New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-01-04
THE LRelsLATuRE YEsTERDAY.


The Senate.
The Senate met az noon with twenty
members present.
Rev. DR.. Alexander, of the Central
Church, offered prayer.
The journal was corrected in some trifing
matters, and It's reading dispensed with.
Notices were given by Messrs. Demas
and Bryant of bills which they proposed to
introduce.
Notice was read by E. Alix, claiming the
seat to which F. G. Zaeharie was returned
as elected to.
Under suspension of the rules, Mr.. Du-
mont introduced bill to amend and re-en-
act sundry sections of the Revised Stat.
utes, to authorize the law officers of the
State to administer oaths in criminal cases,
etc. Il was read in detail.
Mr.. Young was opposed to rushing such
a bill through. 1t should be referred and
printed, SO that every section could be
carefully weighed. 1t amends several SEQ
tions of the Revised Statutes; and, under
a possible change of government, what
effect would they have2 1t is not safe to
legislate in partisan spirit, for a new ad-
ministration of The law might turn it all
against us. act not only for myself, said
the Senator; l must appear before my
people aud some other people, and
give an account of my acts Let
the bill take its usual course go to
the committee, and be reported back; we
have got law enough now-tOO much law.
We want more justice and less law.
Mr.. Breaux coneurred. The bill was of
sufficient consequence to be referred to
committee, whe should carefully examine
the effect it would have upon our judiciary
system. 1t appears to bring about an en-
tire change in certain regards, and such
things should only be done after mature
deliberstiOn.
Mr.. Dumont knew of no reason for the
reference of the bill. 1t had been read, and
every member of the Senate knew of its
contents.
| The further consideration of the bill was
postponed until Thursday; then to be the
first business in order after the meeting of
the Senate.
| The Clerk of the House appeared at the
bar of the Senate and asked the concur
renee of that body in bill for the relief of
the WIDOW of the late B. H. Dlnkgrsve, tax
collector of Ouachita.
| Under suspension of the rules, Senator
Rurch offered bill to authorize the AttOr-
ney General, district attorneys and prose-
cutting officers of the State to challenge
| jurors in criminal cases for certain causes.
On second reading, Mr.. Wheeler felt
called upon to vote no at this stage of the
bill, No body is vested with that acumen
to enable it to act judiciously on such a
measure under suspension of the rules.
The rules we're not suspended.
Unanimous consent was asked by Mr..
Twitchell to introduce bill forbidding the
organization or maintenance of any mill
tary organization not regularly mustered
into the service of the State, and making a
violation of this act a misdemeanor, as well
as providing for the disbandment OF all such
illegal bodies.
A motion to put the bill on its second
reading was lost-l3 to 6.
Mr.. Twitchell also asked unanimous con-
sent TO present bill authorizing the Gov
ernor to assume charge Of the Capitol build
ings, and to authorize him to maintain peace
| and order therein and in it's vicinity.
Mr.. Cage saw no nse for such bill. The
laws as they existed were ample to accom-
plish its purposes.
Mr.. Breaux wanted to know if the bill
gave the Governor any powers he did not
already possess.
Mr.. Bryant thought the bill of great i'm
portance, especially to this Legislature. He
was ordinarily opposed to rushing bills
through the Senate, unless they had gone
through the proper course; but this is sim
ply bill authorizing necessary precautions
to be taken for the preservation of peace,
and ought to pass.
Mr.. Blunt could not understand this op-
position of members to these measures. It
was necessary to either enable the Cover
nor to put stop to the lawlessness now
prevailing in the State, OF else turn the
whole government over to the bulldozeTs
and White League, and let them have it.
Now is the time. We have been twelve
months hunted like the partridges of the
mountains, or the deer of the plains, and
now that we haze the power to remedy the
evil there are gentlemen here who object to
using it. The gentlemen who oppose these
bills are not safe upon this floor except
with the protection of the government.
Can they afford to place themselves in the
power of the Democrats They can't get
protection in that way. The Democrats
have laid out their line of policy and can
not go back. They have burned their
bridges behind them. Let us, then, build q
wall across their pathway that they can not
pass.
Mr.. Young didn't think this bill was going
to help Natchitoches bit. This was an
other matter very different from what the
Senator was talking about. But he hoped
the bill would pass.
Mr.. Twitchell was surprised that Sena-
tors should refuse to authorize the Gov
ernor to disband the mnrderOus White
League organizations in the State.
Mr.. Weber, if he was referred to, would
say that he asked no one for protection.
He would protect himself.
Mr.. Twitchell believed the Senators did
not understand the character and i'm
portance Of the measures proposed. He
had no desire to hurry them though. 1t
was bis intention at the proper time to
have them read, section by section. With