St. Landry democrat., 1883-05-19

| tOrney-General was entitled 20 TemuHe-
ration for services actually rendered,
yet we think that to have entitled him
| to the full commission allowed, the
board should have required evidence OF
the sums realized by the State under
these judgments, and we find no such
evidence. Concerning the validity OF
the other, we are unable to judge for
the reason set forth above. A careful
examination of the documents in the
Auditors possession discloses
No Itemizcd Hills
and we are at a loss to know how the
board could have acted intelligently
upon the mere statements presented.
Much of the difficulty seems to have
been obviated, however, by a resort to
the certificate plano scheme .5rGlsght
aciM great danger to our people, as b7lt-
iantLy c0nceiUed and successfully executed
asin the days of Radical supremacy.
AS to the claims of Gauthreaux and
others, the records show that in many
cases these fees were from three to
seven times more than the taxes sued
for, and as many as five suits were en-
tered against one party when one suit
would have been sufficient.
The Second Meeting
of the board was held on the 10th day
Of May, 1880. At this meeting judg--
ments in the following cases were read
and spread upon the minutes Board OF
Administrators of the University Of
Louisiana VS.. Louis A. Wiltz ct ais, No.
26,225, Third District Court, New Or
leans Emil p. Roux VS.. Louis A. Witt,
Governor, ct ais, No. 10,6S8, Fifth Dis
trict Court, New Orleans; and j. M.
Seixas VS.. Louis A. Witt, chairman, ct
ais, No. II 1,008-Sixth District Court,
New Orleans. These several suits en-
joined the board from examining, au-
diting and approving any claims for
costs, or fees, or charges for the purpose
of having the same or any part thereof
received in payment of any taxes and
licenses due the State of Louisiana
prior to January 1, 1879, on the ground
that act SO of 1880 creating the board was
unconstitutional. The following is a
copy Of the Judgment !: The court con-
sidering the law, evidence
And Consent Of Parties,
It is ordered that the injunction herein
issued be made peremptOry and absO-
lutte and the defendants be adjudged
and decreed perpetually to refrain from
examining, auditing and approving any
claim or claims for costs, or fees or
charges for the purpose OF having the
same or any part thereof received in
payment of any taxes and licenses due
the State of Louisiana prior to January
1st, 1870, and it is further Gdjudged by
the consent of the plaintiffs that the de-
PENDANTS shall be and are hereby an-
| thorized to audit, examine and pass
upon and approve claims embraced in
tue terms of act No. SO OF 1880, for the
purpose of making same receivable for
taxes and licenses to the amount of two
hundred and siXty-seven thousand four
hundred and twelve dollars and thirty
one cents, as follows, viz: j. r.. Alcee
Harper. S41, ,O1S.55, Thos. FL. Handy
S9517, Allen Jumel S29. .1S1, j. C. Egan
S17,52S14, Thos. Duffy S6431 ,05, Ben
Ambroster 81 900, John Curry $4,000, j.
V.Guillotte $4,000, w. g. Mcconnell
S24OO, Thomas L. Maxwell S2400-total,
| $780,, ,41231, and so far the injunction
against said defendants is imperative
and
The Uusual Delays for Signing the
Judgments Waived.
Judgment rendered May 10, 1880, and
signed on the same day.
| Gauthreaux, Jumel, ct al. were not
parties to these suits. There is no evil
dence on file and no note of testimony
| in either case. The judgments were
/ purely
The board had not received or exam
ined any claims at this date (May 10,
1SS0,) and we find 1t Uery remarkable
that they should agree and consent that
No. 90 was unconstitutional and imper-
ative against all claimants except their
special friends. On the 18th day of
1 May, 1880, the board met for the third
time. The claims of Gauthreaux ct ais.
/ were approved, and the board author
| lied the issuing of certificates to the
amount of $24S, 1882 81, and on the same
4 day the secaetary signed and issued
1858 certificates.
These certificates were issued without
authority of the law, and in utter disre-
gard of their own rules adopted at their
| first meeting on the 30tll of April, 1880.
| ITSee form Of certificates Several
/ meetings were held in the latter part OF
/ May and in June, 1880, when the board
authorized the issue of certificates to
the amount of $32,9T. Is, making a total
of 1924 certificates, amounting to $751;,
79964. In conclusion we can only add
/ that it was
A Physical 4mpossibility
/ for the board to have examined the
statements Of claims, or for the Secre-
tary to have issued the 1858 certificates
within. the time stated. Reviewing the
foregoing facts we are compelled to
submit that we have never known a
more
Reckless Expenditure of Public Funds
1 or q greater abuse of public confidence
/ We recommend that this report be pub.
| lished in the official journals OF the
State. and submitted to the General AS.
sembly at its next meeting. Respect
fully submitted,
/ w. w. LEAKE,