New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-04-20
THE EXTRA SESSION.
Senate.

| Senate.
! At twelve O'Clock yesterday the Senat
was called to order bR the President. 'Th
roll was called and twenty-tour member
responded. The proceedings were opened
with prayer.
Senator Alexander appeared and took hi
seat for the frst time during the extra ses
sion.
Senator Burch gave notice that be would
at future time, introduce a bill for the re
lief Of the city of Baton Rouge, for expenses
1 incurred in furnishing materials and EN-
ploying iaborors to stop crevasses and re
pair the levees during the high water of 1874
The same Senator also gave notice OF a
bill requiring better quail fica.ions of per
] sons presenting themselves for examination
before the Supreme Court to be admitted
to the bar of this State.
ative to evidence in criminal prosecutions
giving the prisoner the privilege Of testify
| ing in his own behalf.
! Senator Eustis introduced bill to expe
dite the trial of cases in the Supreme Court
against sureties on appeal and Forthcoming
bonds. Under suspension of the rules it
was read twice and referred to the Judi.
ciary Committee.
Senator Detiege introduced a bill to
amend and re-enact article GA Of the Code
| of Practice. The bill was read twice under
| suspension of the rules and referred to
the Judiciary Committee.
Senator Ogden introduceda bill to amend
| act No. 73 of 1872, entitled an act to author
ize the Council of the city of New Orleans
to levy police tax; to regula to levies of
taxes, the proceedings Of tax suits, and the
jurisdiction of the district courts for the
parish of Orleans in referen ce thereto; to
define and punish forgery in certain cases;
to authorize the funding Of the floating
debt; to consolidate, limit and provide for
the debt of the city Of Ne " Orleans, princi.
pal and interest; to authorize a tax for the
support Of the city government, and to
establish q fiscal agency, defining its duties,
and for the better enforcement of the col
lection of all taxes. The bill was read
twice and referred to the Judiciary Com
mittee.
Senator Eustis introduced bill relative
to drainage in the parishes Of Orleans and
Jefferson, and providing for contracts for
such work; for the manage ment OF the
drainage tax, and the payment Of the bonds
issued and debts incurred for drainage.
The bill was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Canals and Drainage.
Senator Whitney introduced an act to re-
lieve the delinquent taxpayers from the
payment of penalties in certain cases. 1t
was read twice and referred to the Finance
Committee.
The Governors veto of an act entitled
an act to legalize the indcbte dness of the
Charity Hospital at New Orleans and the
Insane Asylum at Jackson, nd to provide
for the payment of the same, came up as
the special order OF the day.
A motion was made to pass the bill, the
Governors veto to the contrary notwith-
standing.
Senator Wharton addressed the Senate,
and said he would vote to sustain the Gov
ernOr's veto for the reason that the act
vetoed had been declared by the Supreme
Court to be illegal.
Senator Weber asked the gentlemen to
allow him to ask him question, and Sena-
tor Wharton consen.ing, Sen ator Weber
asked whether the Supreme Court declared
the item making the appropriation to the
Charity Hospital illegal.
Senator Wharton answered yes-the Su-
preme Court decided that this item in the |
appropriation bill is illegal, unconstitu-
tional, null and void on the ground that |
under that section of the constitution limit |
ng the State debt and keeping it within |
,he revenues of the State, any act making |
in excess of the revenue is |
legal. He said he understood there was |
lebt, but until he had some proef of it he
would vote to sustain the Governors veto.
Senator Barch said he was in sympathy |
with all charitable institutions, but that he
could not consistently vote for an act that
he Supreme Court had declared unconsti- +
utioDal, null and void. He concluded by
aging that under the circumstances he
Cit CoNsUTdiucu 10 su5tdlu Inc VETO OI tn6
Governor.
Senator Blackburn said he ehould vote to
Ass the bill over the Governor e veto as it
, we'll known fact that the Charity Hos
ital stood sadly in need of financial aid.
Ie said that Senators might err in doing
his, but if they did it was on the side of
harity.
Senator Eustis said he understood the
notion to be the passage of the bill over
10 Governors veto. He would like to
ave the veto read, to ascertain the Cover
Or's reasons.
The veto message was then read.
Senator Eustis continued by saying that
8 heard some Senators say the bill is un-
Institutional. If it be unconstitutional,
, thought it most extrao rdinagy that Sen.
ors should vote for the passage of the ,
II. This important fact, he said, is con- ,
ined in the Governor 3 message: That the
II is unconstitutional. He thought it ex- i
aordinary that Senators should vote to
galize legal debt. He was totally at q I
% to understand what that meant. He r
en- called for reading the bill.
The bill was read. r
Senator Oyden wanted it understood that
person in the State had the interest Of $
aritabe institutions more at heart than
had; but the object here sought being to P
,alize al act the Supreme Court had p
cided unconstitutional. it seemed to him S
At if the bill did pass it would stand in d