New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-02-06
THE STATE HOUSE.
Senate.

THE STATE HOUSE.
senate.
Immediately after prayer the Senate
went into executive session, and on the
doors opening, the Clerk of the House ap-
peared with messages from that oooy.
Among them was one concerning address,
ing Judge Hawkins out of office.
Considerable routine business was taken
in hand, and several bills pushed forward.
The bill to regulate the fees of the clerks
of the district courts for the parish of Or
leans, was called up by Mr.. Sypher, who
expressed a wish to see 1t, and others like
it. disposed of as speedily as possible.
Finally passed.
Mr.. Sypher, from the Committee on
Finance, called up Senate bill No. 36, fixing
the salary of the civil sheriff Of the parish
Of Orleans. This bill requires the civil
sheriff to make monthly returns to the City
Council, and all sums received by him
above the sum of $4,000 annually, are to
be turned over to the city treasury.
Mr.. Ogden-I should like to point out to
the Senate the errors in this bill; constitu-
tionally the office must be either that Of
feed or salaried one, and that can not be
done while the sheriff pays his employees.
BY this bill if the civil sheriff receives the
sum Of SAC, 900 annually, he will be compelled
to pay more than that sum for employees,
and in that case, the House will never
adopt it. Already the expenses of the cur
rent year for that Office have cost about
$4,000. l am not opposed to changing the
law, but this bill will not reach the object
sought for, ana move for its postponement.
Mr.. Wharton-Let the sheriff reduce his
expenses. This bill does not alter the office
fees.
Mr.. Oyden-When an officer is on q reg
ular salary he is not likely to look particu-
larly after the expenses of his Office, and he
will not be able to keep employees on duty
in unusual hours. when peremptory bust
ness requires the services of clerks and
deputies. l move that this bill be post
poped and made the order Of the day for
next Thursday.
Mr.. Alexander-I am convinced that the
only way to regulate that Office is to reduce
the fees; the people demand q reduction in
fees. That ls the only way to remedy the
evils complained Of.
Mr.. Stamps-Mr. Ogden said that had it
not been for the tax fees the office would
not have paid it's expenses. just 80; but
had it not been tor those taxes the office
expenses would have been much less than
they were The committee is of the opinion
that this office can be run for $40, 900 per year,
and there are plenty Of men willing to take
the position for that figure; therefore am
opposed to postponement.
Mr.. Robertson-I think as Mr.. Alexander
does, that the only way to make reform is
to reduce the fees Litigants in the parish
of Orleans pay enormous costs when they
60 into courts.
ton of the constitution; the law says that
the civil sheriff shall be compensated with
fees; if this bill becomes q law, it gives him
but a portion of the fees. Let this bill pass
and the courts will declare it unconstitu-
tional am in favor of change, but this
bill! does not meet the emergency.
Mr.. Wharton-Law is q luxury, and the
costs of it should be reduced, and want
the sheriff to reduce the expenses of his Of
fee. therefore oppose postponement
Mr.. Sypher-My object is. to protect liti-
gants, and not one bill in a thousand from
the sheritf's office is revised by the attor-
neys.
Mr.. Grover-I will vote for no bill that
does not furnish sufficient money to pay
the Office expenses. but will vote for this
bill, 60 as to have it go before the House
again, where it will receive such investiga-
ton az it deserves, and then it will return
to the Senate in better form.
The motion to postpone having been lost,
the bill came up on final passage.
Mr.. Alexander explained his vote against
il, because he did not consider it reform
measure.
The bill was finally passed by large
majority.
Mr.. Burch offered q resolution to have a
special committee of three appointed to
inquire into the lease of the city wharves
and into the legality of the wharf improve
ment bonds issued on that.
Adopted.
Mr.. Burch-In 1872 or thereabouts the
CITY Council passed an ordinance whereby
honds for So 600, 600 were issued, known as
wharf bonds, for the Ostensible purpose OF
paving TOR improvements and repairs of the
city wharves on the river font, pledging
the revenues derivable from wharf rents
and dues for the payment Of principal and
interest of said bonds.
Last summer, the city authorities essum
ing inability to make further payments, as
stipulated in the terms OF said bonds, and
after having paid and redeemed about
81, ,25O, 600 of these obligations, did lease the
wharves to private parties.
1t is the object Of this inquiry TO investl-
i, The nature of the debt for whose
ljouidatiou these bonds were issued, "a 1t ie
generally believed by experts that s4oV,ooo
would amply have paid for the works Tor
which $4,000, 600 are appropriated.
2. Whether the City Council could have
issued these bonds without authorization
of q special act Of the Legislature, or vote
of the people.
8. Whether this lease was made in &C
cordance with the "specifcations tor Q les
4. Whether these specifications permitted
free and impartial biddings.
5. Whether any legal proceedings were
pending at the time said contract OF lease
was entered into which should lave sus-
pended the making of the lease until final
decision on the merits Of the injunction pro
hibi,ing the City Council from making the
lease had been duly rendered.
The lease entered into provides for pay