Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-10-20
AN EXTRA SESSION.

Feliciana Sentinel.

EUTOR EELlClANAS 0ENTlNEL-l
regret to see that the Baton Rouge
CAPIToLIAN has Joined the clamor fol
an extra session Of the Legislature,
and, with your permission, willreview
the reasons assigned by the CApITo-
LIAM for an extra session.
"After January | the public insti-
tutions of the State will be without
funds to maintain their inmates, who
will have to be sent home or thrown
upon the cold charity Of the world
The levees will be unprovided for
State officials, employees, judges, etc,
will have no other recourse than to
pledge their warrants
! Has it ever occurred to the CAPITO-
LIAM that the appropriations for the
general expenses of the State for the
years 1879 and 1880 were signed in
| the month of April Of those years,
and for 1878, March %, 1878? and
none of these calamities befel the pub
lie institutions, nor did we hear Of
any of our State officials, employees or
Judges resigning their positions fol-
want of an appropriation to defray
the expenses of January, February
and March of those years.
"The rebuilding Of the Capitol will
have to be suspended as soon as the
loan of fifty cents on the dollar on
State warrants has been exhausted
| My recollection of this matter is that
certain parties contracted to rebuild
the State Capitol for specified
amount, and the Legislature appro-
priated an amount sufficient to cover
the contract.
If the parties choose to pledge their
warrants at fifty cents on the. dollar,
they must not expect the Legislature
to come to their relief and issue an
other batch of warrants. What as
surance have we that they may not
pledge these warrants at twenty-five
cents on the dollar, and call upon the
State Treasury a third or fourth time
estate warrants are at fifty cents on
the dollar"
Thismay be true; but does the CAP
IToLIAN propose to enhance their
value by an extra session of the Leg
islature, or by issuing warrants to con
tractors, officials, employees and judges
to cover the discount they may sub
nit to-
But it is needless to discuss the pro-
priety Of calling and extra session, to
make appropriations for 1882.
Art. 43 of the constitution provides !:
"Nor shall any appropriation of mon
ey be made for longer term than two
years." Will any intelligent lawyer
contend that an extra session of the
Legislature can do what is prohibited
at the regular session? The CAPT.
ToLfAN should know that too much
Legislation is the sole cause of the de
probation of State warrants, and the
surest mode Of placing State credit at
par is less legislation and fewer raids
upon the public treasury.
W. w. LEAKE,
Senator 5th District,
We have extracted the above
from the N. 0. Democrat, which
journal, edited by State Treasurer
Burke, Is strenuously opposing what
we deem the absolutely needed ex-
ira session of the General Assembly.
We have great respect for the views
of Senator Leake, whom we know to
be truly conscientious defender of
the peoples interests, who would
quickly abandon any opposition he
might have based upon such errone-
Gus and incomplete information, as
the one which evidently guides him
in the above.
We will answer Senator Leake's
objections with the following rea-
sons:
First. As there are no appropri-
ations for the. support of the State
Institutions during the year 1881,
their administrators will have no
other security upon which to BORROW
funds at a heavy rate of interest
than the supposition that the Legis-
lature in May or June next, will
make the neces sary appropriations.
Second. The contracts for re-
building the Capitol being based on
payments in actual cash, the State
and the people alone wiz have to
stand the loss on the deprecated
warrants, which the commission
have pledged as collaterals upon
which they have borrowed the cash
to pay the contractors according to
stipulations.
Unless some action is taken by the
Legislature, in the premises. those
warrants will, in great measure, be