New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-02-05
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DEBATES IN THE HOUSE
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Mr.. Hahn rose to privileged question
lie said:
Mr.. Speaker wish to say few words
by way Of personal explanation.
The city newspapers Of last Saturday
published an Associated Press dispatch,
IRON Washing tOn, to this effect:
Innocent purchasers CT Louisiana secu-
rites are represented by counsel, urging
some action on the part Of the government
for protection They claim that Kellogg
has proclaimed the State bankrupt"
A member Of this House, from the upper
portion of the city Mr.. Sewell), made this
dispatch text for a question Of privilege.
In The course OF his remarks he mingled
charges of mendacity and fa1sehoOd against
the author Of the dispatch, with sentences
of highest praise for the noble" conduct
OF Governor Kellogg.
The gentleman allowed ne 20 interrupt
him with this question:
Which part Of tie dispatch IS false: III.
first part Or the last
To which he eXcitetfy ans wered that the
whole dispatch was false lie did not con.
tent himself by simply answering my ques
ton, which had been put in a gtntlenanly
and parliamentary manner, but went on to
-say, az il irIitated, that need not to have
asked the question, as ] knew the Dispatch
TO be false.
Now, Mr. Speaker. / was not in Washing
ton on Friday last, and had no private in
formation or communication from there
either on that day or the subsequent day,
and how ! could know the dispatch TO he
false is a matter can not understand. II
AZ at all times difficult matter to be posi-
tive on % negative statement, but in this
case it was particularly so, because of the
crcunstances-the time and the distance.
Nor. sir, 90 | know positively that Gov
ernor Kellogg had not declared the State Of
Louisiana bankrupt. as the gentleman
seemed to think | did. ] do not know
much about bankruptcy matters or techni-
calities. | had always imagined That II man
or corporation that could not pay dollar for
dollar of his or its obligation was irsolvent.
The Governor, in his recent message, argues
that it is necessary to convert the whole
bonded and floating debt of the State into
new set of bonds. ut the rate of sixty cents
of new bonds for every dollar Of the old
debt. This looks little ike insolvency.
Again, he says: "Our bonds do not BOW
average more than fifty cents the
dollar" And still further on he says: I'VE
have a debt Of tweni four millions, worth,
say, twelve millions" These views OF the
Governor, based on figures, are corrobor-
ated by the official journal of the State, the
REPUBLICAN, which, in an able editorial pub
lisbed on tho thirteenth instant, says tie
funding bill which has passed the Senate
ability of the State 70 continue payment Of
interest and redemption Of principal On her
bonded obligations With these high au-
thorlties before me- aud the House. do
not think the gentleman was justified in
charging rs with knowing d statement to
bs false which they lead us to believe is not
false.
But, sir, the gentleman from New Or
leans in printed report of his remarks un
that occasion, rs published in the EErUr
LICAN of the next morning j. represented
as say ing, abiding To myself. lie has been
a member Of this House during the previous
sessions; has acted IN all the measures that
created this oppressive and infamous debt.
and can tell the House much better than
can how il occurred, and can tell them that
Governor Kellogg is in no way responsible \
for IT,"
do not believe that this language was
used by the gentleman; at least did not
hear IL. j do not say that he wrote out his
remarks after the session and handed them
to the reporter. There are reasons why |
should not say this. Nor is it material
whether he made such q statement or not
inasmuch as he has had ever since last Sun
day opportunity to explain away the state
ment, If incorrect, and has not done So !
therefore assume That he did use tie Ian
guage attributed to him in print or that he
has adopted 1t.
ale has been member of this House
during the previous session. etc. | never
was II member OF the Legislature until !
became member of thls; and a. | never
acted politically with Governor Narnoth
from The day q! his Inauguration to the
time when acted a conspicuous part IN re-
moving biH from office, l can not see how
l could have acted in all the measures
that created this oppressive and infamous
debt"
never held a salalied Office under Gov
ernor Warmotb, nor under the city govern
ment created by him, Us did the member
from New Orleans. Nor do | consider it
my duty, As the gentleman seems to think
II Is, to tell this House that Governor Kel-
logg IS IN no way responsible tor this debt
l never charged him with responsibility il
the premises. God knows he has respon-
sibil.ies enough without aGSwrriG.. Tor
those of hls predecessor, Governor War
moth.
There are charges enough aga'ns: Cover.
nor Kellogg running through the comma
nifty, which it would be well 10 explain
without lighting windmills. do not IN
derstand the philosophy which requires
Governor kelloggs name To ia brought
into every discussion, however immaterial. |
do not wish 10 take upon myself de /.
tense of all his official acts. | envy NJ man
W no aspires to such championship. 1t |
might become necessary for such an indi
yidual to explain, if he can, the origin Of
the Grant massacre, in which several hun
dred colored men were ruthlessly butch |
cred: why the executive lcbbied through |
the Legislature railroad bill which he held |
up year and then vetoed; why he al |
lowed another railroad bill TO become a law |
nearly year alter he had electoneered |
against its passage; why he takes from the |
Legislature bills vetoed by HIM, and no |
longer under his control. and signs them;
Why lie takes part against the cclored Sta