St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1883-08-04
REGISTER LCBDELl'S NEW
RULES.
New Orleans Picayune.l

Land Office, and approved by the
Governor. will be received as evil
dence o! the practical and whole
some power of earnest, vigilant and
public-spirited journalism. They
embody reforms which were long
needed, and which were stubbornly
resisted until they we're virtually
compelled by the pressure of an
overwhelming popular demand.
That demand was the direct and
evident result of disclosure and dis
cussicn through the press. We
venture to assert that 10 man ac-
quainted with the history of the
Land Office for the last two years
has the slightest idea that the
changes now instituted by Register
Lobdell would ever have gone into
effect but for the agitation of the
subject begun by the Piccy,tne and
continued by other journals devoted
to the interests of the State, rather
than to the defense of the admins
tration.
When the matter was first broach-
ed the Governor disclaimed re-
sponsibility, and minated that no
relief could be had except through
the tortuous processes Of judicial
procedure. 81 came into my of
flee. he said il his published let
ter, Gin October, 1881, when the
contract was not only In existence
but executed. I had;not as Cover
nor the judicial power to set aside
this contract any more than to set
aside any other contract made by
the Governor. This would be a
stretch of arbitrary power which
could find no warrant IN law, and
if could exercise such power in
this instance. l might go further
and say that certain bonds or other
obligations of the State were null
and void. because the formalities of
the law had not been complied
with. This is judicial question,
and it has passed beyond the pow
er of the Governor to determine"
The position which the Picayune
assumed at the time was that the
Governor was not bound by con-
tract made in manifest violation of
the law. We held that it was his
duty to treat whatever was Illegal
in the McErery land contract as
nullity, and to throw the onus of
litigation upon those who might
seek to question his right to do so.
Ii he had done so be would only
have begun where he now finds
himself after ALL He has found it
necessary to appoint new Regis
ter. and to approve that Registers
new rules. He has had to recon-
slider his original definition of the
extent of his own power and re-
sponsibili.y in the premises.
One of the main points at issue
was whether for the recovery of |
specific lands scrip could be law
fully issued, to the agent Of the
State, locatable upon any lands be-
longing to the State. We denied
that such scrip could be issued, and
we supported our denial by citing
the proviso in the act under which :.
The contract was made: "prorided
that tie State shall incur no cost or
expense in the prosecution of said
claim. other than the allowance
made by the Governor ont of the
ands. money or scrip that may b.
The Governor took tie
other side of the contention, aud
pleaded, in behalf of the practice
'f the Land Office, the terms OF the
written contract: where lands in
lind are recovered the compensa-
.ion aforesaid of the said McEnery
shall be paid in scrip or certificates
o be issued by the Register of the