The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-01-08

pic VI ItibhS, WUlG8 dflu Uldek, HifEOSL bOl-
idly arrayed against each other
It need but spark TO ignite the train, and
IL was given by the firing Of a body Of colored
men upon party. under the parish judge
proceeding to put an end TO the armed de-
monstration. This fire was returned. and
from the best information can receive sew
eral persons were Wounded, but not killed.
The return fire caused the negroes to dis
perse. In the meantime negro set fire to
gin in the neighborhood Of Waterproof con-
tanning seventy bales of cotton. It Is asserted
that this was preconcerted signal for
general rally OF the colored people. This man
was afterwards, by some persons unknown,
found and killed This. together with the
killing Of another negro, also by persons I'M
known and for cause unknown, were the
only lives taken at that time that have
| heard Of
The strife thus recklessly originated In the
parish OF Tensas spread to the parish OF Con-
cordla. Large bodies OF armed colored men
from that parish hurried towards Tensas
and manifested their presence in various
parts of the parish.
An armed body OF white men, acting Under
a warrant for the arrest Of Fairfax, who. It
/
tered that parish for the purpose of the exc
cution Of the warrant and whilst there some
eight or nine colored men were killed.
On the return OF the men from the adjacent
parishes, who had gone to the assistance OF
the whites, quiet was gradually restored and
everything Is now peaceable. The events OF
those few days will, trust, serve az lesson
out Of which possibly good may ultimately
come. 1t may teach those who lightly engage
In acts tending to such terrible consequences
to halt before again ventutng In that diree-
tion, and 1t must necessarily result In array
ing solldly against such persons those who
have at heart the well-beiDg Of the com
munity. / do not know how far steps for the
punishment OF those persons who brought
| about this condition will be successful. Po-
lltieally, the officers OF the district In which
Tensas Is situated are Republican, the dis
trict Judge and district attorney being OF that
party. i had intended going In person to
several other points where 1t is said violence
has occurred. Circumstances over which /
had no control have delayed and prevented
me.
| FINANCE.
| The condition OF the general fund Of the
State has not been as favorable during the
year 1878 as during 1877. The q,lantum of
collections has been Inadequate to meet the
warrants as drawn under the appropriations
This state OF affairs has led to considerable
hardship and loss. It results In some meas
ure from the slowness of collections attribute
BILE to the epidemic and the arrangement of
business caused by 1t. But 1t Is more largely
due to the fact that the last General Assem-
| bly, reduced the general fund tax by one and a
half mills, lie, from four mills 10 two and half
| mills, and made no corresponding reduction
| In appropriations. This cause, as we'll as the
| reduction Of licenses then made for the future,
was founded upon the revenue expected to be
| derived from the act commonly known as
"The Moffet register law" This act has
| never been put into execution from the fact
Of an Injunction proceeding being taken
against the Auditor which, although decided
In favor of the State In the lower court, is vet
finally undetermined By this failure OF the
expected source OF revenue, the appropria-
tluns predcated upon Its success have been
necessarily without prompt means OF pay
ment. This condition Of things has been
aggravated by the msapprehension which |
seems to have existed ON the subject OF the
State House fund" At the time of the
passage Of the revenue bill OF 1878 the STU
preme Court OF the State had decided the act |
No OF April, 1876, providing for the setting |
aside Of one-haf mill from the general |
fund to the State-House fund to be |
unconstitutional, but the decree was |
pending on rehearing, and was |
subsequently reconsidered and the validity |
OF the act sustained. The general fund was |
thus not only deprived OF the revenue conse- |
quent on the supposed execution of the |
''Moffett register law" but also OF one-half q |
mill not apparently contemplated at the time
OF the enactment OF the revenue and appro-
priation bills of 1878. The loss to the State
resulting from the depreciation OF State war
rants is obvious-a loss caused not only by |
the arrangement which it produces In her
affairs, but also by the increased cost entailed
by the departure from q cash basis. / rec
ommend great care In this particular. urge
upon you, as sacred duty, the most absolute
economy In appropriations. A mere glance
at and comparison with the constitutional
expenses Of the government and the maxi
mum taxation allowed by the constitution,
will point to the imperative necessity Of rigid
economy. II not parsimony, In making appro-
priations. And In this connection can only
repeat what was said In my last annual mes
sage-th the creation OF new and untrled
sources OF revenue should not be made the
basis Of additional appropriations. After
curtailing appropriations to the last possible
point, [ urge, within the limits Of your con-
stitutional power, the Importance Of fixing
such rate Of general fund taxation as may
put the general fund upon a cash basis, thus
saving largely. as already stated, in the cur
rent expenses OF the government. Your
duty In this particular will be some
what facilitated by the reduction In the legis-
lative expenses made by act No. AZ, of the
regular session OF 1873 Whilst on this SUBJ
ject, urge upon you the immediate repeal Of
50 much OF act No. So, approved March IL,
1877 as provides for the payment of the per
diem Of the members Of the General Assem-