The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-03-03
THEY EXCUSE THEMSELVES.
STATEMENT OF THE RADICAL MAJORITY IN THE
SENATE
The following official statement was pub
lished in Thursday mornings issue Of the
New Orleans Republican:
SENATE CHAMBEE,

New Orleans Republican
SENATE CHAMBEE,
New Orleans, March l. 1876.
We, the undersigned members of the Sen.
ate, deem it due to ourselves and to our con-
stituents to make the following statement to
the public
When the General Assembly convened, in
this, the first regular session since the
Wheeler compromise and adjustment, the
representatives of both political parties
seemed to vie in their demands for reform
legislation. By reform measures we under
stand laws for the reduction of the costs
of carrying on the government; q reduc-
ton of the expense Of assessing and col
Letting taxes; to conine appropriations
within the receipts; needed legislation
to relieve the finaneial emba,rass-
ments of the city of New Orleans, and
kindred enactments. We assert that the Re-
publicans in both houses have stood ready
during the whole session u pass these bills.
But we charge that the Democratic members,
while crying in tones of mo1k oarnestness for
reform, FILTERED away the pntire session in
eff3rts to gain political md partisan adj
vantages, and to make whatthey call q record
to 60 to their constituents 1pon. We charge
fur her, that in every PRETENDED reform bill
introduced by the Democratic members, they
have purposely inserted efsnsive political
features, which Republican pembers, in duty
to their party, could not aScept-the Demo-
Gratis preferring to defeat stch reform meas
ures, rather than not accomplish their selfish
partisan ends.
The Republican majority n the Senate have
passed a number of honest Measures of relief;
these bills have not been a eed upon by the
House in most cases, and where acted upon at
all, they have been amended by the insertion
of offensive clauses, or by yhe postponement
of their operation. We inika lance among the
bills passed by the Senate, ss aforesaid, the
new charter for the city of Kew Orleans, SUBJ
mitted by the Property Hqdsrs' Union; an
act to reduce the fees OF cl&rks and sheriffs
throughout the State; an Ut to reduce the
costs of collecting taxes, nd other kindred
reformatory measures.
On the other hand, there iare still pending
in the Senate several ina hortant measures
which we now wish to consider and pass. We
charge that we are prevented from SO acting
by the revolutionary, partition course Of the
Democratic majority in thu House. Among
these bills are several mea1ures of vital i'm.
portance to the public welfare. We instance
notably the act to assist in tie construction of
q railroad to Texas; bill fdk the relief of the
financial embarrassments ofsNew Orleans; an
act to equslize assessments of property
throughout the State; q bill 10 enable persons
whose property has been sold to the State for
taxes to redeem without penalties; bill to
allow all delinquent taxpayers to pay without
penalties for specified period; an act to re-
duce the amount of penalties for delinquency
in the future; and an act to modify the harsh
features Of the existing laws for the collection
of taxes.
We charge that now, at the very end of the
session the Democrats have abandoned this
unfinished work, to waste the time in q futile
and foolish effort to seize the State Govern
ment by revolutionary coup detdt.
We charge that the so-calied articles of i'm
parchment preferred against Gov. Kellogg by
the House are frivolous and were trumped up
at this late hour of the session in order to
consume the time ind prevent the passage of
reform measures by the Republican majority
of the Senate.
Notwithstanding that the Senate, sitting DIS
High Court of Impeachment, has reie cted
this impeachment aud acquitted the Cover
nor in due foim of law, they still persis. in
their mad partisan course, and in so doing
have suspended all legislation in both Houses,
while bat one day remains of the session.
The f)regoing statement considered, we
submit. that ii the Democratic majority of the
House continue in their revolutionary course,
and compel the majority of the Senate to ad-
journ sine die on the assembling of the Sem
ate tomorrow at noon, the responsibility
must rest with the Democratic members Of
the Assembly.
e. L. Whitney, J. A. Masicot
William Harper, L. b Stamps,
A. ]. Sypber, W. W. Wharton,
J. e. Breaux, e. r. Herwig
o. H. Brewster, ]. A. Gia,
R. H. Chadbourn, Curtis Pollard,
George Y. Kelso, T. A. Cage,
n Twifchou n Au6oroov