The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1875-05-01
NEW ORLEANS CORRESPONDENCE

NEW ORLEANS CORRESPONDENCE.
New ORLEANS. Ap ril 29th, 1875.
EDITOR CHIEF:
Your readers have been favored
with the details of the horrible river
disaster Of Friday last. Three steam
ers and some thirty lives were de-
stroyed with marvellous rapidity,
while hundreds, dumbfounded, wit
messed the scene, as helpless to sue
cor the drowning lives or to extin.
guish the raging flames as babes in
the cradle. There were notable ex-
amples Of heroism and of stupidity,
which destiny always provides at
such moments and the event is fol-
lowed by heart pangs in the earthly
homes Of the lost, and the reflections
Of the thoughtful upon the uncertain
ties Of life. Within one hour after
the sounding Of the alarm not a trace
Of the disaster remained ut the place
Of its occurrence, save the excited
crowd drawn by curiosity or anxious
" in search Of the missing. The Mis-
sissippi will be the burial place of
many of the unfortunates, as few
bodies have been recovered.
The House of Representatives
adopted concurrent resolution direct
ing the Governor to institute suit
against Auditor Clinton and his sure
ties, but the Senate failed to act upon
it. Governor Kellogg in commune
cation to Attorney General Field,
yesterday, requested that officer to
g institute proceedings against the
Auditor upon his official bond, in or
der that an immediate and thorough
investigation may be had of any al
legged malfeasance in office by him.
The Governor appears to be satisfied
that he is in possession of sufficient
power in the premises, even in the
absence of a concurrent resolution, to
order an investigation of the conduct
of an alleged unfaitbful public official.
Without any reference to the statutes,
it appears quite reasonable that his
power should be ample in such a
case, for he is charged with the faith
full execution of the laws and Clinton
is charged with IL gross violation. At
tor the positive accusations of crimi-
nality contained in the report of the
investigating committee, composed of
members Of both houses, it is impos-
sible to consider the action of tue
Senate, in failing to adopt the con.
current resolution, as .justifable un-
less aware of the existence of statutes
which render it's passage unnecessary.
At the expiration OF the extra ses-
sion Of the General Assembly the in
quiry naturally occurred, what bone
tits have the people derived from its |
laborsf Commencing with the fact |
that We have now but one Legislature
and one Governor, while previously |
we were afflicted with two bodies
to be a House, and an active !
and prospective Governor, it is
by the friends of the compro-
mise that if o union Of conflicting ele-
ments were the sole result, it would
have been a sufficient recompense. 1t
is claimed that it was a reform meas
are to cut down police expenditures
500, 600 :; also, to suspend the penal
lies of delinquent taxpayers-but at
best these were drops in the bucket.
The passage of an appropriation bill
IF $1l7 600 for mileage and per diem
II ten days session was not reform
story, and when it is considered as
The product of the first Democratic
House since reconstruction, it is not
Exactly the "apple of my eye" sort
# business the people were led to ex-
'ect. 1t was not reformatory to delay
III important measures in the House
Until its expiring hours and then ex-
'ect the Senate to pass them without |,
eference to committees, much less an
ntire reading, or worse, to compel
be Governor to extend the session.
t was not reformatory to introduce
ills to limit the expenses of the pub .
&c schools, when those schools are
supparted, and a with
rawal of support means suppression ,
q many localities. There was ample | 1
h,,k II oe |