The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-02-12
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE?

WHAT HAS BEEN D0HE7
Now, gentlemen of the General Assembly.
how is it about reform measures? What pro.
gress have you made in the work Of cutting
down fees and salaries and cutting off costly
sinecures? What have you done toward
bringing The fees and perquisites Of tax-collec.
tors and assessors down to a rational percent.
age on the money handled and tbs service fen.
dered? In what respect have you spcceeded
in reducing the emoluments/of clerks Of
courts, SO that they may ne longer be three,
five, or ten times as Mfich as the hard earned
wages of tbs learned judges CT the same
courts, whose salaries have not been paid at
7 ali for the last six months? What is your
action as to the lordly income OF our sheriff
sufficient even in these dismal days Of dis
tress. to feed and clothe hundreds of fami-
lies !? What are you doing for the printers Of
the State, q numerous and laborious class, in
the way of giving to them, and all Of them,
fair chance in competition for the work re-
quired by the State Government, by the
City Council and by the courts? What
have you done toward severing the strong
lieament of interest which binds the power
full printing ring, "with hooks of Steel" to
the no less powerful combination Of official
incumbents who hate to be disturbed in the
enjoyment of their incoming floods of green
backs? What has been accomplished for the
benefit and relief Of this overloaded and tax
ridden city? Who is to govern the police
paid for by the city, the protectors of the
property and lives of her citizens? Who is
to control and limit the cost Of the city's pub
lie schools? Must our inhabitants still be
forced to pay an exorbitant charge for
pretended drainage on lands thai pay no
income and will not sell for the taxes
assessed upon them? Mdst our city Treasury
continue for another year to contribute tax
for useless park, costing five times as much
as it was ever worth? What authority have
our legislators given to the agents Of the
people of the city to enable them TO arrange
equitably with the holders of the city's bonds?
1t may be replied that it is far easier to pro-
pound these and score Of similar questions
than it is to give satisfactory answer to any
one of them. But the people are asking such
questions on every side, and their in
quiries grow more anxious and eager as the
hour Of the final adjournment of the General
Assembly approaches. They are not
satisfied with the fact that bills looking to re-
forms have been introduced, have been re-
ferred to competent committees, and have, on
. favorable report, been passed in the House
and sent to the Senate for concurrence They |
are still less content with the bills aimed !
against abuses which hang fire IN the House
Or sleepo in the pigeon.holes Of the desks Of
committees. As the spirit Of reform is the
spirit of progress. they conceive that the
good bills that have gone to the Sepate have I
taken but one step, and that the easiest step,
towards completion; and that the other good
bills which have not made even this prelim.
mary forward step, after the lapse Of ample
tine, are little better than total failures.
They see that'no reform whatsoever has been |
and comparing the waning
remnant of the legal term Of the session with |
the much greater part Of it that has wasted
away, they are more and more appyehensive
that all theiy hopes are to withes into disap'
pointmentse
Let no one misunderstood OF tnisconstrue
these queries, which are also constantly in
The mouths of the people. as a censure, or rec
proach, or reflection against those able. hone
sst and jealous friends Of the public who are
ioing all in their power 70 give sstatu.ory
sanction to the honest wishes Of the people.
We can not blame Democratic and Conse yva.
i've friends of reform for the failures caused
BY the Radical politicians Of the Senate. Yet,
It the same TIME, as the session draws
towards final adjournment, we can not won'
der at the anxiety Of the. people, and We need
not make the idle attempt to calm theis ap.