The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1874-05-20

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ExECCTIyE OFFICE, STATE OF Texas
| AUSTIN, April 20, 1874. (
To the Honorable Senate, of the State
ofTsxas ITs5
GENTLEMEN: I respectfully retn'n
without my approval, Senate Joint
Resolution No. 39l, to. annex the par
ishes. of Caddo and DeSoto, 10 the
State of Louisiana, to tile State of
Texas. This bill having originated in
the Senate. ! briefly present to Your
honorable 'hody my objections tot
The aggregate population Of Ca,ld"
and DeSoto Parishes Constitute, accor-
ding to the census Of 1870, abuut ore
twentieth of the entire population ol
Louisiana Not having the means of
ascertaining what proportion the tax
ahle property of those two parishes
bears to the entire wealth Of the State
of Louisiana, will assume that their
proportion of taxable property is the
same as their proportion of population,
say one twentieth. 80.
The public or State debt of Louisiana
is variously stated at from twenty five
to forty millions,of dollars. The pro
rata then of that debt, to be paid by
these two parishes. will be one TWEEN
tieth Of that amount, say one and a
half or'tw0 millions of dollars. 5.
The second section of this bib Piled
ges the State of Texas to make the
said paiislles pay their pro rata share
| of the State debt-uf Louisiana existing
To the date of the ctssion.' If the
powerSexisted, without controversy in
the State Government Of Texas. to
make this pledge for the people of
Texas, the magnitude of the debt, for
the size and population of the Territory
to be acquired, is sufficient ground for
hesitation ind 1eliberation, and a care
FIJI auryey of consequences before max
ing It.
1t is still more important, that We
consider swclr what we do in this re-
gard when we take into the estimrte
the great doubt which exists Of the
power of the Legislature to do that
which, it pledges Texas to do. 1t is
true that the two prnvisos at the end
Of the second section of this hill dis
tinctly aupounce that Texas shall in no
event be responsible for that debt Of
these parishes. yet if the proposition
Involved in this bill is accepted by
Louisiana, it will surely be done on
the faith, that this government has the
right to make, and the power to re-
deem that pledge, aud would not the
honor of Texas, if it were so accepted,
demand its performance The State
Of louisiana has a right to believe that
the government of Texas knows its
powers, aud if that government pied.
ges that Texas wilFmake Caddo and
DeSotor parishes pay their quota OF that
debt Louisiana will have rightto de.
mand that Texas shall do it, IL she fails
to make these parishes do it after their
annexation.
Doestthe government nfTcxaa pos
sess the constitutional right to make,
and she power to redeem this pledge Z
Section nineteen of article twelve OF
the Constitution declares That taxa
tionslall he equal and nnifnImrtIrongA
out the State" Now, whenever The
cession contemplated by this bill il
perfected, and the constitution and
laws Of Texas are extended over the
territory embraced in CadtlO and
DeSoto parishes. and that territory be
comes part and pracel of Texas, can Il
tax be coDstitntionalIy levied and col.
lected in those two parishes. unless the
same tax is at the same time equally
uniformly collected in all the other
counties of Texas? Or, to put the
question in another shape, suppose the
proportion of the debt to be paid b!
Caddo and DeSoto parishes is ascer
tanned, aud before the cession the
bonds of these parishes are executed
and delivered to the State of Lonisi
ana, to secure its payment, and the!
come into Texas, with this municipa
debt hanging over them, the govern
ncnt of Texas can authorize the coun
~ orrarish authorities to levy ant
collect a tax TO meet il; but suppos,
these authorities tail or refuse to levy
and collect the tax, can the Legisla
ture compel them to do it7 If thu
Legislature has in one case 10 powc
to levy aud collect the tax, and in th'
other no power to compel the parisl
authorities t, do it.. how can the!
"make the said parishes pay their pr
their rata OF the debt of Louisiana, ex
isting at the date OF the ceSslOn7 Id
not wish to be misunderstood to sa,
, that tile Legislature uf Texas wonl,
not have the power in either case +
enforce collection of q tax to meet tn
debt in question. am not prepared
! to 60 SO far upon the limited investi