The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1874-10-03

teen aud a half mills parish. During
the last two years OF the late regime,
State taxes were never less than
twenty-one and a half mills, and par
ish taxes in some instances were car
ried rs high as fifty mills.
| The debt OF the city Of New Orleans
amounts to $23, 900, 900, or about the
same as the debt Ut the entire State.
This Indebtedness has been almost
exclusively incurred under Democrat
ic management. The Legislature.
upon my recommendation, adopted a
constitutional amendment limiting
the debt OF the city, and prohibiting
any city government from mourning
further indebtedness.
In cooperation with the Chamber
Of Commerce | submitted also to- the
Legislature, by special messages. a
number OF bills which would have
reduced the annual expenses of the
city nearly 81 100000. All these bills
passed one house of the General
Assembly and some of them became
law; but several OF the most impor-
t:lnt measures, notably a bill reducing
the extortlonate fees of the criminal
sheriff Ut the city, which amount of
seventy or eighty thousand dollars a
year, failed through the influences
brought to bear 10y Democratic Office
holders to defeat these measures of
retrenchment. The bills we succeeded
In passing, however, have enabled
the city council to effect u reduction
i'll city taxation of five mills.
In carrying into effect these and
other salutary measures, including
the passage OF bill furnishing bribery
which was one Of our first acts, the
Republican party had no aid or coun-
tenance from those who now complain
so loudly of the burdens under which
the State is suffering. With the assis-
lance which my opponents could have
rendered me, had they all taken their
seats in the Legislature, might have
been able to carry out not only all the
measures Of retrenchment which re-
commended to the Legislature. but
othels OF equal Importance, including
much needed reduction OF the ex-
penses OF assessing and collecting the
State taxes which urged upon the
Legislature, in my last annual mes
| sage, and strenuously but unsuccess-
fully eXerted myself to carry into ef-
feet.
When we came into office we found
slumberlng on the statute books.
ready at any time to be called into
activity, acts passed under the pre-
vlous administration and by the Dem
ocratic Legislature of 1866, creating q
number OF grievous monopolies and
involving the State in contingent lia-
bilities to the extent of over $1,000
OW. With one sweeping measure the
Legislature wiped ont all these mo-
nopolies and contingent liabilities.
This one act, which l urged with all
my power, has, perhaps, brought
down upon me more hostility from
disappointed monopolists and CON
tlngent beneficiaries among the mon
eyed Interests OF the opposition than
any other act Of my official career.
10 recapitulate the financial results
achieved under my administration
We have, in two years, paid off over
$500, 900, of old floating Indebtedness,
with the old assets of The State. We
have reduced the debt, by the fund
ding bill, from twenty five millions to
fifteen millions, not to be increased
until after the year 1924. We have
reduced the State taxes from twenty
one and Il half mills to fourteen and
half mills, not to be increased until
after the same year. We have provi-
ded that parish taxation shall not ex-
cced State taxation so that the great
est amount OF taxation any one parish |
can be called upon to pay in any one
year is twenty nine mills. We have
enabled the city of New Orleans to
reduce city taxation five mills. We
have largely reduced State expend-
itures and confined them strictly
within the limits of our revenues, and
we have repealed over $5,OOO,OOO of
contingent liabilities. All this has
been effected by us without aid from
those who arrogantly claim to re pre-
sent all the virtue and intelligence of
the State, and while contending
against violence within the State
borders and organized villification
abroad and while the very existence
OF the government was being threat
ened. This is the financial record of
the administration which our oppo-
nents assert has been SO corrupt and
SO oppressive as to drive the State
into bankruptcy and the people into
riots.
ITO be concluded ncrt meek.)
ADV ERTISEMENTS.