New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-02-27


ing relief in the bill before the Senate are
entitled TO it.
Mr.. Harper made few sharp remarks
in reply to Mr.. Barber. He said that gen.
tleman had undertaken to speak against
| the bill. but in fact had spoke against Bill!
Harper; and matters that transpired away
up on Red river some time ago. Mr.. Har-
per said there never was a time when he
could not live in that country. If the gen.
tleman from the first senatorial distric:
I (Mr. Barberi had at any period to make
good time in getting away from the Red
river country, there must have been rea-
son Tor it. but no such reason had ever
operated to make Bill Harper do tall walk
ing 70 get away from his constituents.
Mr.. Harper then complimented Mr.. Bar
Der on his reform propensities: called him
the old reformer. and said it was great
pity no had not commenced the work of re.
. form in che first senatorial district at an
! earlier period.
Mr.. Blackburn followed with some re-
! marks in opposition to the bill. after which,
on motion of Mr.. Harper. the bill finally
passed. and the Senate adjourned until J.!
A. NJ. to-day.
Nj. Mathews was called TO the chair IN
| the absence of Speaker Lowell.
Mr.. Murreli, of Madison. desired to intro
duce resolution to investigate the charges
that have been made publicly that bribery
! had been used to procure the passage Of the
r. e.
mittee OF three to investigate. He said
| that he had been in favor of the bill until
| these charges had been made and had then
! voted against il. In justice to himself aud
| the House a committee should be appointed.
! Mr.. Montaldo offered an amendment
tha. the committee should find out if any
| one who opposed the bill had received
money. and his amendment was accepted
Mr. Stewart said he would favor the reso.
| luton. but was at loss to know what good
! it would do. Such committees never had
| reported. and never would. He could not
| say that any member had been Influenced
| by money. No one had approached him in
| any way. and he knew of no mem Der who
| had been. If this bill was to be ventilated
| there was no reason why the tobacco bill
should not be. or the acts of the last session,
and if kept Oh in this way the committee
might get back to 1870. Such resolutions
| were frivolous.
Mr.. Davidson moved 10 amend by investi-
eating all charges of bribery about any
bill, and Nj. Murrell accepted tho amend
| ment.
| Mr.. Worthy moved to lay the whole SUB.
| iect OF the table. but the House refused.
! Mr.. Armstead moved to amend by strik.
| ing ou: three and making the committee
| consis, OF the Hon. William Murre.l. Of
| Madison.
The amendment was adopted and the
resolution adopted.
Mr.. MurreIl said ne was proud Of the con-
! fdence the House repcsed in him. and ac.
| cepted the trust with pleasure.
Mr.. Youn. moved to reconsider the vote.
| He said the action was a disgrace to the
| House. Whether any one had been i'm.
| properly Influenced or not he could not tell.
but he was opposed to such resolu tion.
| The gentleman from Madison had introduc.
| ed the bill into the House by his report
| from the COMMITTEES Oh Unfinished Busi.
ness. Then he had gone uptown and ad-
rocatei i: a: meeting. Yesterday he
| voted against It. He had right to. 1t
| was the duty Of the Legislature to pass bills
and the right of the Governor to veto them.
! It then became the right Of the law maker
| to vote for them again if he chose. and pass
! them over the veto. II any member had
| done wrong it was not by such resolutions
that they would be punished. They must
| return to their constituents to render an
account Of their stewardship. and many a
member would find himself politically so
! dead that the trump of the angel Gabriel
! would not awaken him.
! The motion to reconsider was carried and
the order of the day was called.
| Mr.. Young called up the bill, reported
favorably by the judiciary Committee.
giving merchants the same lien on crops
| that lessons have. and giving physicians the
same privilege to the extent Of five dollars.
Mr.. Young said the bill was one Of great
| Importance. It protected the poor farmer
| and jaborer. and enabled him to get credit
obtain now. 1t had been carefully consid'
| cred N the Judiciary Committee, and re
ported favorably by the Oldest member in
! the House. who had been lawyer and
legislator before many members had been
thought of. He did not believe any one
would oppose the bill. except plantation
owners. who would never advance dollar
to theis tenants for supplies. 1t is the ad.
yancement of supplies by the merchant that
enables the farmer to make his crop, and
| unless the iaborer has something to offer as
security he will not advance them. The
bill will benefit nine out Of every ten inhab.
itants of the State. and unless it is passed
no supplies can be obtained by those who
need them most.
Mr.. Bryant opposed the bill. and moved
its indefinite postponement. There were
many reasons, he said. against it, but chief
among them was that which allowed the
sacrifice of all a man had to the rapacity of
the merchant.
MIR. Young corrected Mr.. Bryant. The
bill gave only an equal privilege to the
merchant now enjoyed by the lessor.
Mr. Bryant still opposed the bill. and in.
sisted on his motion.
Mr.. Gair considered the law an unjust
one, and calculated to do great harm.
Mr.. Davidson advocated the bill. It did
not conflict with any provision of law. 1t
merely extended the privilege of lien to
others than lessons who were equally en-
titled to il.