New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-03-26
A Dispute Over q Bill.

Senate without authority. We have be.
come 90 much accustomed to the practice
OF accusing Republican officials upon mere
hearsay that We expect something Of the
kind every day. There has been a good
deal said upon one side of this question,
and some rather startling assertions have
been put forth in the usual axioma.ic man.
ner that characterizes the average Demo
crasic politician when making up a case for
what he conceives to be public opinion.
Nearly every person who thinks the bill
passed the Senate without amendment has
been interviewed, and as this testimony is
all on one side, and nobody else been called,
. verdict of guilty against the Secretary OF
the Senate is demanded with an air of re-
freshing assurance.
Now, there happens to be some testimony
in this case which We think worthy of
credit, and which it would be well to ex-
anime carefully before taking it for granted
the Democratic politicians have triumph
antly proved negative.
We copy from the weekly journal of the
Senate, of March 2, page No. %:
On motion of Senator Robertson the SEN
ate took up the report of the Committee on
Finance on House bill No. S2 entitled an
act to remit penalties to Delinquent tax
payers, reported favorably by said commit
tee.
On motion of Senator Breaux the report
was adopted.
On motion of Senator Breaux the bill was
adopted on its second reading.
On motion of Senator Breaux the consti-
tutional rules were suspended by four
ffths affirmative vote of the Senate to place
the bill on it's third reading.
Senator ChadbOurn, by unanimous con-
sent, offered the following amendment:
Insert before enacting clause, provided
that at the same time said delinquent tax
payers pay their current taxes"
Adopted.
amended, finally passed, its title adopted,
and the bill was ordered sent to the House
for concurrence in the amendment.
Here we have three Senators who had
their attention called to the bill while on
its passage through the Senate: Senator
Robertson, who called it up: Senator Chad
bourne. who moved the amendment, and
Senator Breaux, who moved the suspension
of the constitutional rule to put it on its
fc6U1USs 0uUs uu0AAyS 0AVOA Gu0 oOOP-
ton of Mr.. Chadbourn's amendment, it's
final adoption. In addition to the authority
of the Senate journal, Senator Chadb
yesterday informed our reporter that Sena-
tor Robertson accepted his amendment, and
would go state if any doubter will take the
trouble to write or telegraph him.
The bill having been amended was, of
course, sent to the Committee on Enroll-
ment and Engrossing to be engrossed, and
was duly reported by Senator Masicot on
the eve of adjournment, - will be seen on
page % of the same journal:
Senator Masicot, chairman Of the Com
mittee on Enrolment, submitted the follow
ing report:
Coxx1rrEE ON ENROLLING AND ESsRo.srSs,2
New Orleans March 2, 1876.
TO the Honorable President and Members Of the
senate:
Your Committee on Enrolling and En-
crossing bills beg leave to report as duly
engrossed the following, viz:
Amendments to House bill No. 50. an act
to remit penalties to delinquent taxpayers.
j. A. MASCOT, Chairman.
Senator Robertson offered the following
resolution, which was unanimously adopted:
Resolved, That the thanks of the Senate
be and they are hereby rendered to the Hon.
C, C., Antoine, Lieutenant Governor of tho
State. for the able snd impartial manner in
which he has uniformly presided over the
deliberations of this Senate.
Senator White moved to adjourn sine die.
The Lieutenant Governor and Pres ident
of the Senate. at the hour of twelve O'Clock
midnight, declared that the Senate stood
adjourned sine die.
1t was actually few minutes past twelve
when the Senate adjourned, and it is nearly
certain that the House had adjourned be-
fore the Committee on Enrolment returned
the bill to the Senate. We have the evil
dence of Senator Masicot that the bill was
in the possession Of his committee and the
engrossing clerks from the time of it's pas.
sage till the very moment of the adjourn
ment of the Senate. Perhaps the Demo-
Gratis are prepared to dispute his testimony.
They seem to deny everything that does
favor their sensations.
Here is q case where the Democrats took
sixty days to pass bill which they claim
to be of the first importance to taxpayers,
and which they pretend nobody Of any
consequence opposed. They paused in their
great work ON this measure to quarrel with
the Senate. and to conspire against the Gov.
ernor, until no more than sixty seconds re-
manned to the Secretary of the Senate.
amid the press and hurry of other business
to take it back to the House. They seek to
make their accusations of the Secretary Of
<hn Couufo q CInok IN hi6a their own abort.
comings, and condone their neglect of two
months by making it appear that Mr..
Bechtel neglected to run the risk of break
ing his neck to make time with bill on
which the Democratic members had been
soldering all winter.
Further, it is by no means certain that
Governor Kellogg would sign the bill if it
had been properly passed. 1t was con-
ceived and nurtured in the interests OF the
tax resisters, Who are bound to defraud the
State of it's lawful revenues if possible. It
was designed to check and embarrass the
whole financial policy of the State, and is
clearly unconstitutional in this, that it ia
yors one class-and the worst-of creditors
at the expense of those who pay promptly.
We do not think it worth the while of any
BODY to try and prove the bill was passed
regularly, as We do not believe it possible
that the Governor would approve 1t under
any circumstances.
Delegate Nleetisg.
Senator Burch is chairman OF the COM