The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-03-19

under the legislation OF this session the expen-
ihs The lowest point reached since reconsirue ion.
The figures and reports show. too, that under
tho former administration from SIG 900 to $40 900
was paid out In extra counsel fees.
In the Office OF Secretary OF State the saving
has been 5000 per annum over the lowest year
since reconstruction. and 1t is a noteworthy
fact that nastw s this saving 1 IRE
Voters: having ali the duties q that position, by
tb Of annuay 4 Ss aneakor
the saving has boon $4,000"
Then look at the judicial department. that
pensiye department Of the government, The
Judiciary Committee was preparing BIZ to
redistrlct the State to reduce the expenses.
decision in the case Of the Lafayette Life In
surance Company. made that impossible; but,
bava that the q tna
the pas. aes Of az act prohibiting the judges Il
The constitution permitted. Not that the present
Supreme Court would have drawn beyond the
am unit provided by the constitution. but the
hal s III Minated one of Of the so &c wbsh had
4 rs a. authorizing he.dIsbursemeut of ss4.soo.
The speaker next proceeded to show the
savlng In the egslat,e department men Which doh
per Il WAS % IN
1878 il was $4,000 and in is77 for the regular
session, although the state. House had
show be snSas tne . over w0a ths
lowest year since reconstruction. 1t was 90
with the contingent expenses Of the Legislative
even six-fold. He knew that this year there
had been some discussion as to o. constitutional
9 invention. and at the outset he thought itcould
be ohviated. and others thought not. and he
would give, them credit for. their devotion
to the public interests. Now, said the
p ess has us b sss THAT sDe sYsry ou essa q
has nude saving Of $4,000 or 800 900 over the
year 1879. and If the !apportionment bill passes.
ninety-slx It will be much more for the next
year. Even now the expenses of this depart
ment had been reduced to point lower than
now were larger than they were then.
The expenses now could not under the exist
lug statutes exceed $50 900 or 500 900 and before
the war they we're 10000 IN 1853 they were $500.
900; In 1865 they were $t70.O0O. and now they
would fall below the expenses Of any year be-
fore the war fully $4,000. taking the lowest year
then.
In the Treasurer's Office there was differ
ence. Under Republican administration there
was no act to compel and no means Of knowing
and one Of the first acts, passed by this General
Assembly in 1877. was the law providing for the
publication Of statements showing the condition
all the records Of that office.
., The next reform was the Board OF Lt1uida-
on Which bad been seorganzsd by
prevent the possibility of the funding OF In
valid Civilizations, Next was. as to what changes
into power the system was such that It was op-
pressive and burdensome to the. tax
laws passed was that Which qe eeogna IL and
changed the system. Before that the laws de-
prived the taxpayers Of any redress. were his
property over assessed and now the law gave the
taxpayer rights which were. in the opinion Of
some. too much the other way: The records
show in that in the country parishes the sum of
alone and the tabulated statement held
would show that, the. rates. fixed by
and even lower than they had been In forty
years. and even 100 per cent lower than during
some years before the war. The assessment
now was upon II alnation Of s17G 100000, and
before the war 1t was based upon a valuation of
$3.50 900. for instance. In the year 1856. show
ing that there had been u reduction In the rates.
t tinous" 'n'A' was i"'S0 'e0foaS' Ill V'u0A-
u In New Orleans. here In the city. the assess
Republican regime Under that the expenses
for assessment were s35 900 per annum and
comparison now will show that there has been
u reduction over that before the war.
The tax collectors fees had b zen reduced and,
he said, would show saving by the fees fixed
under the late laws OF from $40 600 to $50 600 esi
lower than since reconstruction and lower than
in 1861 at the outbreak Of the war The figures
taken We're those from official sources. and they
proved that never since 1880 have they been as
He would compare them with those Of the Re-
publican adminisiration ar and would only then
1 ecsd the shsr a' VIZ Wien me his 1Ss
lies which had never before been known in the
history Of the country. Soon. and amidst the
troubles, there came a letter from the President
ment, would be- that to which the people
would pay their taxes for it's support; and
whore Is the man now who wouldn't say that we
would not have acted as children had we turned
over the collection Of taxes then to the sheriffs
then u office, and who were our enemies. and
coed? ">''- '0'oA -1''A'''' 'N'-
Before the war the defaultine of sheriffs was
Ss 10 ea
by the Auditors chief clerk that there was not
Q defaulting tax collector in the State who had
Did this not show wisdom and judgment exer-
cised in the appointment OF tax collectors?
There was not one In the city who had not come
pare that state Of affairs with the Au-
dtor's report Of the past year. and he was
afraid that it would show comparison SO
great that 1t might even offend the gentlemen
on the other side.
:, In the system Of public education. he said,
year and compared with before the var, war the
salaries were higher now than then. He would
turn. to the report of the joint committees
which examined the workings Of these
departments aud there see the crime
which was to be accounted for; there
it was that the .plunder of this sacred
trust fund was disclosed. and there it would be
seen where the defaulting school treasurers
had squandered these funds, some in riot and
some in God knows what
me E. next to the election
presented. that the elimination Of old statutes
had made saving Of $4,000 a year; and re-
Ing In vnhI Init
he said that when the Legislature met Ia 1877,
when everything was darkness and despair
about US. the gentlemen who received the con-
to share the fate of the government. devotlng
their time material and funds, and now it was
said The contract was not q fair one Let me
compare them with the others. said the speaker
referring to and reading from atabuated 8 ate
ment as follows. the amounts being the yearly
expenses:
In 1862 they we're s42s 600; ir1s7o. ssl7 900: in
1911. $500 600. in Biz In