New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-02-07
pprehension formerly existing between

ana reg1straC0n laws, enacted to meet this
disturbed condition of society, should nc
book, but should be made to conform to
the more enlightened condition of public
| sentiment.
| Care should be taken while modifying
those laws to retain every provision that
may be necessary to protect and secure the
weaker members OF our population full
free and equal advantages to vote for the
men of their choice for Office. Without this
the equality Of all men before the law be
! comes delusiOn and barren boon.
The other provisions, that make the ma
chinery One-sided, partisan and dangerous
| to the liberties of the people when welded
| by an ambitious executive, should be sc
modified that the breath of suspicion OF
unfairness should not attach to victory
achieved by either party at the election.
1t would be much better for the interests
| of society and the perpetuity of free institu
tions that the Republican party should be
defeated rather than that the opinion should
prevail that its success has been obtained
| by fraudulent use of official powers and
| extraordinary advantages in the manipula-
ton of the votes and sutfrages of the people.
If such law is required to bolster up and
sustain the Republican party in this State,
| | am free to say had rather it would per
| ish.
These are no new views of mine, but sim
ply rastatement of my annual message OF
| 1870, more fully made in my annual mes
| sage of this year, and which now desire
| to reiterate with more distinctnesS and em-
| phasis.
recommend and urge you to pass an act
| amending the law Oh registration, giving
the parOchal government of each parish
the appointment OF the registrar of voters;
that it shall be necessary for the. registrar
to have been resident of the parish for
twelve months before his appointment that
he shall be ineligible for any elective office
during the term Of his employment; and
that the expenses of registration should be
paid by each parish.
Second-That the election law be SO
amended as to give to the rarochial au-
thOrities the selection of the commissioners
Of election in such a measure as to secure
representation of each political party at
each of the polls established to receive
votes; that the ballots should be counted
and publicly proclaimed Immediately after
the close of the election, and on the spot,
in the presence of any and everybody who
may desire to be present. That the returns
should be made out in duplicate, one to be
forwarded to the Secretary of State, and the
other filed with the parish government.
That the voting precincts in each parish
should be established by the parish govern
anu Sudll uOU Uc CuduStu WllHOul siA
months public notice first given. That the
board OF commissioners shall be either
abolished or selected from citizens not can
didates for office, and to the end that each
political party shall be fully represented in
such body, and that in the case of registra-
ton the expense of election should be
borne by the parochial government.
Third recommend that the office of
chief constable in each parish be abolished,
aud <ha Of = n a,x 81,
sheriff. or at least an amendment of the law,
giving compensation only when in active
service.
FOurth-The revenue law should be
amended. The enormous compensation paid
many of the officers for assessing and col
lecting the revenues must be reduced, and
on this subject l refer you to the following
extracts from my annual message:
9. l recommend reduction in the com
pensatiOn given for assessment and c0llec-
ton OF the taxes of the State; that the $4,000
paid country tax collectors for listing the
property be reduced to $500 each; that
there be board of four State assessors for
the city Of New Orleans at salary of 5000
each, who shall make the assessment on the
property of the city for the State; that the
board shall also furnish copy of the rolls
to the city, which shall, with such modifca-
tons as the city may make, be its rolls on
the Administrator of Assessments of the
city of New Orleans be constituted ex
otiicio president of the board.
again submit to you the other specific
recommendations contained i'll my annual
message:
4. recommend that all tees allowed the
Auditor of Public Accounts, amounting, it
is believed, to about $4,000 per annum, be
collected by him and paid into the State
frk. II fn Of s.,,t. low
fund.-" to be employed in paying the inter
est and principal of our debt.
5. That the act giving the State Treasurer
$20OO 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 a
salary of $4,000 per annum by the city of
New Orleans, 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 an
mum.
7. recommend careful revision of the
laws relative to costs OF clerks, sheriffs, JUS
tees of the peace and cOnstables. The fees
under present laws are so enOrmOusl WHICH
that in many instances they work a denial
of justice. 1t should be made the duty of
the judge of the court to examine and APP
prove all fee bills before they are paid, and
to declare the office of any sheriff or clerk
vacant on detecting overcharges of costs.
g. l call your attention to my remarks on
the subject of bribery in my last annual
They are as follows:
81 ask your attention to the fact that
there now exist ON our statute books 70 adj
e4uate penalties against the crime of
bribery. This defect should be remedied by
appropriate legislation, which l sincerely
hope the wisdom and patriotism of your
body will promptly devise. | am
In receipt OF information of acts of bribery
on the part Of public officials, but owing to
the defect above named in the law, am
without the means of bringing the offenders
to justice or stopping the mischief. 1t has
become crying evil, and, if suffered to go
on, will destroy the confidence of the people
in government, and seriously endanger our
liberties and highest interests. l hope that
the General Assembly will enact some law |
on the subject, providing adequate penal |
ties, and placing it in the power of the Gov |
ernOr to prosecute with vigor and prompti--
tude all persons offering brides and officials |
them"
10. | also recommend modification of |
the printing law, by which the expense of !
printing the laws and journals in the coun- |
try newspapers will be saved and that the |
price paid for printing be materially re-
luced. By such an act $l5OOOO can be |
saved annually.
IL. That the Metropolitan Police law be |
repealed, and an act passed organizing the |
police under system similar to that in |
force on the adoption of the present, re- |
iucing their expenses to 100000 per an
mum, renting the financial department to |
the city of New Orleans, and limiting the
District to the cities of New |
Orleans and CarroIlton,
~. The passage of an act giving to the |
,ity of New Orleans entire control of feed |
ng prisoners confined within the Parish |
Prison Of Orleans. The expense is now |