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

and the port Wardens have also been reorgan-
B lied and regulated.
OF course, Mr. President, in this summary
have not included much legislation which
Il has been had, affecting The well-being Of New
1 Orleans and the parishes, and which partook
d of d purely restricted and local nature. In
4 my examination Oh the legislati on at large,
have hitherto made reference to constitution
ssI difficulties Ii the way Of greater reduction
\ s5ir, this also has been remedled, and whilst
do not now propose to reopen discussion as
I fo the wisdom Of calling convention or
i amending the constitution. ] desire to say
Il that the course pursued in submitting
amendments TO the people is that which was
Il adopted, Ii my memory is correct, by all QUE
III sister Southern States, at least until they had
1 y,asssd by several years from the mists OF re-
u construction. Their example VIC have found
worthy Of imitation. We have thought that
the part OF WISDOM us well as the part OF expe-
dIency dictated that we should not open up O
Il new struggle until time had cured many Of the
/ evils under which we suffered; until, forget
a ting the miseries gone by, we would be en-
4 gagged rather In looking to al auspieious fu-
!, ture than In meditating on asufferfng past. be
this Az 1t may, The amendments proposed
\ strike out many evils, prevent the re-occnr-
4 renee Of wrong and make salutary restrictions.
They extend the veto power to the limit to
which 1T has been advanced In the most recent
4 well digested constitutions They remodel
. the judicial department; they restrain
\ the Legislature In as complete manner as
FL any constitution In the American Union.
They make the sessions of the General AS
~ fnJ nnH
Il tional compensation In accordance with the
experience Of our own and sister States. They
II will, IL adopted, afford the means OF econo-
n nizinE from 100000 to $225,00O per annum
y Sir, the review which have made, have
Il endeavored TO state with all the fairness pos.
A sible, The figures to which | have referred
L are ail, whether estimated or not, Ii not lit
Il orally accurate correct substantially II
error there be In them it Is unwilling. Nee.
l essariIy, Iii many instances, have referred
10 1877, as the legislation OF 1878 Is not In the
matter OF appropriations, yet perfected.
know 1t will be said that the fruits oil the re-
duetions 10 which / have referred should be
made manifest by a decrease fn the rate o.
taxation. The tax rate has been reduced one
and half mills for this year, which is re-
duction of more than one-third the total gen.
eral fund taxation, the remainder being dis.
tributed as follows:
Five and one-half mills interest tax.
Two mills school tax.
Three mills levee tax.
Thus leaving ~ mills for the general funt
Tor this year. This rate Of taxation Is prac
tically lower than before the war. In 1856
1857, 1868 and 1859, the general fund taxation
was III mills upon an assessment OF 1888,
100000 iii 1856, and $57S,911 900 In 1857, while
N this year it ID 2 mills on about SLIT 7,000,0 900
| In connection with this statement 1t must b.
recolleeted that The constitutional expenses
of the government ore now much larger thar
they were then. For instance, tn 1859 the ex
pense Of our judicial establishment was
/ 1868, 500, while now 1t is about S25O,00O. Whet
the amendments shall have been adopted {
greater reduction In taxation can be success
fully accomplished. Nay, sir, one of tn
amendments limits taxation for all purposes
| after this year to 10 mills. The reduction fo
this year and the limit by the amendment
10 not all possible Thus: #
rha tot,, rat, HI. wear Is Mills /!
From this levee tax of mills will
cease next year under act Of 1877
BY legislation as to schools probably
mill Of this tax can be removed
next year .....................
And with the economies proposed by
the amendments and already created
by legislative act strong reason ex-
lists Tor saying that the general fund
tax may be reduced mill ........... l.
Inn