The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-04-23
The New Orleans Case-virginia.

from the preamble OF the act OF the Louisiah'
Iag,slo,nre concerning the debt OF New
Orleans. Both abound in "irhercdScS.'
But the supreme Court OF the Unitec
States treated the plea Of poverty in Tho
Ne,y Orleans case with contempt, and may
trea, that OF Mr.. RIDDLEBERGER in the SAINT
way. To show where he borrowed hi'
idea Of setting up impecuniosity as ple'
better than that Of nil .debet, and TO REGAL
70 the consideration Of the people OF Vir
cinia the fact that the Readiusters are more
likely to lead them into a quagmire than &c
place them upon firm footing, we re-
produce the Louisiana preamble, and ado
10 Il few comments. II Is as follows:
Whereas the whole debt, bonded and
floating. OF the city OF New Orleans has
accumulated 10 an amount exceeding TWEEN.
ty-threc millions of dollars, resulting from
the occurrence OF the civil war and from
reckless expenditures Of public moneys;
Whereas, under the depressing influ.
enco OF the consequences Of the late war,
and the disasters produced by the overflow-
i'm this State and other causes, the taxable
property OF the city Of New Orleans has
become 80 reduced in value as to require
taxation at the rate OF ut least , per cent
per annum 70 liqundatc the debt as estab-
lishcd by the acts authorizing the various
issues % the same; and
Whereas the continuation OF 4 levying
OF tax beyond the ability of the property
10 pay leads to further destruction OF the
aSse>sable property of the city, and the
consequent Shrihkage OF the common
pledge OF the creditors. tending to con-
tinuation of the present embarrassment Of
The city affairs and ultimate practical bank
ruptcy;
Whereas the City Council Of the city Of
New Orleans have adopted a plan for the
liquidation Of the city Indebtedness. look
ing to the payment OF the creditors in full
obtaining thereby the indulgence necessary
for the public well-being and the mainte-
nance OF the public honor: therefore
The act then went on to attempt to repu-
diate very large part Of the existing debt
Of the city of New Orleans, and forbade
any court to issue a writ OF mdaddaiUS to
compel the raising of any tax TO pay the
repudiated part Of the debt or any interest
on the same. An owner OF repudated
bonds applied to a state court for m0a-
Janus 10 compel the city authorities TO
levy tax to pay interest upon the bonds,
and the State court refused the mGnddmUS,
and the Supreme Court Of Appeals of the
State sanctioned this refusal. On Monday
last the Supreme Court OF the United
States declared the whole law to bc
void, and ordered a mdndomns TO
issue to compel the authorities OF
New Orleans to levy tax to pay full in-
tercSt upon the bonds. Whoever viii look
at the concluding paragraph Of the opinion
OF Justice MILLER in Dutz rs. Nisc0tiRe
Is Wallace, RI will learn something of
the way in which the Supreme Court en-
forces ill., orders of this character. Judge
MILLER remarks in that opinion that he had
been compelled by the orders OF the Su-
preme Court OF the United States TO enter,
while holding circuit the preceding spnng,
an order committing TO Jail over one hun
dred Of the hest citizens of Iowa for not
having carried out the Supreme Courts
orders.
Now the point we n,ol.o "a tl.i7 i ne SUI
nremo Court hoe GOT aside all the Louisiana
readiusting laws, and has ordered the city
OF New Orleans to pay the last farthing OF
interest due upon her debt although it will
take a very heavy per cent. on the value OF
property to do it. 1t will almost amount
TO contiscation, in fact
The present Virginia Legislature has
made a very liberal appropriation OF the
moneys in the Treasury, but has not taken
the taX-paying coupons into account. and
il has reduced the rate OF taxation one fifth.
Now. il the Virginia Court Of Appeals holds,
in the case OF AntOni Us. GreeahOlc, that the
RIDDI EBERGER reimbursement laws are void.
and that coupons must be received Tor
taxes, considerable Inconvenience TO the
public will undoubtedly cnsue by reason
OF the fact that the revenues will be insUffi-
cient provide for all overdue and accruing
coupons and pay the cost OF thc schools and Of
keeping up the State government. But
though this Inconvenience will be con,id-
cradle, because OF the Legislatures impro-
violence, what will happen If the State SUI
preme Court sustains the RIDDLEBERGER
laws. and upon appeal to the Supreme
Court of the United States the latter tribu-
nal revcrses the Judgment and declares all
those REIMBURSEMENT laws to be void? Tn
less the case is heard there as privileged
case. it will not in regular course be reach
ed under two years and half. There will
be then more than four millions OF dollar.
OF overdue coupons. II the Supreme Court
OF the United States does then, in the Vir-
ginia case, what il has done in the Lollisi-
ana case, what will he the condition Of al
fairs in this State: The public schools
will he closed, there will be no money to
pay the officers OF government, anarchy
will be upon the people.
And yet ii would not be surprising ii
this should be the result OF the mad pro-
jects OF the Readiusters. The courts OF
the United States are not to be treated with
contempt. TO them the Democrats of Viz
einia have turned over all the questions
connected with the public debt. Those
courts will not touch the State, but if they
decide that the coupons must be received
for taxes, they will, as in Iowa, put every
collector into jail who shall refuse to re-
ceivc them.
Il