New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-04-26

ss- TIE 0EAxB 44O00B - 49, ssss sSes
An InexcusaSle Outrage On de State.
| From the Weekly Louiaiauian. April IS -
| Singular enough there is found in the
| general appropriation bill of 1S74-sand-
| witched between two specific apprOpria-
| tions-a provisional clause, creating Board
| of Commissioners on Public Buildings, con-
| sisting of the Governor, Lieutenant Gov
| ernor and Speaker of the House of Repre-
| sentatives, and empowering them to lease
q building to be used as State House, at
cost not exceeding $50, 900 per annum, and
| for period not to exceed twenty years.
1t is questionable whether ten members
| of the General Assembly noticed the intro.
duction of this foreign and homogeneous
clause into the appropriation bill, and It's
! presence, under the circumstances, no less
| than its character, in go recklessly confer
ring power on the commissioners over the
public purse and public faith, were both
alike suspicious, and suggestive of posi-
BILE and speedy abuse Of power.
These possibilities are new realities, as by
reference to lease made with the National
Building Association, and on record in the
mortgage Office, it appears that the COM
missiOners have leased the st. Louis Hotel
for State House at rental of $4,000 per
annum, and for period of nineteen years;
thus coming up to the full limit of their
power in the price, and full limit in time,
save one year.
From a copy of the contract, herewith
subjoined, it will be seen that the lease is
signed by Hon. Mr.. Benham and by r. E.
Rivers, president and secretary respectively,
on the part of the company, and by Lieut.
enant Governor c. Z. Antoine, and Hon.
Speaker C. w. Lowell, on the part of the
commissioners.
From the best information we can obtain,
this company consists of the following per
sons: Messrs Benham, Devices, Wands and
Mathews-all members of the House, and
active workers in the passage Of the bill
authorizing the lease-and Messfs. Rivers,
of the St. Charles Hotel, and Joseph H.
Oglesby, president of the Chamber of Com
National Bank, the present fiscal agent of
the State.
In other words, all parties, lessons and
lessees, to this Outra age upon the people of
Louisiana, with the exception Of Rivers,
are either officers or agents of the State and
people who have been wronged. In this
connection we are pleased to see that Gov
ernor Kellogg, with his usual sound discre-
ton, tar-sightedness and determination to
protect the financial interest of the State,
has refused peremptorily to give his sigma
ture to this monstrOsity, and we regret that
the influence used by him was not equal to
prevent the approval Of the lease by his as
sOciate commissioners.
1t his excellency should fail to direct the
Attorney General to intervene in behalf of
the State, SO as to secure the dissolution of
this lease, he will find in the contract a rea-
son, additional to those he has already so
forcibly given in favor of the funding bill,
the public debt must be heavily scaled to
enable the State to pay $950,00 as rental
to the Building Association.
Our readers will see the grossness of the
outrage perpetrated upon the people when
we tell them that so much as was needed
about SIS, 900 year, and it could have been
purchased outright for less than $l50,000.
There is protection in the courts for the
people against the successful carrying out
of this wrong, and it is to be found in the
restraint and annulment of the contract,
under the orders of the court, on the ground
of its illegal character.
In our judgment, the invalidity OF the
contract will appear in that article ia of
the constitution has not been cOnfOrmed
to in the statute, and, further, it violates
articles l04 and LII and the amendment of
the constitution limiting the debt to $685.
100000.
We were not much surprised that Messrs.
Benham, Wands, Devices, Mathews, Rivers
and Oglesby, who are known to be enter
prising fnanciers and men who generally
want to make ''good thing" out of the State;
but we are mortified and panied that our
friend Governor Antoine, a representative
of our race, and largely the custodian of
their political honor. occupying the second
Office of honor and responsibility in the gift
of the people of Louisiana, and Speaker
Lowell, supposed to represent the healthiest
and best white element among the new
corners in our party, should SO far forget
themselves and the sanctities of their Obliga-
lions as the trustees of the people in this.
matter as to suffer and sanction this great
wrong against the State.
In this connection we note, to the credit
of the colOred citizens of Louisiana, that
not one of them is found in the list of the
six benefciaries on the public Grip, who con-
stitute the National Building Association,
but, as tar as we are at present advised,
they are, if not 1.-THE oldest and best" at
least all noble Caucasians.
We appeal to the public opinion of tn
Republican party to so express itself as to
suppress this iniquity, and earnestly hope
that Attorney General Field will step forth
boldly and fearlessly, as is his won't, to
protect the interest Of the people.
STATE OF LOUISIANA
Parish of Orleans. )
The Louisiana National Building Associa
ton, a corporation duly organized under
the laws Of the State of Louisiana, through
its president, George c. Benham, and Sec
rotary. Robert E. Rivers, acting herein by
virtue of and in pursuance of resolution
of the board of directors of Said corpora
ton, a duly certified copy of which resolu-
ton is hereto annexed, hereby agreed to
lease to the State of Louisiana, herein rep
resented by William P. Kellogg, Governor;
c. c. Antoine, Lieutenant Governor, and
Charles w. Lowell, Speaker of the House
of Representatives, who compose and con-
stitute the Board of Public Buildings, un-
der the authority of act No. So of the Leg
islature, approved March l6. 1874, for the
term of nineteen years from the date hereof,
that property known as the st. Louis Hotel,
situated in the square bounded by St. Louis,
Royal, Toulouse and Chartres streets, at
the yearly rent of $4,000, payable quar-
terly, viz: On the first day Of April, July,
October and January of each year, in equal
installments; and during the period OF this
lease it shall be exempt from State and mu-
nicipal taxes, during which time the said
buildings are to be used by the State for the
various executive departments and for the
General Assembly, and the State hereby
agrees to keep the said buildings and prem
ises in good order, to pat nothing therein
which would forfeit the insurance, deliver
up and return the same at the expiration OF
the present lease in good order
Signed in duplicate at New Orleans, this
seventeenth day of April, 1874.
GEORGE C. BENHAM,
President;
r. E. RIVERS,
Treasurer and Secretary;
c. C. ANTOINE,
Lieutenant Governor;