Semi-weekly Louisianian. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1871-1872, 1872-02-08

of Assessments Of the city of New
Orleans be constituted ex-offlcio
president of the board.
again submit to you the other
specific recommendation contained
in my annual message.
4. l recommend that all fees al
lowed the Auditor of Public Ac-
counts, amounting, it is believed, to
about $4,000 per annum, be COL
lected by him and paid into the
State Treasury to the credit of the
interest tax fund.-" to be employed
in paying the interest and principal
of our debt.
5. That the act giving the State
Treasurer $4,000 per annum as
receiver of moneys on public lands
be repealed. To receive these
moneys is legitimately part of his
duty as State Treasurer.
6. That the Clerk of the First
District Court for the parish of
Orleans be paid salary of $4,000
per annum by the city of New Or
leans, and that he be allowed no
fees from the State or city other
than the salary for his services.
The fees Of this officer amount to
an enormous sum per annum.
Z. l recommend q careful revision
of the laws relative to costs of
clerks, sheriffs, justices of the peace
and constables. The fees under
present laws are SO enormously high
that in many instances they work
denial of justice. Itshould be made
the duty Of the judge of the court
to examine and approve all fee bills
before they are paid, and to declare
the Office Of any sheriff or vacant
on detecting overcharges of costs.
s. I call your attention to my re-
mar'ls Oh the subject of bribery in
my last annual message. They are
as follows:
Il ask your attention to the fact
that there now exists on our statute
books no adequate penalties against
the crime of bribery. This defect
should be remedied by appropriate
legislation, which l sincerely hope
the wisdom and patriotism of your
honorable body will promptly de-
wise. l am in receipt of informa-
ton of acts of bribery on the part
of public officials, but owing to the
defect above named in the law, I
am without the means of bringing
the offenders to justice or stopping
the mischief. 1t has become a cry
ing evil, and, if suffered to 60 on,
will destroy the confidence of the
people in government and seriously
endanger our liberties and highest
interests. 1 hope that the General
Assembly will enact some law on the
subject, providing adequate penal
ties and placing it in the power of
the Governor to prosecute with Wig
or and promptitude all persons Of
fering brides and officia receiving
them"
10. / also recommend a modif-
cation of the printing law, by which
the expense of printing the laws and
journals in the country newspapers
will be sa' and that the price
paid for printing be materially
reduced. By such an act S15O,OOO
can be saved annually.
II. That the Metropolitan police
law be repealed, and an act passed
organizing the police on a system
similar to that in force on the adop-
ton of the present, reducing their
expenses to 100000 per annum,
renting the financial department
to the city of New Orleans, and
limiting the Metropolitan district to
the cities of New Orleans and Car
rollton.
IL. The passage of an act giving
to the city of NeY Orleans entire
control of feeding prisoners confined
within the Parish Prison of Orleans.
The expense is now enormous, and
can be greatly reduced if the city
government is empowered with the
control.
IL. The act passed at the last
session relative to q State House
should be repealed, and the pur-