The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-01-11

And the latter motion was agfeeo 10.
On motion Of Mr.. Robertson the Senate went
into executive session.
Executive session being raised, on call Of
the roll the following Senators answered to
their names:
senators Allain, Boatner, Breaux, Burch,
Demas, Ducros, Dumont, Ellis, Garland,
George. ella, Goode. Grover, Harper, Landry,
Mitchell, Obonnell, Ogden, Perkins, Richard
son, Robertson, Sandlford, Stamps, Stubbs,
Sutton, Texada, Wakefield, Wheeler and
White--29.
Absent Senators Bryant, Gage, Kelly, Ste
ven, Twitehell, Young and Zacharie-7
MESSAGE OF THE GOVERNOR.
The following message Of his Excelenoy
the Governor was received through his pri-
vate secretary:
G entlemen of the Senate and House OF Repre-
sentatives:
i The circumstances under which your
present session opens differ so greatly from
those of the last few years, that they will at
i tract general attention and give rise to uni
| versal eongratulation throughout the State
| and country. A year ago you entered upon
| the discharge Of your responsible duties I'M
| der difficulties such as have rarely been en-
| countered by legislative body. Not only
| had your deliberations to be directed to the
correct solution OF problems Of the greatest
gravity and Importance, but those delibera-
tions had to be conducted amidst the feverish
anxieties which attended the temporary
struggle to resist your rightful authority
To-day peace and quiet prevail through
out the State-political excitement has
ended; the voice of the people is every
where respected; the rights Of all are fully
guaranteed; the laws, through the instru-
mentality OF the courts, are properly and i'm
partially administered and enforced: and, in
| spite of the unpropitious season, which has
disappointed the expectations of our agricul-
turists and married to some extent the bright
material prospects Of 1877, there exists a
strong feeling OF hope, relief and content
among all classes in Louisiana.
The situation Is, therefore, favorable for
the prompt dispatch Of public business, and
for the calm discussion Of the best mode Of
administering the affairs of the State. Your
judicious course In the past, and the great
measure OF relief which has already resulted
from the same, have caused public hope and
public confidence to be conferred on your
action at this session.
| am satisfied that everything will be
accomplished which the occasion permits.
ATTORNEY GENERAL
Resulting from the past confusion OF pub
lie affairs, the Attorney Generals office has
been burdened with great and important
labor, which has, by his own and the AS
sistant Attorney General S exertions, been sue
ceessfully conducted.
Your attention Is called to any recommend
ations he may make.
| SECRETARY OF STATE.
The Secretary of State having submitted
to me his animal report, transmit it to you
You will observe that he asks attention t,
, the abstraction from his Office OF the stand
ard weights and measures, provided for I'm
der existing laws, which calls for replace
, ment Thereof, proper appropriation on YOU
, part being necessary to that end.
FINANCE
The reports of the Auditor and Treasurer
not having been submitted, 1t is impossible
for me to state with certainty the fiscal oper
atoms of the government during the pas
year. shall not. therefore, attempt to do Sc
However, from the information which ha
been conveyed to me, 1t seems that the belle
may be justly entertained that all the war
rants issued for the year 1877 will be pai
from the collections made during the year.
The value of warrants for 1877 has range
from fifty-fve cents In March to nnety-nin
seven-eights in December and finally pal
which Is marked improvement over forme
years. This fact is largely due to the reduc
ton of expenses and of the aggregate of ap
preparations made by you at your last ses
sion, and Is an indication Of what may be an
ticpated from a like course in the future.
The bonded debt is stated fully in the repo1
of the Board of Liquidators, which has beel
duly made. By it you will see that the tota
present debt of the State, represented by out
standing consols and fllndable certificates is
, sued at par in lieu of fractional parts of bonds
Is $11 ,279,7S0 SC; amount of outstanding oil
bonds, January 1, 1878, 300; sixty per cen
Of which is $392,28O; amount of general fun
warrants outstanding according to Kellogg
statement Of May 81, 1876, $1ss,72O 80; sixt,
per cent of which is $113,232 SIS; making
total of consolidated interest-bearing debt
when funding shall have been completed, o
$11, 785, 2g3 81.
Which does not include unpaid interes
coupons due January, 1874, and prior, ant
outstanding interest warrants, amounting
In all, to about one hundred Thousand dollars
Nor does 1t include the bonds commonl.
known as the Property Bank Bonds, which
the Board of Liquidation, as will be seen b,
their report, have decided to be not properl.
fundable.
There are a certain number of interest eou
pons, matured In past years, which are I'm
| maid The amount thereof 7 am NOT able fo
, the reasons above given, to state with pre-
cision.
These coupons were not paid, owing to tn
insufficient collection of revenue for thos
years, and are necessarily a claim agains
the uncollected interest tax for such years
which, as it is collected, is applied to thei
extinction.
Could they be constitutionally funded int
consols, and thus retired, it would be a meas
| ure of wisdom but this it seems under tn