New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-02-04
THE LEGISLATURE YESTERDAY.
Nennte.

Nennte.
On motion of Mr.. Ingraham Senate bill
Se. "a. an act to protect persons who can
,.ot read and write. was taken up, and,
under q suspension o. the rules. hnally
passed.
+, Mr.. Harris asked TO have Senate bill No.
80. and act providing for the better secu-
.ity of PERSONS executing promissory notes,
taken 30 and read. The bill vas ordered
70 be read.
Mr.. Borae said hs had heard something
of thi. bill before. He moved to have it
printed, and made the special order OF the
Senate might understand its objects pro-
periy. Mr.. Bovee said he had been led to
believe The bill was intended 60 increase
the fees of an office tha. already pays sl5,-
900 year. This was his reason tor his
motion.
Mr.. Harris said he had no objection. and
the motion TO print, etc, prevailed.
Mr.. Harper called up House bill No. 43,
an act to authorize the council OF the city
of Shreveport to levy police tax, to regu-
late levies Of taxes. and for other purposes
On his motion the bill was read twice. and
referred to an appropriate committee.
Mr.. ChadbOurn asked to have an act to
! REQUIRE parents and guardians of children
to give them an opportunity of education IN
public ard private schools taken and read.
After the reading of the bill Mr.. Harris
made some remarks condemning it. He
sol, %I,.,a trnIn nf oh
dren out of the hands of parents; he was
also opposed to making law that compels
| colored people to send their children to
white schools, or white people to send their
children to colOred schools. He said in his
parish the white and colored people were
opposed to legislation that was intended to
regulate their conduct in this respect. II
the Senate desired to pass such bill as
was before it he had no objectlon-but he
certainly would not vote for it, because he
thought il would be found impossible 70
enforce it. lie concluded BY moving the
indefinite postponemen: OF the bill.
Mr.. Bnych though: the bill necessity.
and hoped it would become lawo If it
was necessary to reach children to work. 60
make corn and cotton, it was also necessary
20 :each them to read. write and cypher IN
order that they migh: make good citizens.
If they could make corn. cotton and sugar,
they should know how to sell those articles:
know hew 20 calculate their value at SO
much per pound Or bushei. as the ease
m!sat BE. Mr. Burch was sorry tina: The
question O; co!os had been raised
a. .his late day. lie said the
law compelled ;he admission Of chill.
dren :nto fh- public schools without
regard 70 color. He then spoke Of compul.
sorry education. and cited Prussia as an ex.
ample of the good tha: had been accom-.
plished by such course in that country.
He argued that such course would prove
equally beneficial here. l: was necessary
IN order 10 enable the rising generation not
only to make good citizens. but to protect
themselves agains: the greed of unprinci.
pied men. who are always ready to de.
frauI tho uneducatec. haii working men
out OF their earnings. Mc. Eeiden thought
the children who would be benefited by
the passlg. OF this bill into law would
live 70 bless :hs Legislature that cstab.
.isheI the law making compulsory educa.
tion The rule. He regarded the measure as
one that was eminentiy calculated to bene.
III the State in the future. 1t was some
thing fha. involved infinitely more than
mere dollars and cents. and !c- ;ha: reason
Il. hoped the bill! would pass.
aIr. Boyes said tina. while he favored
education. he could not support the bill. lie
believed il would be found utterly impos.i.
bio TO enforce she law should the bill pass.
MIR. Barber favored the bill. and thought
that it such Ia = had existed when he was
a boy. he would be better able to represent
his constituents upon the aooy Of the Sen.
ate. lie was twenty-one gears old before
he could do little moro than read the alpha.
bet; therefore. no one knew better than he
the want and Salre OF education. lie re.
terred to the many outrages perpetrated in
the State. and said that in most instances
they were committed BY men steeped in
ignorancn. He thought j. poor argument
to say that the educating Of children would
necessarily interfere with the performance
Os idDbIs fAb all Csthtss utlu lut tUucd-
ton OF children to be as essential as
labor: and i the :imc was iu- |
occupied there would be |
hours for school and hours to labor in the |
field. Mr.. Barber referred to the remarks of |
the gentleman from st. James (Mr. Bovee) |
ng the law. He said they came with a bad |
grace from a gentleman holding a seat in |
he kellogg Legislature, where white and |
black men were engaged in the work of |
egislation. Mr.. Barber then referred to
hat portion of the constitution of the State
bill before the Senate did not 60 as far as
he fundamental law upon the subject Of
olor. Indeed he would say there was
lothing in the bill about color. The bill |
lad for its object the certain education of
vi the children of the State, without re-
xcellent one he would vote for the bill and
loped it would pass.
Mr.. Cage said he saw nothing in the bill
hat would compel parents to send their
hildren TO either black or white schools.
t simply requires that children shall be
ent to school. He thought the bill good
ne and would vote for it.
Mr.. Blunt found nothing in the bill to OBJ
,ct to- unless he objected to that portion of
which permitted parents to keep their
hildren from school when the schoolhouse
as two miles distant from their residence
Ie did not think it would hurt children to |