The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-06-15
THE CON ENTION.
Continued Debate on the Report of the
Committee on the State Debt.
Addresses Made Yesterday by Delegates
Toddand Mcdonnell For and Against
the Majority Report.

paid into the treasury by each parish to
the present time. The report was furnished
In accordance with request Of the Conyen-
ton.
Delegate Lott rose to question Of privl-
lege. He said his attention had been called
to statement made by him, that $4,000, 600
Of taxes had been collected on account of the
leyeeg. This was an error. The amount col
lected was only 100000.
The Convention then resolved itself into g.
committee Of the whole for the purpose Of
considering the report OF the Committee on
the State Debt, witt. Delegate Caffrey In the
chair.
DELEGATE TODD
took the floor and anc addressed the Conven-
tion. His remarks were as follows:
Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Cbnue1o-
tion-Itis with some hesitation and embar-
rassment that enter upon the discussion OF
the question before the Convention after the
very able and seemingly exhaustive argu-
tened with 90 much pleasure for the last four
days. But realizing fully the magnitude OF
the subject and the interest involved, and be-
lieving that the destiny OF our beloved State
for veal or wo will depend in great meas
ure upon the action Of this Convention and
feel feel eonstrained In Justice to myself and to
those whom / represent on this floor to
participate Ii the discussion. ask the kind
Indulgence Of his Convention and patient
IL as possible, nv views On this
subject It Is asubject which has cost
me many an anxious thought In the
last two months. and consideration
that has been even painful: painful because
u and 81 haa
time mete out exact Justice to the public cred
itors Of the state. But we are met at the
tions 90 strongly urged by nv
hornrable ] friend from ST. Mary fMr. affren
that this Convention had no power to invest.
gate, adjust and fix the State debt, and to
resides In the body OF the people, and that
soyereipnty ID full and conDlete excent where
IN it is limited BY the constitution and laws
Of the United States But do not agree
with The gentleman l u that that sovereignty can
but that the same can be expressed and rep.
resented by a convention Of the people throuah
their chosen delegates. To contend that there
Is no peaceful way for people to express
their sovereignty, CT by which their SOW
denying It's existence. therefore assert that
the full sovereignty that the people possess
is represented BY this Convention; that this
Convention is really an assemblage Of the
9Rpa 9RsHps O. %e ba7 eFoux eTa%a er 81 ne ehsss
and IN IN fa % - enaong aRg
for the government OF the State AS it is
impossible for the people OF Louisiana
to follow their example, they have
delegates, to lay down their organic law,
and build up the structure OF their GOV
ernment. This Convention, therefore, repre-
sents the full sovereignty OF the people, This
Is the true theory Of republican government,
constitution that has been framed In Louis
lana, and every other State Of this Union.
Look at those preambles, and they de-
clare that I've the people" OF such
State do make and ordain this
stitution, whether submitted to the people
for their ratification or adopted formally by
the Convention itself. / am borne out In this
theory by the very authority to which the
gentleman has referred: Cooley says: I'm
the original States, and all others subse-
quently admitted to the Union, the power to
amend or revise their constitutions resides in
the great body OF the people, as an organized
body polite, who being vested with ultimate
authority and the source OF all State au-
which they have made. And, again, each
State must Judge for itself what provision
shall be inserted in its constitution; how the
power Of government shall be apportioned
IN order to their proper exercIse:
what protection shall be thrown
around the person or property
Of the citizen; and to what extent private
And the courts Of the state, stiIl more the
courts Of the Union, would be- precluded from
inauiring into the justness OF their action or
questioning its validity because Of any sup
posed conflict with fundamental rules Of right
or OF government, unless they should be able
to show collision III some point between m the tia
instrument thus formed and thai nara
mount law which constitutes in regard
to the subject It covers the f,1nda-
mental rule of action throughout the
whole United States. And in q note It lie
stated that In the matter of Oliver Lee G
COS Bank. 81 N. y. that DEMO. j.. SAYS:
aThe constitutional convention was not
Obliged. like IeoisIative bodies. to look care
fully to- the preseryation ] % Of vested d rights, It
was competent to deal, subject to ratification
lava and institutions ~ the Statn3s