The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-06-12
Delegate Semmes Delivers an Address
in Favor Of the Minority Report,
and Delegate McGloin Sup
ports the Majority.
Further Consideration Of the Reports Of the
Committee on Education.

well, was announced. Delegate Kidd asked
and obtained leave Of absence for the afflicted
gentlem an.
Delegate Phelps presented report from
the Committee on Taxation, which was Or
dered to be printed without being read.
Delegate Blanchard asked that the special
order be postponed In order that the report of
the Committee on Federal Relations, advts-
Ing that Congress be memorialized to grant
the barracks at Baton Rouge to the Louisiana
Agricultural and Mechanical College. The
request was granted and the report was
adopted.
The reports Of the Committee on the State
Debt WAS taken up.
A petition signed by about 200 persons was
presented, asking that the majority report be
adopted.
On motion the Convention resolved itself
into committee OF the whole for the purpose
Of considering the report of the committee,
Delegate stille Id the chair.
DEIEaATE sEnMEs
addressed the Convention In favor Of the
minority report He spoke a1 folloWs::
Mr.. Gsairman-I recognise the Importance
and gravity OF tbs occasion on which ! am
about To address this Convention. i look upon
| 1t, however, more 40 an occasion of great po-
litical Importance, political In the sense as to-
which ID the best policy for this State to pur-
sue under the circumstances In which she ID
now placed. therefore consider 1t purely o
question Of political policy, and TO q certain
extent 1t involves some legal propositions,
and. therefore, the topics TO be discussed are
In their nature both political and legal. The
legal aspect OF the question has reference
merely 10 what may be considered the legal,
eonsti tutlonal or moral obligation OF the State
to comply with It's contracts under constitu-
tlonal amendments, and the politi cal consid-
Grafton II refer to the political part Of the
discussion) refers to those considerations
which should induce the people Of this State
to carry out whatever obligation may have
been entered into under the great seal OF the
State, by virtue OF the law of the State, en-
forced by constitutional amendments adopted
by the people. Now, therefore, In consider
ing this subject, acted first upon the p rinci-
pie Of politician; acted upon the principle
that all men are subject to temptation, and
that, according to the pressure Of the tempt a.
tion or the pressure of the necessity, the
greater would be the temptation; therefore,
jected to that temptation to accept the true
principles Of right and justice.
In the second place, address myself
to ascertain whether or not there is
any real necessity on the part OF the
State to interfere with what has been
done under the contracts made / ad-
dress myself to the question Of the resour-
ces of the State. in order to ascertain whether
or not, from the termination Of the war up to
the present time, we have been advancing In
prosperity or whether we have been reced-
ing, whether our prosperity had increased or
diminished, whether or not we are on the
high road to wealth and prosperity, whether
or not any interference with the State debt
at the present time would not oper ate to
check that prosperity, and whether or not as
our prosperity increases this, which app ears
now an uncomfortable burden is not beco ming
lighter, and whether or not under the circum-
stances the State does not require rest;
whether or not some scheme could be devised
by which that rest could be obtained withou t
infringing upon the real litigation which the
State has entered into; these are the q ues-
tiOns which are to be considered.
Now, then, | have taken the trouble to look
into and examine this question OF the re-
sources Of the State as developed through
the statistical reports, both OF the United
States and Of the State, or Of certain organ
izations OF the State, and to my utter surprise
/ find what? I find, notwithstanding the
assessed valuation has been reduced since
1865 that there has been q gradual and steady
Improvement year by year in the progress Of
the development Of our products, until now,
sir, they equal the amount produced In years
previous to the war. The reduction In the
assessed valuation is not alone the conse-
al