The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-09-19
NEW ORLEANS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1877.
MANNED in the military service Of the Con

The lending directions rs to the exercise OF
the power Of taxation are that taxation shall
be uniform and da palorem upon all property
taxed, ahdl evied and collected under general
laws. No poll tux shall be levied except for
educational purposes. and not 6SGeeding ono
dollar per poll. The power to tax corpora
tions and corporate property shall not be sur
rendered or suspended, The only property
exempt from taxation consists in the property
Of the State, places Of religious Worship or
burial, or charity, collegiate, academieal on
other buildings occupied for educational and
literary purposes, together with law libraries,
philosophical and illustrative apparatus. This
exemption Is forfeited whenever such proper
ty shall be used for any other purpose than
as described. This cautious delegation OF
power to the Legislature is continued by for
bidding the Legislature to increase thebonded
debt Of the State, requiring 1t to specify in
any law for the loan Of money to the State
tho specific purpose for which 1t Ia intended ;
forbiddng IL to pledge The credit of the State
to my Individual or corporation, or 10 com
nit tie State rs d stakeholder or joint owner
IN any association whatever. The Legisla=
ttire is ''also prohibited from delegatlng such
powers to any county OF other municipal cor
poraton." Such corporations shall not have
the right ''to levy tax for any purpose" OK
cept for the support Of schools within their
limits. 10 build and repair public edifces,
maintain prisoners and paupers, pay legal
expenses, keep UP roads and pay debts exist
ing at this date. The whole debt due from
any municipal corporation shall not ex6oed 7
per cent on the taxable values therein, nor
shall 1t incur hny debt exceeding one-fifth of
per cent ON such valuation for temporary Y
purposes, without the assent Of two-thirds of
the qualified voters, ut an election to be held
for that purpose Nor Is the Slate authorized
to assume the debt Of any municipal e0rpo-
ration. unless incurred in the defense Of the
State against insurreetion or invasion III time
Of war. Municipal corporations are prohia
bited from ineurrng any debt until provision
shall have been made therefor by the munich
pal government, and such government shall
at the time Of creating such debt provide for
the payment of its current interest and prin-
eipal at maturity, within the period Of thirty
| years.
| There WIS Il close and able conflict in the
| convention upon tho question whether pay
ment Of certain alleged obligations Of the
State pronounced Illegal, null and void by
vote of the General Assembly and the consti.
| tutional amendments ratified in May. 1877
| should be recognized and provided for. Mr..
Toombs. In opposing this recognition, took
| the ultra ground that the acts OF reeonstrue-
ton were void and the State organizations
hereunder Of no authority. It was also
argued that the obligations were in them.
selves fraudulent and illegal. and So pro
nounced upon Legislative Investigation. Gov
Jenkins. the president Of the convention, the
record Of whose life protected him from any
| imputation of improper methods, repre-
se,nted the claimants so far Us to advocate q
judicial inquiry into the validity of these OBJ
| legations. This provision Of the constitution
was carried by o very large majority It for
| bids the Legislature to recognize these al-
legged obligations 1t also prohibits the re-
eognition Of any obligation created by the
State during the existence Of the war be-
tween the States, payable on the ratification
Of u treaty Of peace between the bellgerents
and forbids any department OF the govern
ment to make the State party to
any suit In any court, Federal of
State, to test the validity Of such
obligations. The General Assembly Is ther
ordered to lay d Tux annually for the sum oi
800, 900 MS u sinking fund for the extinguish-
ment Of the public debt. The proceeds aris
ing from the sale Of State railroads Is pledged
to the payment of the mortgage and State debt
| There are some general limitations upon legis
lation, such as that no extra compensation sbal
egiven to any public officer or contractor afte
the service shall have been performed, or th'
contract entered into. The office Of Statt
printer Is repealed after the present incun
bency. and the public printing will be let Il
the lowest responsible bidder No member o
the General Assembly or other public office,
shall be Interested in any such contract
TO make these stringent and even distr1st
full provisions more binding upon the mem
bers Of the General Assembly and publ
officials, the participation Of any such in th
profits Of public funds in their hands, or to b
raised through their agency, Is declared felo
ny, with disqualification for office.
The regular session Of the Legislature Il
, limited to forty days, biennally, with tn
, usual provision for special session, the OF
/. jects Of which shall be stated in the procla
nation. Such are some Of the novel an
salutary restrictions placed upon legslativ
power by the constitution Of Georgia.
w. NJ. i.