New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-02-12

l SSAAs'sS >>s'S
sought to make political capital out OF th'
action of the Returning Board.
Senator Allan did not agree with thu
views expressed by Senators Detiege ant
Burch. He was in favor of having sutfi
cient number of copies of the report printet
to answer the public use. He regarded thu
Republicans as much part Of the public Al
the Democrats, and while he would no
deprive the Democrats of their right t.
read the report, he would not by refusing
to print, deprive Republicans of that right
Therefore hs was in favor of having 50O'
copies of the report printed.
The report was then amended so as t.
have 5000 copies printed. instead of 20OO
and adopted.
The bill entitled an act relating to thu
fees and emoluments of the Auditor OF Pub
lie Accounts, reported favor ably on by thu
Committee on Retrenchment and Reform
was taken up. An effort was made to post
pone its further consideration until mex
| Monday.
| 1t was opposed by Senator Stamps, wht
said he did not see the use Of these repeated
postponements of important bills. The OBJ
| ject of the bill before the Senate, he said
was reform. 1t proposed to cut off the feet
now received by the State Auditor, amount
! ing to thousands of dollars over and above
his salary Of $4,000 per annum. These fees
came out of the pockets OF the people-the
| taxpayers of the State-and went into the
! pockets of an officer who received very
| liberal salary. The speaker said he did not
| think this right He was in favor of re-
forming all matters of this kind, and was
opposed to all unnecessary delays in the
work of reform.
Senator Cage said in masters of this kind
which he regarded in the true line of reform,
he did not know the Auditor or any other
man holding public position. He said the
Auditor held position that gave him $4,000
a year under the constitution. He regarded
that as very liberal salary. In addition
to that as the law now stands, he said the
Auditor receives fees amounting to from
$4,000 to $4,000 per year. He regarded
this as wrong. If these fees must be COL
lected he was in favor of having them paid
into the public treasury.
Senator Burch denied that the Auditor
had received the large am cunts stated as
fees, and proceeded to speak in defense Of
that officer.
He was interrupted by Senator Cage,
who informed the Senate that it had been
ascertaned that the Auditor had received
in the way of fees during the year 1873, the
sum of $4,000.
Senator Burch expressed himself glad to
hear that Senators had been able to arrive
at something definite in regard to this mat
ter, but he was not disposed to act hastily
in regard to it. He said he was not dis
posed to think that Senators were not actu-
ated by pure motives in desiring to have
the law giving these fees repealed, but he
believed their amount had been greatly ex-
aggerated. He wanted the further consid-
Grafton OF the bill at this time postponed
Senator Wharton was opposed to any
postponement. He wanted the bill passed
at once. The Committee on Retrenchment
and Reform, he said, had unanimously
favored the bill and recommended imme-
OiS~.C oStAOu' AACiO w as uO ucCcSelly3 VI CIV CN
excuse, for delay. The Senator said he had
heard good deal about reform, but noticed
that when a specific reform came up some
Senators always favored delay-desired "to
wait for a more convenient time" He said the
State paid for the use Of the Auditors office
This was independent of the fees received
by the Auditor, Of which, the Senator said,
he was careful to make no mention in his
reports. Surely, he continued, the gentle
Auditor can well spare these fees. Let
them be taken from his plethoric pocket
and given to the starving inmates of our
Charity Hospital or Insane Asylum.
Senator Burch again defended the Au-
ditor and insisted upon giving him hear
ing before condemning him. He said the
State Treasurer and the sheriff of the parish
of Orleans had been made to give evidence
against the Auditor, and it was but right to
hear what that officer had to say. There
fore he would insist on postponement of
the further consideration of the subject
until Monday next.
The Senate refused to postpone. and the
bill, under a suspension Of the rules, was
read twice, and amended so as to make all
emoluments Of the Office, other than the
salary of the Auditor, returnable to the
treasury to be placed to the credit OF the
general fund, and considered engrossed.
The Senate then adjourned until to-
Saturday, at IL NJ, in considera.
ton of to-day being the birthday of Abra-
ham Lincoln /
House of Representatives.
The House was called to order at few
minutes after twelve o'clock, Speaker Hahn |
in the chair. The reading of the journal
was dispensed with. and after correction it |
was adopted.
Mr.. Guichard offered resolution provid- |
ing that the Committee on Canals and |
Drainage investigate the affairs of the |
lessees of the Old Canal Carondelet, and {
by what right they levy toll. Adopted.
Mr.. Poindexter presented a resolution |
providing for the appointment of new
standing committee, to be known as the |
OF navigation and Louisiana
tributary streams. Lies over under the
rules.
Mr.. Lowell. from the Committee on Ju-
dietary, offered resolution instructing that
committee to inquire as to what would be
the liability of the State to the Louisiana
Levee Company in case an appropriation
should be made by Congress to rebuild the
levees. The resolution lies over.
~. oI,
from the Committee On Judiciary, instruct