The Louisiana Democrat., 1886-02-17

judiciary Department. 23l, $50 w
Miscellaneous Appropriations 382, PIT OO
Appropriations by separate
Acts 5oS,Ilo 81
Transfers of balances. ....... 129. 900 90
Total l..........$1, 148, 1928 80
This includes all appropriations made
out of the General Fund Of 1884, except
the transfer of balance of $50, 900 to pay
part of the expenses of the Legislature,
which amount is included in the appro-
priations by separate Acts. This transfer
of balances grew out of the fact that ac-
cording to the Treasurer's report to the
Legislature there were balances in his
hands amounting to 1861 900 belonging to
the General Fund of other years, which
he had not transferred, he said for want
of authority. As to this 1861, 900 the Leg
islature was simply appropriating the
cash in hand, which it was bound to use
as economically as possible, of course, as
it should do with reference to all funds !:
but as to that there can be no question of
deficiency and this $361, 200 must go to the
credit of the appropriations of that year.
Deduct this sum in round figures from the
total of 81, las, ,92S.39 shown above and it
leaves as appropriations properly to be
charged against the revenues of 1884 the
sum of $7S7, ,92S.3e. 100000 of the item
.above-appropriated by separate Acts
was for the Exposition and Louisiana ex-
hibit. $4,000 more was appropriated for
sufferers by the overflow, surrounded by
which people, men, women and children,
were sitting on their housetops, almost in
sight of the windows of the capitol
$12, ,551 SO was not issued and was returned.
$73, 10000 was for the expenses Of the
Legislature. $4,000 each went to pay
Judge Campbell, the States and the Bee.
SIP, 7s2.03 paid debt on the State House.
The State University at Baton Rouge got
$29, ,22S. SO to pay it's debts and buy educa-
tional appliances; the Normal School got
$1,000; the Revision of the Statutes 5000 (;
to supply disabled soldiers with arms and
legs took $4,000; in spite of my determined
opposition in the House and in the Com.
rlittee the Insane Asylum got $50, 900
the Charity Hospital in New Orleans got
1900, besides its Lottery $4,000; the
Board Of Health got $l5, 600; the Soldiers
Home $40, 900; the three Universities were
transferred to the General Fund for thei1
$50, 900; it took $38, 800 to pay the past due
interest on Baby Bonds; it took $23, 430 to
pay Bonds and interest issued in 1880; the
Agricultural Bureau got $4,000; the AL
len monument cost $1,000; public printing
took $25, ,OO0-and SO on through the va
rious items. They are to be seen by any
one who will take the trouble to look in
the Acts of 1884.
THE REVENUES OF 1884.
The General Fund was given 2 mills in
1884, and this on an assessment of say
$210, 100000, of which, according to the
Treasurer, 80 per cent has been collected,
would give, say, $37S,0oO. There was no
new license bill passed in 1884 and we are
working under the same one which, ac-
cording to the Auditors report, yielded il
1883 nett, the sum of $263, ,315. These two
sums aggregate $641, ,6S5, which deducted
from the $7S7, ,92S.S9 as above stated would
leave an apparent deficiency for 1884 Of
$146, ,243.39. This deficiency is more ap-
parent than real, because only the 2 mill
tax and the estimated licenses have been
included in the calculation. But the
State has other sources of revenue which
60 to the credit of the General Fund. Its
rents from the penitentiary lessees and the
st. Louis Hotel are say, 5000 per an
mum back taxes and licenses have been
collected there are balances of some of
the appropriations not used; interest on
taxes; proceeds of sale of lands forfeited
for non-payment of taxes, etc.-all Of
which sources together ought to cover
this apparent deficiency or reduce it to a
very inconsiderable amount. My own
opinion is that there will be no deficiency
when we get the reports Of the Auditor
and Treasurer in May. If there should be
shall propose to the Legislature to do as
the Legislature of 1ss0-lsS2 did, "provide
for its payment" by issuing interest bear
ing bonds for some other Legislature to
pay, as was done with the Fiscal Agency
debt of the Constitution, which it "provi-
ded for" by bonds, $4,000 of which this
"extravagant" Legislature has already
paid, and added to the principal $500 of
interest, presumably to save the cr' dit of
the economical Legislature Of 1Se0-1882.
If the Legislature of 1884 had pursued the
same plan Of putting off to-day what it
should do, for somebody else to do to-mor-
row-and had turned deaf ear to every
honest cre1iter of the State and showed off
all their claims upon its successors, and
had bankrupted the School Fund in order
that the General Fund might be overflow
ing and thereby "saved its credit" it
might not now be called "extravagant," "
and open to the reproach of having ex-
ceeded it's revenues.
THE APPROPRIATIONS OF 1885.
As to the appropriations Of 1885 they are
as follows, viz:
In ~