The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-03-07
THE ANTE BEk.LuIM DEBT.

10 the Editor OF the Democrat:
The question IL constantly being asked at
tho present moment, "What was the ante
bellum debt OF our Slater Apparently. In
the public Judgment, this would seem to be a
difficult question TO answer Having sur
rounded myself by slow accumuations with
n number OF important public documents
bearing directly upon this important subject,
will engage through the light thus afforded
me to carefully reply TO this important in
terrogatory.
For the facts Immediately following ] am
indebted to the pamphlet containing the RE
port Of the special committee OF the House OF
Representatives, appointed to examine into
the proceedings of the Funding Board and the
Board of Audit, and TO give history of the
origin of the State debt, submitted February
%, 1876.
The report just referred to was signed by
the following gentlemen G. w. II. Bayley,
chairman; j. Aldige. VIM. j. Hammond, w.
b. Koontz, George Graeien.
The report of this special committee begins
in this language:
II, the Honorable Speaker and Members OF the
House of Representatives,:
Conference.-The special committee, appointed
nj the extra session, Auril. 1875 TO examine into
and report upon the proceedings Of the Board
~ Ijnnidatien " the State Debt" created By
act No of 1874, or the Funding Board" and
Of the Board of Audit" ere ated by act No. u OF
the regular session Of 1875. and also in relation
10 the State debt having. 80 far rs found prac-
ficable, performed that duty. respectfully sub
nit the following report. history OF me st ,s
bonds, exhibits OF bonds, warrants, etc. funded
and deatroyeG and summary statement:
| now proceed to extract the ante bellum
State debt from statement G." of this report,
which will be found on page 49,
AMOUNT OF BONDS OUTSTANDING JANUARY l. 1874.
Relief Of State treasury. act 277 q 1888 s75o.oOc
New Orleans Jackson and Great North
ern Railroad. acts 1T TO 2Sl OF 1858 1884, 0C
"om act III Of 1857 ......~............ 441. coo
New orleans ouelouses and Great
Western Railroad. acts LIT to 23l OF
yicksburg, Shreveport and Texas Rail
noad scts IDA I'M 2sl Of 1853 ........ 29s, 00C
Aa'o e, ~ - of 5sEs y .. 100 DOC
Free school fund act 1ssof ls57......... 529 OOt
Samjnorv fun1 apt rSl of 1857 ........-. Isl, O0C
Adding up these respective amounts.
we have for our total -.-.---..-.--.-. S3,s4SOoI
Our total ante helIum debt. then, according
to this special committee. foots up only So
$4,000.
Turning next TO the annual report of the
Auditor or Public Accounts to the General
Assembly Of the State OF Louisiana, 1877" !
find between pages S. and 50, his statement
E." This is statement Of the public debt
OF the State Of Louisiana on the thirtv-tirst
day of December. 1871. showing the condition
OF the bonded and floating debt on that dav. .
With regard to the ante belIum debt Of ar
State, find his figures and dates precisely
similar to those above extracted from tba
special committee report. 1 am in position
to show how much of this ante bellum debit
has been funded up to January l. 1878. and IN
position TO show also from data at hand that
there has been no small amount of detactaG
"repeaters associated with the funding q,
even this ante belium debt, small in ampnn,
as it's. This may beshown in future articI.
u II be deemed important at this iuncture
MY next authority upon the ante haImp
debt OF our State, j. q pamphlet entitled
tracts ana Figures, or Useful and Importan
Information for the People of I,olisisna
prepared by Q. d. Bragdon. The design 9
the compiler Of this volume Is to present /