New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-04-22

.-..a NEW ORLEANS, THURSDAY APRIL a. 1875

DISTRICT Courts Of the parish of Orleans
concurrent jur sdiction with the Superior
District Court of the same parish. A
minority report was also submitted, signed
by Mr.. Ogden, favoring the passage of the
bill.
An act to relieve delinquent taxpayers in
certain cases in the overdowed districts of
the State was called up. amended and
| finally passed the Senate.
The bill as originally introduced was in
tended to relieve only such taxpayers as
had suffered by the overflow of last year;
but as amended, if it becomes a law, it will
relieve all taxpayers that are subjected to
penalties and other costs for non pay ment
of taxes, provided said delinquent taxpay-
ers pay their taxes by the first OF next
November.
A concurrent resolution received from
the House suspending Charles Clinton,
State Auditor Of Public Accounts, was
| ordered to be read. While it was under
| consideration the Senate adjourned.
House of Representatives.
AS soon as the roll was called and the
journals dispose of, Mr.. Lowell called up
the report of the previous day relative to
the accounts of the Auditor and Treasurer
He accepted the amendment of Mr.. Kidd
that the resolution should be directed only
against the Auditor, and addressed the
House.
Mr. TOwo1l-nnoo Nv <lo
Republican party of Louisiana is called
upon in the discharge Of its important
duties, to ask for the impeachment Of one
of its own leaders, a Republican official
high in otfice, of high crimes and misde.
meanors. In the examination of the ac.
counts of the Auditors office, in obedience
to the command of this House at its regular
session, your committee felt called upon to
do its whole duty in the examination Of the
accounts. believe We have performed that
duty fully and fairly. The results of
that examination force us to offer
the resolution of'impeaehment which has
already been read to the House. They are
articles of impeachm ent by committee of
the Republican party against one Of its own
officers, It is a serious thing to prefer
charges against man which. if proved,
would almost destroy his citizenship. But
after having thoroughly examined the books
of this officer, after the most searching in.
vestigation by competent experts during a
period of three months, and with every dis
position to make a report favorable to the
Auditor, we are com mpelled to do 80.
Mr.. Clinton casts a refecti on upon the
committee and upon the House by stating
in letter which appears in the morning
journals that the committees experts were
incompetent. The fact is that those experts
have been book keepers all their lives, and
one of them is now engaged in business
here, and might probably bs selected by
the Cotton or Merchan ts' Exchange as AN
expert if, as Mr.. Clinton suggested, the
appointment of such should be left to them.
Mr.. Pierson-I second the motion. 1t is
high time the matter of the Auditors &C.
counts was looked into. The investigation
shows in this report that which ought to
make every Republican blush for his party.
I hope the motion tor impeachment will be
carried.
Mr.. Sartain championed the Auditor on
the ground that he having asked for COM
mittee was entitled to it and referred to
that portion of the Auditors letter that
stated the investigation had been made by
personal and political enen les.
Mr.. Lowell Indignantly denied that any
member of the committee had been actuated
by any motive except the desire to do right,
and denounced in emphatic language the
charge Of personal bias.
The report was accepted, the resolution Of
impeachment, and concurrent resolution
of suspension from Office, passed by a vote
of more than three to one.
From this time until its adjour m ment the
House was occupied entirely in the business
of getting through the forms of preliminary
passage of bills, and the only interruption
was on a private bill of Mr.. Guichard. '.
Mr.. Hahn said there had been too much
of this. 1t was needless and expensive.
People came here to have acts passed which
would be just as effective If passed before
a notary public. Only last session an act !
had been passed which was merely dup1i.
cate ofthe act previously passed before a no.
tary. These acts cost the State largely in
publication. Minors ask the State to emanci-
pate them when they could g before the
court with less trouble. This kind Of legis-
lation should be discouraged.
Mr.. Young said he concurred in these re.
marks, and gave no tice that from this time
he would oppose any such private bill, but
as it had been the custom he would vote
for the one under discussion.
Mr.. Guichard thanked the member from
Claiborne, but thought opposition came
with bad grace from other members who |
were in the House to-day when similar |
bill had passed. This bill had been handed |
him by one Of the members just expelled,
and though requested to attend to its !
passage, he would not have done SO if an
other had not passed. He did not believe
in such legislation any more than any one |
else, but he asked that the bill should be |
passed in courtesy to the late member.
The bill passed.
just before adj djournment Mr.. Hill asked |
permission to make personal explanation. |
Mr.. Hill said that the call of the previous |
question had prevented his saying anything !
IN the expulsion of the four Republican
members. He believed the extra session
lad been called to consider the adjustment
md promote harmony and peace. As q
member of the Committee on Elections and
qualifications he had been governed by the
ward, and had received the written pledge
# democrats that the House should not be
liaku rhad 10 L