The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-05-25
rinal disposition Of the Report Of
the Committee on Limitation
On its Second Reading.
rb;rd Reading and Adoption Of the Ap-
uortionment Ordinance as Hereto
fore Published.
,,,so,utions Considered and Ordinances
introduced and Referred.
SATURDAY. NAV Al. 1879.

40 members present.
The report Of the Committee on Limlta-
ton was taken as
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Article ~ was read:
ARTICLE 81 The tax Of each year shall be
designated by the year tn which u 10 collect
lille and the revenues Oh each year shall be
arst devoted to the expenses OF the year. and
the surplus shall be applied at once, ana 10
ri The principal Of the State debt. All appro-
priations In excess 81 the revenue shall be
void
Delegate Watkins offered q resolution rela-
i've to levee tax, which was ruled out OF
order. 1900,
Delegate Smith. Of Jackson, moved On
.mandInent to strike out the words lat once
mi and also the words TO the payment OF
I'M principal OF the State debt
III NnaIerate Moore, of Lafourche, Informed
the Convention that the Committee on Limt-
satnn we're In favor Of deferring further con-
sideratjon of the article until the Committee
IN State Debt had reported.
Daleuate Forman opposed the motion to
defer He did not think the article had any
rpfarenee to the State debt question; 1t was
shnnId be expended. The motion to postpone
VAS then carried.
Article 28 was read:
Inr. 2s. The State, its Legislature or officers
sba never In any one year, levy or collect
sreatar rate Of taxation than five mills on the
dollar Of the valuation Of the property on the
assessment rolls. which shall never exceed Its
actual cash market value, except In case of
actual or impending war. invasion or insur-
rction.
# Delegate Robertson offered q substitute for
the article, as follows. For the purpose OF
taxation no property of any kind shall be as
Essed for more than 4D per cent OF It's actual
cash valuation ut the time such assessment is
made, and the State, Its legislatures or Its
n1lcers shall never iii any year levy or collect
agreater rate OF taxation than 14la mills on
this assessment except In case Of actual or
impending war. invasion or insurrection. and
10 parochial. municipal or political corpora
ton shall levy or collect In any one year q
greater rate OF taxation than 25 mills on
Il this assessment.
Delegate Moore, Of Lafourche, moved to
defer further consideration ut the article
until the State Debt COMMITTEES had made It's
report.
views On the subject of q limitation, and he
hoped the Convention would resolve Itself
into committee Of the whole to discuss the
matter. lie thought that every delegate had
made UP his mind on this question, and 1t
would be useless to delay action.
Delegate Parlange offered substitute for
the motion to defer until the State Debt Com
mittee had reported. and moved to defer con-
sheraton until the Committee on Taxation
bad made their report. In speaking on hts
substitute, Delegate Parlangs said that the
subject Of limitation OF taxation properly
belonged to the Committee on Taxation. and
not To the Committee on State Debt.
Delegate Blanchard demanded the previous
question, which was ordered by vote Of 50
yeas TO II nays.
The roll was called on Delegate Parlange's
substitute. which was carried by 81 yeas to 20
nays:
Delegate Allan moved for reconsidera-
hon OF the vote just taken, and on this mo-
ton he took the fioor to- speak He read from
aearefully prepared document his views on
the subject ut issue. Capital, the great need
& of the State, would never come to this state
Il 10 long as the black flag OF Reputation hung
" pail over the State. Last year the pro-
i ducts Of Louisiana amounted to $50, 1000, 600,
and this amount could easily be doubled. As
4 the resources OF the State Increased, taxation
II would decrease. In great Monetary centres
The tendency was toward low Rates OF In
+ tArest. In this Stat the rate Of interest had
I been steadily decreasing until reputation
bad been talked OF, aud now 1t was hard to
Dot, money at any price, Capital is pro-
verbally timid; men will risk their lives
where they will not trust their money.
Within the last few months Ss,000,00O had
y been invested by this State IN government
bonds because there was no safe invest
ment at home Withdrawals OF capital, such
Is this, tended to raise the rate OF interest,
and the speaker knew ut u case OF a planter
4 who was now compelled to pay 10per cent for
advances. The speaker wanted to know where
theeconomy came in--when taxation WAS re-
ouced BY half per cent, and the planters had
Neorrow money at al increase OF 5 or per
cent In consequence Of this reduction. The
essssment OF this State was $1T7, 100000, and
Ma was very good showing for n bank
aptState owing only S120oO00O. The RENE
dytor the burdens now suffered by the State
Nasn not to be had by reputation, but by a
GENERAL retrenchmeUt and reform In the ex-
peases OF government. He reviewed the
enormous amounts spent for salaries OF ofli-
s sals, ana OTHER expenditures Tor the running
expenses OF the State The report or the
gommttee on Limitation was an excellent
document until 1t Incorporated the twenty
ashth article, which virtually amounted to
Lepndlatlon. lie was therefore In favor Of
striking out the article In closing. Delegate
Allain said that the views he had expressed
were given forth as his own sentiments, and
not Us the president Of the Republican eau
Gus. Eight gentlemen who voted for him as
delegate represented ,$l5,000,ooO OF capital
~ ~ Wheh Ihey votea Tor him they knew what
bis sentiments were.
Delegate McGloin referred to the written
speech Of the delegate from Iberyille as pre-
mature and out Of order, but said that he had
listened to 1t with patience because ii evil
gently lay heavy upon his mind, and like the
spartan boy, with the fox under his mantle.
Mrther concealment might have proved uuon
We gentleman's health, or even cot him his
We He believed tho great majority Of this
spody We're opposed to reputation, but many
believed that Reputation applied only to a
iniusal to pay honest debts. Many believed
va Mat State had the same right as an individ-
va TO question and contest all obligations
imposed upon it by fraud. II there was
aa sad IN any debt, the State might be legally
nad. but morally the right to question and
m1test exists. He believed 1t TO be very
yen question, whether the honor OF State
Wy more than that of an individual, was
ssascted by investigating the character 81
~ ~ o3oligations. So far as the question OF ex.
aaasalhg capital from the State by any flnan-
~ 80 action OF this Convention, that was also
fh ~ upen question. 1t seemed to the speaker
~ Nh foreign capital would examine more par
~ aali other sections Of the constitution. II
lo ouu inquire into the restrictions upon the
ia ,;slaIIive power, prohibiting experimental
es sstslation to the detrimeRt OF private prop.
ssssa ne the creation of public debts. Ii sat
/ fm st 10 this respect it would examine tax
! san,ssaaelons. and, other thiags being equal
lov ula select that State which had fixed the
oin dr. limit TO the taxing power. The State
isygeorgla had bodily thrown ont millions OF
fatss aaunnlent debt. and yet there was more
i u . iI.u