The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-02-15
three should do what was required by

Mr.. DemaS moved to lay the motion
or order on the table, and called for the
yeas and nays. The motion was re-
! jected by a party vote.
MIR. Mathews asked if the police, be.
ing off duty, had not the same right tc
attend the meetings OF the Legislature
that other citizens had.
Mr.. Dupre would not deny such right
but circumstances gave q peculiar aspect
to this matter OF policemen attending
the sessions in body. If they were on
night duty, did they not want sleep by
day? IL they were on day duty, should
they not be on their beats? And they
appeared in and about the State House
in citizens dress, which was suspicious.
II they were in the Capitol for sinister
purpose, they were the more dangerous
for appearing in disguise, 50 to speak
appearing without their uniforms.
Mr.. Dupre's order, was adopted, and
the Chair appointed Messrs. Dupre,
johnson of Lafourche and Murrill the
committee.
Presently the committee retired to
confer with the Governor de fdctO on
the subject.
Mr.. Hunsacker represented the levee
i'm the Fourth Ward of the parish Of st.
James to be in dangerous condition,
and a resolution presented by him, re-
quiring the State Engineer to give his
attention to the matter, was adopted.
Mr.. Jeffries' bill, reforming the sys-
tenn Of State assessment and State tax
collection, which was the unfinished
business Of Friday, came up Us the order
OF the day.
Mr.. Leyisee offered as substitute a
bill prepared by himself, and, on motion
Of Mr.. Jeffries, the substitute was laid on
the table.
Upon motion to suspend the cOnsti-
tutional rule for third reading Of the
bill, the vote stood; Yeas SO, nays Is.
For want Of four-fifths majority the
rule was not suspended and the bill was
made the special order Of the day for TO-
morrow, to be taken up Immediately
after the reading of the journal.
Mr.. Booth offered resolution provid-
ing for the appointment of a committee
of three to inquire if Mr.. Demas, as a
member of the Board Of Audit, had not
received money to procure the auditing
of claims by the Board. Adopted.
Many bills were introduced and refer
red, among them one by Mr.. Bayfey, to
pay the Levee Company $1,000, for sur
veys, which the Legislature Of 1875
failed to make an appropriation for.
| That bill was referred to the Committee
on Lands and Levees.
Mr.. Dupre, as chairman of the commit
tee to ascertain why policemen were
daily in and about the State House,
made a verbal report of the interview
between the committee and the Cover
nor de fdctO.
Mr.. Murrill made a report differing
from the statement Of facts.
Mr.. Dupre suggested that, under such
circumstances, the better way would be
to make written reports, and the sug-
gestion was acquiesced in.
Mr.. Walker introduced a resolution
empowering the Sergeant-at- Arms OF
the House to appoint one hundred as
sistants, without expense to the State. y
Messrs. Mathews, Of Tensas, and De
mas objected to the resolution being
entertained, and it lies over until TO-
| morrow.
AT subsequent stage of the proceed
ings Mr.. johnson, Mr.. Dupre being alb
sent, made the following report:
| To the Honorable Speaker and Members Of the
House of Representatives
A majority of your special committee
| to inquire into the presence OF a body
of police officers in citizens dress, in
| and about the State House, respectfully
That they waited upon the Governor,
| and made inquiries thereabout. The
Governor answered that members OF the
Senate and of the House had asked
that police force be detailed in the
State House to guard against the
drunken and disorderly men in the lob
bies and about the entrance OF the State
House. to which he consented with the
proviso that said police force appear in
citizens dress.
Commissioner of Police James Lewis,
being in the Governors room within
| ear-shot, added that the police officers
who were i'm the House, were here sim
Div as citiZens-they appearing on thelr
respective beats at night in uniform.
Your committee find that there is g
force of police in the House and would
recommend that the Speaker cause theii
removal. as empowered under the law.
GEO. w. DUpRE, Chairman.
THOMAS J. JOHNSON,
Mr.. Murrell submitted the annexed
minority report:
| To the Honorable Speaker and Members OF thu
House of Representatives:
The minority of your special commit
tee to inquire Of the Governor the cause
/, of a large body of police being in ant
about the State House beg leave to pre-
sent this report: Your committee waited
upon His EycelieDey, and were informed
by him that some ten or twelve police
mon were detailed on duty IN and about
the State House, and il more than this
number were in or about the building !,
was without his knowledge. l further
state that / have been informed thai
some OF the police seen about the State
House are officers on night duty in the
several precincts Of the city, without
order OF any superior officer:
WILLIAM MuRRELL.
The bill from the Senate to regulate
the tame of holding regular terms OF the
District Court Of the Eighth Judlcla
District, in tbs parish OF Calcasleu
passed. .n,oe
The Senate bill all ,wing sheritfs sales
in the rural parishes on the trSt anS
third Saturdays of each month, instead
az the first Saturday OF each month
| which is the present restriction, passed
The. Senate bill to enlarge the !urls-
dicti0p of parish courts passed AFTER :
protracted debate between members O.
the bar on the floor, and plentfqi MI
clustering" on the part OF some hepuo
| lican members.s
Mr.. Young, as Chairman OF the JUDI,
ciarv Committee, explained the scope o.
the bill At present the jurisdiction o.
| parish courts is limited to claims not
exceeding $500. Thus, if a plaintiff has
claim, the principal and interest O
which exceeds $500, he is deaiad a hear
l .cl ,,rf a Ma