New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-02-16
slep '0tleans &eplablita,1.
FFIClAL JOURNAL OF THE UNITED STATES
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF new ORLEANS
DEBATES IN THE HOUSE.
WEDNESDAY, February II, Il

In the reading of the journal, Mr.. Bar
rett, of Orleans, said
Mr.. Speaker, on Saturday the gentleman
from st. Tammany made motion to make
the registration bill the special order ten
minutes after the reading of the journal.
Now. sir, do not see it mentioned in the
journal | have read the journal carefully,
and can find no such clause. Now l am
in favor of reform, and want this bill taken
up SO as to crafty the people of this State.
Mr.. Harry Lott, of Rapides--Which bill
are we going to take up to-day!
The Speaker-The Senate bill.
Mr. Kenner, of Orleans DO under
stand bill, No. 274, as substitute for the
House!
The Clerk-Yes, sir.
Mr. Carr, of De Soto-What difference
does it make 1t is almost the same bill.
This bill has passed the Senate. and we can
now take it up without losing any more
second section.
Mr. Harry Lott, of Rapides-As l under
stand it, we are to take up the Senate bill,
and we take up the amendments at the
same time, and the amended bill.
The Spcaker-The journal will settle that
question.
Mr. Barrett hold in my hand two bills:
one is the Senate substitute OF House bill
No. 274 on elections and qualifications; the
other is House bill No. 364. l hold one in
my right hand and one in my left, and while
l stated was ready to vote tor this bill L
want to know which is the right bill. You
can not shove these bills through without
we know which are the right bills. don't
care who advocates them. don't care which
side of the House it comes from, am not
prepared to vote upon it without 1t Is LAID
upon the tables of the members.
Mr.. Kenner-I can not vote upon this bill
because / do not know anything about It,
The Committee on Registration knows
nothing about 1t.
The Speaker-This bill is made to take the
place of all previous bills.
Mr. Barrett have three bills in my hand
now, and do not know which one is right.
Section five was read.
Mr. Thompson, of st. Tammany-I desire
to offer an amendment to this section, and l
will explain my reasons for so dong. Some
years ago the Legislature OF this State
invested the Governor with this power.
The Governor IF the State in his message
recommended this matter OF registration be
referred to police juries, so as to release
him from one of the many burdens that
now are weighing him down. Now, the ar
dent supporters OF his eXcellency can not
object to that What objection can there
be to that The police jurors are appointed
by the Governor. The recommendation of
the Governor is a good one. When can any
the police jurors are appointed by his excel
lency! Now, as he desires this, the sup
porters can not go back on him. l hope his
recommendation will be acted upon.
Mr.. Young-Will the gentleman allow me
to ask him a question Who appoints the
police jurors
Mr.. Thompson-The Governor of the
State has the right to appoint it. Whether
these appointments have been confirmed
or not L can not say, but want the APP
pointees to be brought face to face with
the people Of the parish. lean not see why
the members object to this amendment of
mine. The Governor can appoint his
friends as police jurors, and you can
not go back upon the Governor now. He
asks it, and you should grant it, and if
those members who have been crying so
loud for reform want it, they can vote Tor
the adoption OF this resolution, and thus
give to the people of the State the reform
they expect.
Mr.. Harper. of st. Charles said this
should be discussed calmly and without
passion, for the reason that no justice can
be done any subject under great excite
ment; that portion of the people of this
city have attempted to dictate to the Legis
lature measures of reform for the whole
State, and are to-day assuming to act for
the people of the whole State, when in fact
they only represent themselves. The gen
tleman from st. James places the support
ers of Governor WarmOth in a very de-
grading position by declaring that those
who favor the appointing of the super
visOrs of registration by the Governor are
going back ON the Governor. The Gov
ernor, in public and in private, advocated
the appointment Of the supervisors by the
police Jurfes, but | think it will be ad
mitted there was more peaceable cleo
ton in 1870 that in 1868, which is an argu-
in nxr of haa ntv,+,n hy-t l,n
Governor.
The Committee of Fitty-One, whose senti-
ments the gentleman from ST. James repre-
sents, have placed the supporters of Gov
ernor Warmoth in this same position, and
they attempt to overcome this influence by
threatening the members of the Legislature
with violence unless they do as said Com
mittee Of Fifty-one demand. This same
Committee of Fifty -one do not represent the
people of Louisiana; that they know this
as well as anybody can, and when they
assert that they represent the people of
Louisiana, they assert what they know is
not true. This Committee of Fifty one are
all white men, and there are only about
sixty thousand voters who are white men,
while there are eighty thousand voters
who are colored men, and not one
OF these voters are represented IN
this Committee of Fifty-one. This
Committee of Fifty-one represent the
same element that Iendeavored to bring the
members of the Constitutional Convention |
of 1867 into contempt and who declared |
the sO-called people would not live under Il |
constitution framed by such pennyless set |
of rascals and ignorant negroes. These |
same people ridieuled the Legislature OF
1868, but in 1870 put through bills by |
bribery. This same element in New Or |
leans is endeavOring to now inaugurate a |
system of intimidation towards those who |
are so bold as to honestly dirter in opinion
with them. They do not condesend to |
argue questions with u.s. They nave not |
been in the habit of doing this, and do not |
propose to do so in the coming campaign. |
As usual, however, will not be dictated to
by them any more than any other number |
Of citizens of the State of Louisiana. They |
shall never dictate to me, and whenever
they attempt it, if they can succeed they
can do the legislation for themselves, and
not make u cats paw OF this individual.
Mr.. Barrett, of Orleans7Cnder section
five it says that the Governor and the
Senate should make selection Of police
Jurors. Now, sir, Governor Warmoth Is
not the Senate of this State. While l am
not Opposed to the section, | say that the
Governor of this State is not the Senate.
do not think that this appointing power
should be extended to one man, but am
in favor of it when the Senate sanctions
THE nominations. Now, Mr. Speaker, am
a Republican, and was sent here by a he
publican majority. l am the legal repre-
Sentative from the Third District OF New
Orleans, and, sir, | ain proud OF my posi-
ton: and although say it myself, one or
two hundred white men of the class rep
resent voted against me, and prominent
Democrats in my ward voted 10 seno
me here: and it was two or three thousand
majority that sent me here to represent.
mi 7 into To Il wit hon no