The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-01-18
THE STATE PRINTING INQUIRY.
The Attorney General and several OH
Gals Testify.

The Joint committee of the House and Sen
ate to inquire into the matter Of State printinl
met at o'clock yesterday pursuant to adjourn
ment.
Present-Senators Mitchell. chairman. ant
Delahoussaye. and Repree entatives Parmelee
Ross, Hammond Nettles and Landry.
Absent-Senator Bowden.
The first witness called was
ATTORNEY GENERAL OGDEN,
who. being Intercepted by Mr.. Dupre as t.
the repeal or non repeal OF section 1913. said:
The question as to the repeal OF section No
26l3 of the Revised Statutes of 1870 by act No. Al
Of the acts Of the extra session Of 1877. is nov
before the Third District Court of this parish
for decision, and / am engaged. as Attorney
General In representing the State ia that trial
Under the circumstances. do not desire to OK,
press an opinion. / will only say that the opiD
ion expressed by me to the grand Jury. that this
section had been repealed. has been consider.
ably shaken by careful examination of the
abandon my original conclusion. think 1t q
question of such nicely as to require judicial
ex ,,Ia no and decsion. I think the com
OF Judge Monroe upon the law OF the case.
JUDGE EGAN.
Assistant Attorney General, was then sworn
have. said he, examined the controversy. but
not thoroughly. AS to the repeal Of sections
1857 1853, 1863 and 2611, 26l2 2613 I give my
opinion so far as have examined the matter.
La section 30 of the Statute is the repeating
clause which repsals every act on the subject,
and winds up with the clause. that all laws In
conflict Herewith are repealed.
Ii the act repealed specifically the articles In
the Revised Statutes under the head of Gov
repealed by title: but such was not the case In
my opinion.
Paragraph 9, section 10 of act 40 OF 1877. leads
me to believe that the law does not exhaust the
subject. and as there are other matters on the
printing not In conflict with the act they are rot
repealed. The Revised Statutes of 1870 have
been passed as one act by the Legislature, and
they contain the law OF the land. except Us to
matters specifically repealed.
HON. ALLEN JUMEL.
State Auditor OF Public Accounts. was next
questioned.
9 bill presented 10 you by me for sls COO for
State printing which bill You approved
Mr.. Jumel-I do. One of the bills was the
VERY one which is now In dispute for the legis
Mr.. Dupre-Did not the heading of the bill
specify what work had been done and under
what authority at law?
MIR. Jumel-I do not remember: for all bills
coming approved by the heads OF departments
and sworn to as true by the State Printer
ports needed by me I thought. when asked
hat. l would order 300 copies but afterwards
sections 2611 or 2Gl2. don't remember showed
ordered the number of copies therein specified.
HON. WILL A. STRONG,
Secretary Of State, next ties iHed
Mr.. Dupre-Do you remember the particulars
u my visit to you early in December. 1877?
Mr.. Strong-Some time In December, 1877, 1
,emember that Mr.. Barrow. foreman of the
DEMOCRAT. came to ne and asked me what
lumber Of my reports were required by law. I
isked time to think over it and see the law. as
vas new In the office; Some time after Mr.. Du-
IRE came and said had found sections of
he Revised Statutes showing the number of
eports. as the act Of 1877 threw no light on the
ublect. never thought the sections were re-
,ealed, and / said this Is the law, and the
tate Printer is ordered and must obey" al
ude 10 sections 261l, 1912. 1913. Before approve
howing that 1t Is correct
d. W. Green was next called Green's testi-
points. will be published in full next
unday from the stenographic notes of the re-
orter.
At the conclusion of Green's evidence the
adjourned until to- day at 10 O'Clock
hear the evidence OF Col. Gerard stith and
lr. j. b. Walker, of the Picdvtne, and OF Mr..
arrow foreman Of the DEMOCRAT