St. Landry democrat., 1878-06-22
The Constitutional Amend.
meMtS.
Alexandria Denocrat.l

(AeXandria Democrat.
In pursuance of the purpose we an
nounced in our last issue, we publish
below the proposed amendments num-
bered one and two of the nineteen which
have numbers, the one we published
last week in relation to changing the
State Capital and one more adopted
afterwards relating to the State Un-
versity, not being numbered.
AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE.
Representatives shall be chosen on
the first Tuesday after the first Mon
the election shall be completed in one
day. The General Assembly shall meet
ON the first Monday in January, 1879,
and bi-annually thereafter, on the first
Monday in January, unless different
day be appointed by law, and their
sessions shall be held at the seat Of
government.
The first effect of the adoption of this
amendment will be to lesson the ex-
penses of the State very materially,
and as there is really no necessity for
the Legislature to meet more frequently
than every two years, we presume that
it will meet with general favor. It is
in accordance with the spirit of our
motto that "The world is governed too
much," and it is proposed in it to follow
the practice of many Of the other States
which have only biennial sessions Of
their Legislatures, and in all of which
the plan seems to work admirably. 1t
speaks for itself, and makes any ex-
tended comment on our partunnecessary.
AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO.
After the year 1878, the General AS
sembly shall not have power to levy in
any one year for all State purposes more
than one per centum taxation, nor shall
any collection of more than one per
centum taxation be made in any one
year, on the actual cash value OF all real
and personal property liable to taxation,
except in case of a foreign invasion, or
domestic insurrectiOn, and in that
event any additional taxation shall only
be for the immediate purpose of re-
pelling invasion or suppressing insur-
not levy or collect in any one year more
than one and one-half per centum taxa
tion on the actual cash value of all the
real and personal property liable to taxa
tion within its limits. No Parish or
municipal corporation, except the city
of New Orleans, shall levy or collect in
any one year more than one per centum
taxation upon the actual cash value of
all the real and personal property liza
bile to taxation within it's limits. The
General Assembly shall not have power
to issue any bond or pledge the faith of
the State for any purpose, nor shall it
authorize any Parish or municipal cor
poration to issue any bond or create any
debt; provided, that this shall not pro-
hibit the issue of new bonds in exchange
for old bonds, where the debt or rate OF
interest is not increased.
This amendment has two objects, to
limit the rate of the State and Parish
taxation and to provide that neither
the State nor the Parishes shall create
any additional debts. The necessity for
the limitation in both respects is ap-
parent and the adoption of the amend
inents will materially tighten the bur
dens of the people. It seems to us that
the maximum rate Of taxation allowed
is generous and ample for all the re-
uuirements of an honest administra-
ton OF the State and ParOchial govern
ments. If we have any cause OF COM
plaint with it at all it is that the rate is
too large. Compared, however, with
the twenty and one half mills we used
to pay under the Radical regime Or even
with the present rate of thirteen mills,
it proposes such a reduction that we
have no doubt but that it will be adopted
by the people.
The second clause prohibiting the
State and the Parishes from incurring
any debts is an absolute necessity, with
a State debt of twelve millions of dol
lars, and the majority of the Parishes
already heavily in debt. 1t follows too
logically from the first clause, because
it would be useless to limit the rate
of taxation if the State and the Par
ishes could create debts at their pleas
ure. The limitation will also have the
effect Of bringing the rate of taxation
below the maximum allowed after we
have paid the debts we already owe, as
we do not believe that it will be neces-
sary to collect one per cent each to run
the State and the Parishes. 1t used to
be done for two and one-half or a quar-
ter Of one per cent before the war. It
is true that slave property then paid
taxes, and that rate yielded probably as
much as the ten mills now do. What
ever may be the fate of the other Amend
ments we take it for granted that these
two will be adopted without opposition,
and as reform measures we have eve
ry reason to thank the Legislature for
them, and we commend them as such
to the croakers.