The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1882-05-13

OUR NEW ORLEANS LETTER.
Items Of Interest from the Crescent City
by Our Regular Correspondent.
New ORLEANS, May 8. 1882.

Now that the Legislature IS again III
session, we hope that some attention will
be given to the abuse which of late has
crept into orr system of requiring an
oath Tor every petty act performed by
citizen The officers Of the State should
be sufficiently informed to gnard the
State from injury, and statements made
under oath are very often found incor-
rect. This inliscrnlinate exaction OF an
oath is very often an incentive to perjury,
and doubtless tends to destroy the sane
tity Of the obligation. It seems to us, to
be going too far to compel the people,
acting through their Legislature in their
sovereign capacity, to take an oath--to
who ito themselves. What farce this
has become. It should be abandoned,
that honor be cultivated the more.
The other side of New Orleans is get
ting the food at last. In the rear streets
Of Gretna, Algiers and Tunisburg the
wafer has been gradually encroaching
until great many of the Inhabitants
have had to move nearer the river to the
higher ground. The grave yard has two
feet of water in it and all the lower
vaults are covered. In other places the
situation is more hopeful, with the ex-
ception of the Landry crevasse, which
has been abandoned. This is bad news
considering the reported rise Of the river
above. The water around Breaux's
Bridge, OH the right bank of the Teche,
has entirely disappeared and the corn
and cotton crop is already in the ground.
At Morgan City the water is falling rap
idly and the Morgan road is again open
to the bay. No more rations will be re-
CURED
yesterday, this time rs witnesses and
prosecutors The Messrs. Van Benthuy-
cen were brought up, charged by Mr..
Geo. Osmond with assault with dan
gerons weapon with intent to kill, and
by Judge j. S. Bossier with carrying
concealed weapons. They were both
sent before the Criminal District Court
under $1,000 bonds each, which were i'm
mediately furnished.
The injunction suit against the Mascot
and the rule Of contempt since executed,
were argued before. the Supreme Court
last night by ex-Gov. F. I. Nichols, who
ably handled the case and thoroughly
exhausted the law aud facts in relation
to the sanctity Of the freedom Of the
| press. Judge Bonner was the opposing
counsel. The case was taken under adj
visement.
The Carrolton railroad franchise is
| still ali all important subject Of consid
Grafton ut the City Hall, aud the diff Guilty
Of Il solution seems to be daily OH the
increase. Mr.. Van Benthnysen meets
the Council every few days to offer a bid
for the road with privilege Of charging
Avenue up and down, and other parties
come forward with q higher purchase
figure and propose to charge five cents
only the full length Of the road. Of
course this latter can not be accepted by
the City Administrators, so both bids are
perforce rejected. 1t looks as if this con
aition Of things will continue until the
State OF some higher authority steps i'll
and forces some action.
| Mr., d. G. Jones and son Of your burg,
and Mr.. j. G. Cotield and wife and Mrs.
Shanks of the upper coast are III town
and staying at the City Hotel.
The Governors message to the Legs-
lature, which is published i'll the morning
papers, is u lengthy document and we'll
depicts the derlorable condition of our
State. He strongly urges upon our rep
resentatives the enactng Of new city
charter for New Orleans, and shows up
| in giaring colors the vicious practices o1
the local government under the present
Irresponsible system, made more so by it
being the growth Of Il defunct cou'titu-
ton by whose text it must be ruled. The
Governor calls attention also to the fact
that Imprisonment for debt still remains
IL part Of our system, under certain con-
ditions, and recommends its entire abDli
ton. 1t is quite impossible to comment
thoroughly upon such q voluminous
document in a letter, but sweeping re
forms are recommended, and perhaps the
most sensible change proposed is where
he says he hopes g to see the State unde,
an organic law suitable to our wants and
in harmony with our laws" GA new
Constitution would be Il blessing" We
have ever considered the constitution o
1879 failure, and worked and votet
against it. We welcome the departnr
Of the Governor from the path Of lneStri
cable confusion. and trust that his wOrd
will have some weight and bring abou
the adoption of fundamental law il
keeping with the enlightened American
ideas Of the present day.
The Irish question has received anothe
blow in tie murder of Lord Cavendisl
| Chief Secretary for Ireland, and ths
Under Secretary, Mr.. Burke. The " Skin
mishing fund.- will henceforth be at
discount in America.
Hons A. j. Dumont and P F. Herwi
leave for Washington tonight.
n Yours truly, w. H. Y.
Capt. Jno. w. Cannon, the vetera
steamboatman, died at Frankfort, KY.