The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-01-10

from that parish hurried TOWARDS Tensa6
and manifested their presence In various
parts Of the parish.
An armed body Of white men, acting under
warrant for the arrest OF Fairfax, who, 1t
was supposed, had passed into Concordia, en-
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 as lesson
out OF which possibly good may ultimately
come It may teach those who lightly engage
In acts tending to such terrible consequences
TO halt before again venturing In that direc-
ton, and II must necessarily result In array
ing soldly against such persons those who
have at heart the well-being 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-
litically, 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 whore IL 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 quantum 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. 1t results in some meas
ure from the slowness OF collections attribute
BILE to the epidemic and the arrangement OF
business caused by it. 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, e., from four mills to two and half
mills, and made 40 corresponding reduction
In appropriations. This cause, as well 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
1.-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, liz yet
finally undetermined. By this failure OF the
expected source Of revenue, the appropria-
tions predicated upon It's success have been
necessarily without prompt means Of pay
ment. This condition Of things has been
aggravated by the Misrepresentation which
seems to have existed on the subject of the
"State-House fund.-" At the time of the
passage OF the revenue bill Of 1873 the Su-
preme Court OF the State had decided the act
No. Of April, 1875, providing for the setting
aside Of one-half mill from the genera
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 SUI execution OF thel
"Moffett register law" but also OF one-half al
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. Iurge
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, il not parsimony, in making appro-
priations. And In this connection can only
repeat what was said in my last annual mes
al no tbot "a ~ md ~ ladX
sources OF revenue should not be made theI
basis OF additional appropriations. After
curtaiiing 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 q 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. 40, OF the
regular session of 1878. Whilst on this sub
iect, urge upon you the immediate repeal OF
so much Of act No. So, approved March u,
1877, as provides for the payment of the per
diem Of the members OF the General Assem-
bly,, the expenses thereof, and the warrants Of
The constitutional officers for the first quarter,
by the FiscalSAgent from an advance on his
part Of 100000, on which he is allowed five
per cent interest This act is Objectionable in
several particulars; In the discrimination
which it makes between the members OF the 1
General Assembly, its employees, expenses,
md the salaries Of the constitutional officers |
Ind those Of other officers who give their
whole time to the State and depend exclu-
5ively upon their salaries; In the payment OF |
interest to accomplish the eashing OF one
,lass of warrants, whilst others equally as
neritorious remain unpaid and are forcibly |
appreciated thereby. Besides these objec-
ions, the provision virtually does injusticeby
blowing interest on certain salaries and not I
IN others, and by permitting this interest to
un on the whole amount advanced by the
fiscal Agent, until the deposits in his
lands, to the credit OF the general fund,
accumulate to the sum adequate to the