The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-06-01

The substitute was laid on the table with
out division. Msm@~
Article vas then adopted as reported B,
Article 2 was adopted without division a.
reported:
ART. q. The style OF the laws of this State shal
be: BE 1t enacted by the General Assembly
| the state of Louisiana
Article was read:
Arr. .; The members Of the General Assem-
bly, shall be elected for term Of four years. ant
shall continue In service until their sucoessor'
are elected.
Delegate Forman offered an amendment
providing that the term OF Senators shall con
Delegate Cunningham offered substitute
providing that the terms OF Representative
shall be for two years and those Of Senators
eight years, one half OF whom shall be electeG
every four years.
| Delegate blanchard opposed both amend
ments. He deprecated too frequent elections
az Was provided for by Delegate Cunningham
aud did not favor that of Delegate Forman
because IL gave Senators too long term oi
Office.
Delegate Stamps opposed the original arti.
cles and the amendments as tending to build
UP an aristocratic form OF government. He
believed the people should have q more ire
quent opportunity for expressing their opin-
ions and selecting their representatives In the
Legislature than was provided for In the ar
ticfe
Delegate Heron advocated the amend
fnent of Delegate Cunningham as more near.
" In keeping with the views Of a representa-
| tive democracy. He believed that the repre-
sentatives should be elected at least every
two years. He did not think 1t would be ad-
visable to depart from the old landmarks IN
this particular.
marks had been followed America would
never have been discovered, nor would the
steam engine and the telegraph. He believed
in improvements on the past, and he insisted
that the report Of his committee was such an
Improvement.
Delegate Chaffe also supported the report
Of the committee. He believed that frequent
elections were q source of trouble expense
and turmoil and should be avoided whenever
possible. His knowledge Of the Wishes Of the
people led him to the conclusion that the re-
port OF the committee was proper and should
be- adopted.
Delegate Warmoth did not believe that the
proposition to limit elections Of Representa-
tives to four years was g proper or popular
desired more than anything else 1t was an
early opportunity to enange their Represen-
tatives. He favored biennial sessions, but
wanted an election at least every two years.
Elections for members Of Congress were
necessary every two years, and therefore
there was no force Id the argument as to tur-
mOtl and expense.
Delegate knoblock then moved to lay the
pending amendments on the table.
The question was divided, the first vote
being on Delegate Cunninghams amend
ment.
On the motion to lay this on the table, the
yeas and nays were demanded, resulting
yeas 53, nays %: and the motion to table was
lost.
Delegate White opposed the amendment
He believed the people desired fewer elections.
A cry had ,sone up from them demanding this,
and he urged that nothing would go further
ure to adopt In the instrument the popular
desire Lii this regard.
Delegate Poche opposed the amendment. II
there was any one thing more than another
that called the Convention into being It was
this question OF frequent elections for State
officers. The people were opposed to them
and desired the Convention TO provide against
them. They objected to the attendant ex-
pense, turmoil and dlsorganlzation Of labor
He not only favored longer terms for legisla-
tors, but for judicial and other officers.
Delegate Thompson favored the amend
ment He argued that the objections urged
against frequent elections we're deprived OF
force BY the fact that congressional elections
were necessary every two, years, and the ex-
therefore, be avoided. He believed the peo-
pie should have frequent opportunity to
change their representatives II they 50 de-
sired, and was satisfied that they desired that
opportunity.
as 1t came from the committee.
Delegate Stevenson was opposed tofrequent
elections. Congressional elections, Of which
50 much had been said, created little or no
excitement. It was the elections for State
and parish officers which caused the disorgan-
ization Of labor and bred trouble. Much had
also been said about the near past. We had
travelled long and muddy road, but he did
not believe in looking back upon 1t.
Delegate Caffrey. favored the amendment.
H. hnl 49, M ohnrl6 hnt "a
opportunity to judge their representatives at
least once In two years. The much talked of
of the Federal authority In State
elections was a bugbear which should not
have any weight. The article reported by
the. COMMITTEES was 9 departure from the
ancient customs, for which there was no good
and sufficient reason. In his opinion 1t would
be departure which would be emlnently Inn
proper.
Delegate sutherlin opposed the amend
were burden from which the people should
be relieved. Federal interference In elections
was not. bugbear, as had been stated. 1t
was an actual and positive fact. The extra
session OF Congress itself was an evidence OF
this. He urged that not only was it necessary
TO have less frequent elections, but it was inn
Dortant that State elections should not be
held at the same time as those for Federal
officers.
elections would not be subserved by the adop-
lion Of the original article. According to hls
under Its operations there
would be no less than six elections, Federal
and State, In eight years.
Delegate Cunningham moved that further
consideration OF the article be postponed until
The report Of the Committee on Elective Fran
chise has been received.
The motion to postpone was adopted by
rising vote.
Article was read:
ART. 4. The General Assembly shall meet
bennially, at the seat of government. on the
Monday Of ,a,l 81 = oGloSk noon Its
end to period Of ninety days. but any subse.
1usnt Session shall be limited to period 2te OF
sixty days. Should q vacancy occur In either
house, the Governor shall order an election to
al such vacancy for the remainder OF the term.
Delegate Knoblock moved to fill the blanks
~ inserting the words "the second Monday
ID March,"
Delegate Lyons offered an amendment pro
viding that the Legislature shall meet On the ne
second Monday in ---, 1880, at - o'clock
a., and biennally thereafter.