Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1880-01-10
OUR PARISH. FINANCES,

OUR PARISH FINANCES.
We, with pleasure, call the attent on of
our readers to the following resolut ion
adopted by the Police Jury at its session
gu Monday last:
Resolved, That the Treasurer be and
no is hereby authorized to pay all Parish
Indebtedness, due, approved and regis
tered for the year 1879, out of any money
on land not otherwise appropriated"
It will be reelected that resolution
Of a similar import was adopted in regard
to the expenses Of 1873, ordering the
same to be paid after the 2nd Monday of
December, 1879.
These ordinances were adopted from
the. fact that there were funds enough Oh
hand to meet these liabilities. As this
is the first time that the Parish Treasury
has been in such condition as to
meet its debts with cash, it seems that
some mention should be made of it, and
our people justly have cause for congrat-
nlation on account of the healthy condi-
tion of their finances. That the Parish is
now in situation to carry on the admin
istration of it's affairs on a cash basis, is
owing entirely to the measures of re-
trenchment and reform tegar by the
Police Jury elected in 1876, and continu-
cd, and we might add, perfected by the
Police Jury of 1878 who. with the other
Parish officers, We're then chosen under
specific pledges of economy, retronch-
1nent and reform. In this connection a
resume of the administration Of the Police
al a%o,1 1o
will not be out of place. .-'..---
In May 1877 when the first report of
the Treasurer was made to tie Police
Jury, the Parish owed fully ten til ousand
dollars, claims acknowledged to be valid.
and outstanding for tho ears 1873, 1874,
1875, and 1876.
The Police Jury to enable it to meet
this Indebtedness and to pay current ex-
penscs, with the ready acqniescencs of
nearly ali the officers Of the Parish, con-
tracted with them. giving them stated
salaries in lien of fees These salaries,
Of course, were put at as low a figure as
was consistent with reason and fairness
Of affairs. At this time the Parish was
without jail, and of necessity, the duty
and expense of providing one dcvolved
upon the Police Jury. Since tho begin
ming of 1877 the Police Jury have built a
good aud substantial Jail at a price of
over $500, and built and repaired all the
bridges in the Parish.
They have paid eve, cent ofthe SIC, 900
outstanding at the time, and to-day be-
gin the year 1880 with the taxes of 1880 to
pay the expenses of 1873. Such condi-
ton of affairs, we repeat, has not existed
since ante bellum days.
The only obstacle then to reduction of
Parish taxation is the existence of the
judgments rendered against the Parish
on warrants or script issued in 1867, 1858,
1869, 1870, 1871, and 1872, which amou:,t
in principal and interest to over $l5, ZOO, 90
We understand a conference is soon to
be had between a committee ufthc Police
jury and the Judgment creditors as to
compromise of these claims. We trust |
that the creditors will understand that |
the present healthy financial condi- |
ton of the Parish is due to the efforts of |
the tax payers and the officers chosen by
them to reduce to the lowest limits all |
expenses of the Parish, and for this rea-
son the creditors should on their part
and reform as it were, by enter
ing into q liberal compromise. as to >
amount and time on these claims.
We shall probably say more OH this
subject in the future. In the meantime
we should like an expression CT opinion
On this subject from any of our readers
who are interested in this matter
a REVELATION BURST upon the public
press aud medical profe ssion, when, over
twenty-five years ago, that grand result
If medical research and synthetic skill,
iostetter's Stomach Bitters, was given
o the world. Soon after it had been I
tarted Oh it's curative mission it was dis
covered that its bot anic propensities far
those of the approved mineral
emedics of the day. Not the least among
no good consequences of it's general use