can it in the face OF
the constitution continue its existence
for longer period, even by the joint
action of both houses? Then if it
cannot for a longer period, how much
less can either house, acting separate
", continue the existence OF a part OF
its body during vacation !? | am clear
in my conviction that neither house
can authorize one of its committee to
sit during vacation without the con-
sent of the other house, with the
approval Of the Governor, or without
having passed a joint resolution to
that effect over his objection by the
constitutional majority. Hence it is
that the action of the House in con-
tinuing five or six committees in SEES
sion after the adjournment was not
legal, even if the resolutions said by
the Speaker to have been, had been
legally passed. [ will not discuss the
question of whether they did pass the
House, for | do not believe the House
was competent to give any such
authorization. A committee can only
be authorized to sit during vacation
by an act of the Legislature, properly
approved, i'll accordance with the
constitution.
/ state these facts to suggest the
remedy. | recommend the passage
of an act fixing the compensation OF
members, the rate of mileage and
amount each member shall be paid
the number and character of the Off
GERS, clerks and employees of, each
house, and their compensation defn-
ing what shall be considered conting-
ent expenses, and limiting the amount
for each house the adjustment OF
the Office of warrant clerk, and pro-
viding that the members shall be
paid in warrants drawn by the Audi
tor, as is customary in all other claims
against the State that vouchers, ac-
cOmpanied by the bill of articles, OF
showing the character of the services
rendered, by what authority they
were purchased or employed, shall be
filed with the Auditor as his vouchers
and it shall be his duty to scrutinizt
and examine the bills to see that they
are i'll accordance with the law. 1t is
believed, after a careful calculation
that one hundred and twenty-five
thousand dollars is amply sufficient to
pay all the expenses of a sixty days
session OF the General Assembly.
49, REFORM.
The bitterness which existed at the
Inauguration of the present admins
tration has, | am happy to say, en-
tirely disappeared, and perfect tran.
guilty now reigns throughout the
State. No one is molested on account
OF his political opinions. A few per.
sonal difficulties occur now and then
perhaps, but they are incidental tC
to any society, and are not attribu.
table to political differences.
Our criminal laws, except in thu
city of New Orleans, are enforced will
commendable promptitude. The dis.
position of jurors, with few exceptions
to convict individuals charged witt
offenses against the law, was never
more manifest than now. Punishment
for crime is administered to offender.
with certainty and severity.
In the parish of st. Landry, wher,
in 1868 large number of coloret
persons were killed for differing OF
political questions, but a few week.
ago two young men, both white, and
OF respectable connections, We're con.
victed and sentenced to the peniten
tiary for attempting violence to {