The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-02-12

the House refused TO allow Mr.. Leonard to file:
To the Honorable President of 'hs Senate.
and S sns he 81
As a member, Of the joint committee APP
pointed by. the Senate and House. to mature
and report such amendments to the eonstitu-
lon as may enable the General Assembly 10 de-
terInine whether existing evils can be remelied
BY amendments by cons itutional comLnlszz
sion or BY the calling of q 8 ats conventional
beg leave to submit The following minority rB-
port: :,
them merely as amendments Il have no serious
objections, and beEteye they should be In sub
stance en-, e In the constitution, but am
Femedied only by means OF u constitutional
convention.
ton and destruction. skiilfully adapted to tho
purnoses for which IL was designed and will
continue to subserve those purposes no matter
what party may control, M, matter who the in.
diyidnals may be temporarily occupying eflcial
postt,onts y presents pr Itself and Is
barrier to those who sincerity desire to relic ve
30 long. compelled to bear.
The amendmeats suggested. In accented
the Legislature and adopted 10y the people, will !.
perhaps, remove some Of these burdens. Esa
Instead OF amending by piecenenl a constita-
ton eonesded to le inimisa to the inter ssts ef
constitution, and thereby remedy not only the
evils attempted to bs reme6ed hg the proposet4
amendments, but also the many others recog
nlzed as resulting from he ppesemt constitutions,
Though tho, ), insufficient % remedy all existIhg-
Legislature ought to provide at once for q CEN
sttutional, convention
majority OF the com mittes arg open " OPP
posed TO q convention. and intended "a | hs-
lieve. 70 report as few amendments % pos sibls.
VIII the vew Of presenting only those abso.
probably &C ,eptabp TO the mem bers Oh the Gen
etlral Assembly. and with the hope Of sect ring
postponement OF any constitutional, coavels tion
And yet eighteen amendments are psssa nted
II the General Assembly presents t, ,ese
amendments t. the people wills clearly b ave
ATTEMPTED in effect to create new conssifssti on.
and lndisputably will have exceeded its leg It'll
The members Of the present Legislature W, re
would amend ihe constitution 10 a. to make L
conform. to their peculiar ideas, hut Ii W, "
expected that all members elected on a referl n
platform would unite in call ling a convention Il
the people, SO that the people themselves eonl d
secure such reforms as might be deemed neees :
When snoh u convention Is called the vartous I,
subjects which will probably come befnpe it will
be openly and generally discussed. The people
as their delegates tuose only whose opinions
are generally known AMI approved.
Ifa small committee composed of gentlemen
who have had large experience In public affairs
and most q whom ere &C. able lawyers! enter
with regard to the mporiant u jscts pressntsS,
to them for determination and we're compelled.
to make mutual concessions in order, to arrive
at any result 1t is certainly reasonable to sup-r
mo, lnharmonious and conflicting, 800. N
ments suggested. but may. nevertheess' be- I'm.
willing to accept them in their present shape.
For instance; the propose judiciary, system
abOlishes parish Judges; vests the jurisdiction
now exercised by them partly In district Judges
partly 10 justices Of the peace and partly, in
clerks OF court 1t also Increases the number
OF district Judges. and reduces their
saton. All these changes must bs ae-
ccepted or rejected as q whole. assume
sire change In the existing judiciary
system, but that majority may be unwilling
and justices of the peace, or If not, may not.
favor al Increase In the number rt Of Judges OF
reaae to the Judiciary may tRersiere bs ra
jected. even though the leading ideas Expressed
may be approved by the people.
and inpraeticable to submit constitutional
an I to me people at general election
Interest in securing the election Of their favor-
ites than in the fats OF amendments, which are
to most voters simply incomprehensible abb
will. If possible. avoid any expression Of
opinion >, with regard to such, amendments-
do not belieye that the amendments pro-
posed or any others will receive the votes Of
two-thrds OF the members electeal and con-
slider 1t an unnecessary waste OF time to present
them.
Moreover. the people will not be satisfied. and
ought not to be satisfied, with merely those
amendments suggested, II / understand their
IL ea be s9y dsr 81 sssand to
frame constitution which shall be the work Of
and be ratified by the entire people,
2. To remove and TO guard ngainstthe return
Of those centralizing tendencies sanctioned BY
the present constitution.
o thu se II he
excessive and dangerous powers now exercised
aud to ,tfain those departments within rea
4. To limit within narrow bounds all powers
a to p"lee RE ana munopab a
and economical bat is Existing in 1sso. '' "'"
6: To abolish thu army of tax col
and other snpssoss
and Collection u taxes at o an espense not to
exceed one-half the present cost. by sherirs or
parishes; to. reduce the fees and salaries Of all
officers, aud to prohibit any. salaried officer
from receiving fees or perqnisites ~
7. To reduce the compensation and number
Of members Of the General Assembly. and to
provide for BIENNIAL sessions of that body.
8. To abolish the present imperative system
of public education, and to establish system
which will efficiently secure popular education.
=, 9. TO prohibit all monopohes and abolish
TO- 10 take such action with regard to the
funded debt as may be determined upon. by the
cancel all indeb te1ness which Is fraudulent and
may have been Improperly fun ped T. ~ am
IL. 10 remedy SuC2t OtHeT uelSctS Ill
stitution as may not have been hereinbefore
specially mentioned. and finally to guard in
means. against the accomplishment by any
party. or at any time. OF the many evils under
which The people have long suffered and
which they now desire to- remove.
In short. the people want new constitution.
and an entirely new system Of government;
1t is impossible to convince them that tho
present constitution can be, made ,toAerable BY
amendments. They re gard 1t as the source OF
all their woes It was forced upon them by mill
tary power, 1t suggests hateful resoollections
of those unhappy days when Louisiana was
only an area in the department Of a command
ing general; when provost marshals and agents
of the Freedmsn's Bareau ruled each parish.
city aad town in the Site, aud when armed SOL
diers presided as commissioners OF election:
Individuals, and States NAV be deprived ofthe
exercise Of their rights and Of the enjoyment
Of their liberties by power which temporarily.
they cannot resist. but when suchpower ceases
it becomes brave and ineg e Peep = VINO
litsrate as soon and as far as possible, all
traces OF the tyranny by which shey have been
ruled and wrongsd.
Politicians connected with the State govern,