The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-01-16

the views expressed w INC OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
,mder this head; but no communications will
be printed except from rcspons ble parties,l
Letter From "Ms mber of the Generai
Assembly" |
Editor Democrat Continuing my cxamna-
tjon III the points stated by you In your edito- |
rial, 4 come to- .,a
sbe substitution Of poll tax therefor. Il
3. The examination of parish and munlcipal
debts. :. .,., AZ, -, ,,,.+
could be done The constitution expressly
nrovides for registration, and The registration
law passad by The last Assembly provided q
new registration in the city under dlnc IT.
temporarily appointed; IN nv eoun ,r W ,e uv
careful consideration, Is as economical as any
siJicett registration law IN the Unlon, GU
SWAY with the abuses existing IN tine heiioeg
and Wsrmoth registration Jaws, 4 and
iaborei 10 draw and perfect IT. True, u may
have defects. but none of great Importance
ton seems to inhbt u poll tax as q pre-
rnnnisite To voting ard u forfieri to registra-
lion Were this not the case, while lew VIII
bc found to question the advis;abityof q poll
INK. n great many consider that, even with the
poll tax. registration presents an additional
and proper safeguard 10 the exiNeise Of the
sacred right of franchise Some frauds and
In fact the experience OF the past In this state
shows many may escape a. poll tax. Seine
and the like experience shows many may es-
cape n registration Law, but the two com
bined are apt to winnow out more iIliuds; Le'sli
could be done by either singly. Gentlemen
well as patriots, thought and still think that
n registration law was necessary, even II u
constitutional provision did not require IT,
and even II poll tax o. q prerequisite u
a .7rbe examination of parish and NUM-
As to the parish debts section 100 Of act
No. 96 Of 1877, provided for report thereon
having been reorganfzed NY the appointment
of additional police jurors In each parish
under the provisions Of an act Of 1877, which
was intended to furnish representation ana
control to the taxpayerS or property hH I;sbaS
. It's end. La fact, after considerable inter
Course with gentlemen from the country
having as large an interest as any one else La
the well administration Of their parishes, L
have heard no complaint on this subject.
Thus, through your Kindness, having no
ticed ali thesubiects mentioned by you, ltake
the liberty Of calling attention to two commti-
4 nications which citizens, doubtless of high in
tention and earnest purity Of purpose. have been
good enough to publish in your issue OF this
morning. the one signed "Brutus, the other
illegal Reformer." The first seems to think
Thai IN my previous
myself from points one, two, three, four and
five under the constitution. bare reading OF
my hurried words will show that while CON
tended that all which could be doneby the last
session bad been DONE much ON these subjects
remained to be done by way Of constitutional
revision to which end Legislation was depend,
ing Ia the present General Assembly, and
would be favorably acted on.
As to the sixth point, he seems TO THINK be
ing O member of the Legislature / should
Know what are superfluous offices. The very
object of my communication being to supply
my own deficiency on this subject by the
specific suggestions Of citizens, to aid, not my
intirlnity Of heart, but probable iniirmty OF
Judgment in this particular; 1t | am to bt
told. when / ask for light and specific suggees-
tions. that none will be- given me by those who
bers of the Legislature, then ut least can
not claim reasonably for the silence of the
voice of censure from those who have decline.
10 point out to my Legislative mind the patti
which they conceive to be the path OF duty
On the subject Of revenues, my comparison
was not with the Kellogg or Warmoth regimes
but with the rates existing Ia ante tett,tm days
and. therefore the statement that a comparison
with the Warmoth or Kellogg regimes Il In
sufficient, does not meet the question. VIVA
i said and say again was and is that the rate
for collecting and assessing fixed by the act o
1877 are enormously lower than those under thu
Kellogg or Warmoth regime, and t0Mer TIA,
those before the tcdr.
Since writing my communication j hav
kindly been furnished with statement OF TIN
amount earned by the Tax Collector of tn
only S22s2 81, his bond being 100000. No on
5 who knows him. aud knows the el1icienc.
and activity with which he has discharged
his duties, will question that this co1mpensa
with gentleman from the country, larg
property owner in large parish, since mypre
vio,is communication was written, he told m
that the tax collector in his parish was starv
\ Hxy,I 4, In
OF 1877 be raised to a living figure, as the
might otherwise hold out temptation to dis
honesty. Yes, Mr.. Editor the rates of til
law of 1877 are lower than they have ever bee
i'm this State are as low as they can be anc
In my Judgment. as low as they ought to be
On the subject of the sheriffs my idea wa
ssaNet that n large remuneration was neces
sary incentive to do work, but that a remu
neratiOn not dependent on the work to b
done was of necessity the destruction of In
sentiye said and still believe that the prat
tice of all civilized countries of which hav
heard was worthy at least of consideration
af,d that under the provisions Of the act {
1877 an immense amount had been taken froI
- the clerks and sheriff for the future, so tina
these officers would not thereafter be NOR
than If at all fairly remunerated.
The limitation upon the parish tax is Pe
cent, but uf course the Legislature of Isl
could not legislate rctrospectveay, and IN
eases referred to would have required sue
Legislation.
Legal hhIIEInpT AcIIEAhh NHoil W.
were already provided for by a commissio
created by the last session, wlaich was raise
with the express object ofconsiderng Mhetht
what he recommends could he advisedly dom
The commission, slnder the resolution creatiI,
it, was composed not only of members of I'll
General Assembly, but Of mesehants, who's
reputation for enlightened ptshlic spirit is ul
questioned. WhaI the commission recon
mends will doubtless receive sanction Of legi
lative act
His other suggestions Indicate how sensib
he is to the necessity of legal reform and no
apt he Is to make vice suggestions, which
do not comment on because Of my intention
formedIbefore the publication of has letter,
make. as far ~ my limited abilities woul
allows some il net all of his suggestions
reality.
reserve for nay next communication
statement on the subject of municipal deb
and thank both your correspondents for the
suggestions. whchindicate how honestly the
desire toacyance the pubic veal.
MEMBER OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.