The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1878-09-26

groups the alluvial parishes into districts
having a common interest and b common
protection, and imposes upon the whole State
| q tax of only one mill as its contribution for
benefits received.
REFORMS IN THE PARISHES.
Having thus stated generally the legfsla-
tion devised for. the relief Of the State, what,
sir, has been done for the parishes? Their
local governments have been entirely reor~
ganized. Additional police jurors have been
appointed so as to give representation To all
classes in every parish Who, sir, can caIcu-
late the benefit which has resulted from this
legislation? In every parish, where extrava~
gance and spoliation had existed, now ecor~
omy and order reign. Not only has this
provision been made for the present. but the
mode and manner of election has been defined
for the future. Not content with the creation
OF good local governments, any possible
abuse Oh power by these local governments
has been jealously guarded for the future
first, by limiting the rate Of taxation; second
by limiting absolutely their appropriations to,
their revenue; third, by forbidding the crea-
tion OF debt, the issue Of evidence of debt in
any manner, and by the repeal Of the law
known as the judgment tax law. In their
administration, by prohibiting tax col
lectors and other State officers from
filling parochial offices, by compell-
ing the parish judges to keep their
office at the parish seat by allowing police
luries to regulate the sale of Intoxicating
liquors on Sunday, to arrange for the levy of
taxation for criminal proceedings in such
manner as to secure the lowest rate OF ex-
pense possible; by regulating fees TO coroners,
OF justices OF the peace as well as witnesses
and sheriffs, ct least 50 per cent below former
rates, and by giving them the power to reg
ulate the price to be paid for keeping prison
ers Nor Is this all By the printing, by the
school, by the election and registration laws
greater efficiency has been secured and large
savings have been accomplished for the T,ar-
ishes In addition to the savings already re-
ferred to by me as obtained for the State by
these laws. hold in my hand an estimate of
the economy effected by all these various
measures which, although made in the absence
OF other data, has been submitted to MANY
gentlemen intimately acquainted with the
workings OF the parish government who
declare 1t to be an under rather than an over
estimate. What does it show?
Regulating costs and fees in crirni-
nal cases before justices of the
peace and parish and district
courts-savng per parish, ave-
rage per annum, 81 parishes, at
$1,000. .......,.......:......z.. .s114,0oo 90
Regulating fees for keeping prison-
ers- estimated average per an
mum at 5000 per parish ..... $4,000 90
Printing for parishes estimated
for the whole. .............4.... 10000 90
Estimated saving by registration
and election laws -. /. 100000 90
Coroners in country parishes-S200
per parish per annum ....s... 11,4o0 90
Estimated saving to parishes on
collection Of revenue. ..,s....... 5000 90
Estimated saving in judicial print
ing and other advertisements. 10000 90
Estimated saving by convicts work
ing on public works, etc, and
appeals in criminal cases being
facilitated . 10000 90
Total savings to parishes .. $4,000 90
7 have endeayored to estimate, but many
things cannot be estimated, and IL I am cor
rectly informed, the benefits resulting from
the work Of this General Assembly to the
parishes are incalculabie, have brought order
out Of chaos, and have by relief to the local
governments, furnished promise Of relief to
the whole State; for, sir, under our system
the very foundation Of society depends on the
local governments. The parish governments,
however, have not alone received attention
What has been done for New Orleans2 Her
mode OF making her budget regulated, the
manner of filling vacancies determined 50 as
to vest the authority to that end in the
municipal government, the regulation of
assessing and collecting her revenue. in so
far as not reached by the general system,
liking the salaries of the clerks OF the
Superior and First District Courts, reguI-
atfng and reducing the number of the
recorders courts, regulating the drainage
tax, regulating the operation of tax judge
ments, fixing the compensation of the crirn-
inal sheriff, repeating the park tax, abolishing
the smallpox hospital, and remitting to her
the control Of her own police. These and the
State laws already referred to regulating
education, printing, assessing and collecting
have brought her blessings Of relief difficult
accurately to state, but which upon an esti~
mate may be mentioned as follows:
Saving in assessors salaries, per
annum. Observation-Disclosures. $4,000 90
Saving In costs OF collection Of rev.
enues, IN clerks and sherifs'
fees, estimated. ........-.... $4,000 90
Saving in criminal sheriff, average
over 1876 and 1876, per annum,
(ofaciaD. ................ 10000 oos7
Saving In salaries of clerks OF Su-
perior Criminal and First Dis
trict Courts, per annum -. 1915 35
Saving In police establishment over
average from 1873 to 1876 in
elusive, per annum, (ofieialJ 272,364 48 I
Saving in recorders court, per an
mum (of1iciaD. ............,... 10000 90
Saving in printing per annum . 5000 90 IS
Saving in public education, over
1876, (ohiciaD ..........s..:. 255,6so ss
Saving to citizens on judicial print