New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-02-26
rHK LEGISLATURES YESTERDAY.
Senate.

the reading Of the journal, House bill NO.
l42. an a ct to divide the STAGE of Louisiana
into six congressional districts. 1t was en-
titled TO come up as the special order of the
day Immediately after the adoption OF the
journal. The bill not being in the posses
sion of the Senate at that time, other bust
negs was taken up.
A minority report from the Committee on
Education, signed by j. Henri Burch, was
recommends that the contemplated mechan-
zeal and agricultural college be united with
the Louisiana State University and located
at Baton Rouge. 1t assigns many reasons
why this should be done. As the report is
published in the REPUBLICAN OF to-day.
under the official heading of The Senate
Yesterday" we will refer the reader to the
document for his better information upon
an important subject.
On motion of Mr.. Burch the bill dividing
the State of Louisiana into six congress
sional districts instead Of five was taken up
and considered. The bill provides that the
State of Louisiana shall be divided into six
congressional districts, and that the qnali-
fed electors of each district shall choose
one Representative to Congress, as follows
The first district comprises the parishes
Of Plaquemines. St. Bernard and that por-
tion of the parish of Orleans lying on the
right bank of the Mississippi river and that
portion on the left bank below Julia street
and the New canal, comprising wards
three, four, five, Elk. seven, eight. nine and
fifteen of the city of New Orleans.
The second district comprises that pof'
ton of the parish Of Orlea rs lying above
Julia street and the New canal, and takes
in the second, first, tenth, eleventh, twelfth
thirteenth and fourteenth wards of the city
Of New Orleans, and the parishes of Jeffer-
SOD, st. Charles, St. John the Baptist and
St. James.
The third district comprises the parishes
of Iberville, Ascension, Assumption, La
fourche, Terrebonne, st. Mary, Iberia, St
Martin, Lafayette, vermilion. Cameron and
Calcasieu.
The fourth district comprises the parishes
of Rapides, Vernon, Sabine, Natchitoches,
Grant, Winn. Red River, De Soto, Caddo
Bossier, Webster and Bienville.
Tue fifth district comprises the parishes
of Concordia, Caldwell, Franklin, Tensas
Madison, Richland, Ouachita, Jackson
Lincoln, Union, Morehouse. Carroll. Clai
bornc and Catahoula.
The sixth district comprises the parishes
of AvoyelIes, St. Landry, Point Coupee
West Feleiana, East Feliciana, West Baton
Rouge, East Baton Rouge, st. Helena
Livingston. Tangipahoa, Washington and
st. Tammany.
The bill was ordered to be read section
by section, and q vote taken on the adop
ton of each congressional district as read
from the bill.
Mr. Barber proposed an amendment to
that part of the bill designating the first
congressional district. He wanted the
third ward stricken from the district, but
the Senate voted down his amendment and
adopted tho First Distcic: aa it stands in
the bill.
Mr.. Barber said the oijec: Of the bill
was to creates siS cong gressionaf districts.
instead of five, and expressed the opinion
that the change might prove disastrous to
the Republicans. He said the bill as il
stood, if it should become a law, would
give the second and third congressional
districts to the Democrats, and the fourth
might be considered doubtful. This, he
said, will be the result of redistricting the
State as proposed by the bill under consi
deration, notwithstanding that the State is
largely Republican. He concluded his re-
marks by moving for the recommitment Of
the bill.
Mr.. Burch argued in favor Of the bill as
it stood. He thought i: necessary for the
State to have representa- tion in Congress,
regarding that of more Importance than
the complexion Of mans politics who was
sent there to represent the State. He would
therefore move to lay the motion to recon-
nit upon the table, and his motion was sus'
tanned by vote Of o6 yeas to nays.
After some further opposition. tho bill
was adopted on it's second reading. consid
cred engrossed, and. on motion of Dir
Harris, made the special order of the day
for next Wednesday at one o'clock.
The special order of the day being called
for. Mr.. Blunt moved its postponement 70!
thirty minutes, upon which motion the yeas
and nays were called. with the following
result: Yeas. 10; nays, l6.
Mr.. Harris rose to a point Of order. lie
stated that it required wo-thirds vote to
postpone the regular order Of the day. and
for that reason the motion to postpone was
lost.
The President Of the Senate decided the
point we'll taken, and the regular order OF
the day was taken up. This was Senate
bill No. 1898, an act to reduce and reorgan
ize the Metropolitan Police force. The bill
was called up BY Mr.. lngraham on Tues
day last. the first section adopted, and
pending the consideration Of the second
section the Senate adjourned. He now
moved the adoption OF the other sections OF
the bill, and they were read and adopted. He
then moved a reconsideration of the vote
by which the frs: section was adopted. and
his motion prevailed. This was done in
order to give Mr.. Detiege All opportunity to
amend the first section as follows: "That
the Police Board shall consist of four mem
bers, instead Of six. Ono to come from
Jefferson and the Fourth District. one from
the First District, one from, the Second
District and Orleans right bank. and one
from the Third District and st. Bernard
The amendment was adopted. and the
bill finally passed. under a suspension Q,
the constitutional rule.
Mr.. Kelso called up House bill No. 3S2,
an act to provide for the payment and col
lection of taxes due the city Of New Or
laans. 70 anthoriza a discount ON the same,