Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-04-15
COnTeaIng Of the Legislature In Rx-
traOrdlnarI Session Yesterday
Message OF the Governor.
A Review OF the Political DiffIc uIties,
and Financial Condition OF the
state.
Swearing In OF Members-The Com.
promise Aeeeded TO-The New CITY
Charter Vetoed, Etc.

I WNAC HNbEn hUu n IesOiuLlO0 a0ODIei
10 the house referring the claims O
these included in the award TO the com
mittee on elections, which will repor
tomorrow. Both parties seem to &C
cept the award without opposition, thu
making the compromise 8 success.
Governor Kellogg's message to tn
legislature was long and elaborate. Thr
following are some OF the principa
points:
"The occasion Of this extraordinary
session works new, and trusta better
era in the history Of our State. The his
tory Of Louisiana since its incorporation
into the Union, ss summarized in thu
messages OF successive governors, from
Governor Claiborne to recent times, hsl
been one Of jeslousies and disorder
Though second to no State in natura
advantages Of climate, soil and pro-
! ducts, it has fallen far behind other less.
favored States in the development OF it,
resources and in the cultivation of thai
homogenity Of feeling and interest
| without which no community can be
permanently prosperous. The causes oI
! this lack Of progress and unity in the
/ past have been as varied as the ills that
have resulted. Some are beyond the pale
! by the action Of time in removing present
pr9judices and erasing the memory of
past traditions. Others are the result OF
the peculiar character of the population
Of the State and the prevailing diversi-
ties of race, religion and language.
Others, again, and these by no means
the least considerable, have sprung
from improvident and oppressive legis-
latures of late years, including that OF
lS65-67, which manifested q de-
sire 70 subordinate the material
interests OF the State to the
enforcement Of partisan purposes
and the pecuniary aggrandizement of
individuals. 1t would serve no good pur-
pose TO review in detail the events of our
recent history. The unfortunate past,
with whatever mistakes and wrongs
may have been committed on either
side, is before you. he consequences
OF these mistakes and wrongs, more elO-
qUent than any language l can use, are
also before you. 1t is your privilege to
correct and remedy, or at least alleviate
them; and more important still, to offer
guarantees that such events shall not
again occur. After political contest,
the length and bitterness Of which has
been unparalleled, policy has at last
been adopted, which, l think, should
have been tried at first, and which l
trust will afford an immediate and salts.
factory solution OF the difficulties
that have beset us for years and en-
tailed misfortune and distress upon
the people. 1t is most hopeful sign,
in my opinion, when, as now, citizens
Of all political parties seem inclined to
take the management Of their affairs
into theiE. own hands, and, sinking per-
sorisl and party aims, unite to advance
the general gOod.n
With regard to the revenues of
the State, and the mode of collecting and
disbursing them, the governor reiter-
Rtes the views previously expressed:
"Fhat the system Of assessing and
collecting taxes now in operation is cum
brous, expensive and unjust, and should
be radically changed. The fees Of tax.
collectors should be reduced, and assess
ors should be paid by fixed salary in
lieu Of fees. Another and still greater
source of injustice lies in the delinquent
tsx-list. This State affords no exception
to the too general rule that the rich
evade the taxes and the poor pay them.
The delinquent taxes of some Of the
weslthiest parishes in this State amount
ed last year to nearly or quite eighty per
cent. of the entire tax levied. For in
stance, the delinquent list in the wealthy
parish of Caddo amounted last year to
over sixty-six thousand dollars, or eighty
three per cent. of the entire tax, while
in st. James, st. Charles, st. John
the Baptist, and other parishes,
where the people are peaceful,
Industrious, but comparatively poor,
the delinquent lists do not amount to
ten per cent. of the tax levied. On the
first OF January last there were out
standing delinquent taxes to the extent
of four million two hundred and sixty
four thousand dollars; the collections on
this account since that time amount to
about one hundred and fifty thousand
dollars, leaving still over four million
one hundred thousand dollars of delin-
quent taxes due the State. At the most
moderate estimate the delinquent taxes
more than three and half Of
the fourteen and a half mills of the
present rate of State taxation"
He recommends number of reforma-
tory measures, indicating reduction Of
the salary Of State officers, and says: "a
fair computation will show, think, that
with proper, needed measures of reform,
such as l have indicated, the whole rate
Of State and parish taxation for the
present year need not exceed the
amount now levied for State purposes
alone, namely, fourteen and half mills.
The future OF the State, when once
these measures are secured and har-
mony and peace restored, seems to
be bright with promise every day;
makes more clearly manifest the BEN
a. Al int no fEnf aOl
adopted at the recent elec-
ton are certain to exert upOnthe finan-
cial condition of the State by these en-
Neither the State nor par
ish can ever levy more than a fourteen
and half mills tax in any one year,
except for school purposes, and no leg
lslature, however eXtraVagant or cor
rupt, can expend more than the amount
which the law, thus limited, will yield.
The revenues of each year are devoted
to the expenditures OF that year, and all
in excess OF revenue are
null and void. The import
ance of this provision cannot be over
looked. In 1865, 1865 and 1857, the eX-
cess of expenditures was very great. In
1869 and 1870 the total receipts on ae-
count Of the general fund were 50 239,-
595; the total expenditures were 81 S7S,-
SIS; leaving floating debt of 81, ,63S, ,9l7
to be taken up out OF the revenues OF
years, or to be added to the
bonded debt Of the State. In 1871 and
1872, the last two years OF my prede-
cessor, the total receipts on the same
accounts were 81 o22 S3l; the total ex.
penditures were s., sos. .634; leaving for
these two years an additional floating
debt offs ,6l3, ,2O3 to be provided for in q
similar manner. In 1873 and 1874, the
first two years Of my administration, the
total receipts were s. 2l4.57S, aud the
total expenditures So, 229, ,5l7, an excess
Of expenditures over the revenue OF
Sl5,O39. For the current year, and for
all time hereafter, under the provisions
of the constitutional amendment to
which L have referred, there can be no
valid appropriations made ia excess of
the revenues, and consequently not one
dollar can be added to the public debt
either directly or Indirectly by this
means. In urging the adoption of
these amendments upon the legislature
and upon the people, was fully aware
that they would meet with determined
opposition from interested parties, both
at hnr,,. a. that h.