New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-02-26
ORLEANS FRIDAY FEBRUARY 2e 1s75S
THR LEGISLATURE YksrKRDAY.
Senate.

THk LEGISLATURES YEsTKkDAY.
| Senate.
/ This body YVES called to order punctually
at ten O'Clock by the President, Lieutenan,
| Governor Antoine. Secretary Bechte
called the roll and announced on quorum
present. A few minutes after a. quorum
was obtained, and the President called upon
the chaplain of the Senate to open its pro-
ceedinss with prayer.
Senator Blunt called up an act to author
izr and empower the State Auditor Of
Public Accounts to remit the penalties and
fines due by Ralph s, Smith. of the parish
Of Rapides. 1t was ordered to be read.
suspension of the rules was asked for in
order to place the bill upon its third read
ing.
On motion Of Senator Sypher the bill was
so amended as to afford the same relief to
all delinquent taxpayers.
Senator Stamps opposed the bill. on the
ground that its passage would do great
injustice to the very large class Of poor
men who always paid their taxes, while
rich men evaded that duty, and finally
came before the Legislature as suppl;cants
for relief from penalties and fines their
failure to comply with the law had in
Cured. He hoped the Senate would not,
by passing the bill, thus discriminate in
favor Of the rich delinquent and against
the poor but honest taxpayer and supporter
of the government.
The Senate refused to suspend the rules
in order to place the bill on its third and
final reading, and as a consequence it was
forced to take its place upon the calendar.
Senator Brewster called up an act direct
ing the clerks of the parish courts through
out the State. the parish of Orleans ex-
cepted, to record the process verbal of the
proceedings of coroners' ing uests and Of
post mortem examinations, providing pen
alties for neglect or non-compl lance thereto,
and fixing the fee Of record ing said pro-
ceedings, etc.
After some debate, a suspension of the
rules were obtained, and the bill finally
passed the Senate.
The. bill makes it the duty of the clerks
of parish courts throughout the State,
except in the parish of Orleans, to keep q
suitable book which is to be known as the
"book Of inquests.' to be kept open 20 pub
lie inspection at any time during office
hours. 1t is made the duty of the clerk to
inscribe or cause to be inscribed in this
book the process verbal of the proc eedings
of any inquest, or post tmortem examination,
held by the parish coroner, or coroner pro
tem., or by any person &C ting in that
capacity or conducting a post msrtem
and in case of failure TO Go
this the bill imposes, as penalty. fine Of
e25 for each case of fsuch neglect or non com,
pliance with the law, to be collected from
the person who has thus failed in his duty. |
For performing this duty the pari sh clerk is
70 receive fee of 81 80 for each process
verbal, ETC., SO recorded, VIII ich is to be |
1aid out of the parish treasury.
House bill No. 90, an act for the relief of. |
1. j. Twitchell, late tax collector for the |
parish Of Red River; Z. A. Devices, late
Ak collector for the parish of De Soto; D.
/. Boult, Sr., late tax collector for the
'arish of Natchtoches, and their sureties
vas called up by Senator Twitchell, and
nder suspension Of the rules finally
'assed the Senate.
The preamble to this act states that mas
luch as H. J. Twitchell and z. A. Devices,
'te tax collectors for the parishes of Red
liver and De Soto were foul,y and brutally
murdered by body Of men unlawfully
anded together on or about the
Tenty ninth day of August, 1874,
nd the safes and the persons
said Twitchell and Devices robbed of
4 moneys collected by them as tax col
ctors, and belonging to the State, since
eir last settlement with the State, say on
: about the tenth day Of July, 1874, being
10 second quarter for the year 1874; and
asmuch as a body OF men, banded together
in the parish of Natchitoches,
sisting the lawful State government, did
7 threats, of violence take from D. H.
1ult, Sr., tax collector for the parish of
the tax tableaus for the years
67, 1868. 1869, 1870. 1871, 1872 and 1873,
~ SAo NSAAht"SAI ASCo AOA o0uO JCdAS, /
ID all the other books and papers belong
2 to his office, except the assessment list
1874, all being the property of the
ate; said violent taking away being &C.
on or about the eighteenth day
September, 1874; and the said tax tab
4us, books, etc. being still in the illega
ssession of persons unknown, the State
deprivedS of the use of tho same, :
d in consequence of which, it is alleged,
Q said Boult, tax collector as aforesaid,
unable to make or return delinquent
t to the Auditor of Public Accounts as
Q law requires.
For the reasons set forth as above, the +.
, direots that the Auditor of Public Ac-
lnts be and he is authorized and required
remit and cancel on the tax tableaus of :,
j. Twitchell, late tax collector for the
rish of Red River, and r. A. Devices, late =
, collector for the parish Of De Soto, the =
cunt Of moneys collected by each of
m, belonging to the State, and stolen a. t.
etofore described; and their legal heirs b
representatives are relieved from all u
possibilities to the State resulting from
murder and robbery of the aforesaid q,
itchell and Devices. And in like way
Auditor is directed to relieve Mr.. :"
lit, his heirs and sureties, from all re-
visibility arising from the abstraction
he books and papers Of his Office. And n,
act directs that the luietus given by the .r
litor in each of these cases shall be re- =.
ded as evidence in the courts of this :.
10 that q settlement in full has been