Year: 1877




national subvention for postal service be-
tween New Orleans and the ocean ports of |
those countries.
Such are the principal national measures |
which will incidentally promote the prog
perity of Louisiana, and tend to restore the |
contentment of her people.
II is proper subject of congratulation |
that Mr.. Hayes, the President elect, stands |
pledged to maintain the national policy as |
has been stated. While he can not be |
expected to extend any undue favor to |
one section of the Union over another, bis
Identity with the interests of the Mississippi |
valley will at least assure an intelligent
consideration of Its equal claims to the
favor of the government.
Il will strengthen the prospect of these
measures that the nation has deeisiVely re-
pudiated all opposition to the doctrine ard
policy heretofore stated.


This opposition was embodied in its plat
form which stigmatized the grant of public
lands to railroad construction as squander.
ing the public resources, which denounced
the present protective tariff as q mas
ter-piece of injustice, inequality and
false pretenses, demanded that all GUS
tomhouss tsxation shall be only for
revenue, declared that "in the present
condition of the financial affairs of the gov
eminent, no subsidies in money, bonds,
public lands or by the pledge of public
credit, should he granted by Congress to
associations or corporations engaged or pro-
ffaRinU n enUaUa in cpu V1uhI;o on
enterprise" The success of this restrictive
policy would have defeated every one of
the measures in which Louisiana and the
Southern States are SO deeply interested.


While the same platform declared "Our
devotion TO the Constitution of the United
States, with it's amendments universally ae.
cepted as final settlement of the contro-
versies that epgendered civil war;" an in
sidious effort has been made to nullify and
unsettle those amendments, to reafirm the
doctrine of State sovereignty and revive
those controversies which it had been
hoped, for the cause of patriotism and
humanity, had BEEN quieted forever. It hSs
been openly claimed that the Federal gov
ernment has no power for the protection of
its citizens, unless upon the call and with
the permission of the State authority within
whose jurisdiction the citizen may be resi-
dent. From this it must follow that the
primary allegiance of the citizen is due
to the State, and that the Federal authority
is not paramount over the whole people and
territory of the Union. With the success
of this doctrine, with a Dational executive
confederating in it's maintenance, and with
the support of a "solid South" to perpetuate
this construction, practical notification
of the constitutional amendments, and of
the laws passed hereunder, might we'll be
apprehended.


| DOMESTIC POLICY.


There are many measures Of domestic
policy upon which it will be the duty of the
Legislature to bestOw it's most deliberate
consideration. Among these may be enum-
Grated come which commend themselves to
your early attention, while others may be re-
served for more special communication at
future period.


REVENUE REFORM.


The necessity of providing Tor compliance
with the administrative duties Of the govern
ment, as we'll as with the solemn contracts
made with the public creditors, render the
assessment and collection of the public
revenues of primary and vital Importance.
You will find discomfort on the part OF the
property holder of On irregular assessment,
and upon the part of the State the belief
that the valuation, adopted by the local
officers in some parishes is SO low that the
State does not derive just revenue from
the property assessed.


II will he probably proper to so regulate
the mode Of compensation to the tax col
leotors as that it will neither be excessive
in some districts nor deficient in others.
A fair examination of the subject will en-
able you to secure the important objects
of just assessment with prompt colleo-
tion and account to the State treasury


BIMIeRATIoN OF LABOR.


As the welfare of our people depends
chiefly upon products of agriculture, it is
important TO foster this great and growing
interest. 1t is gratifying evidence of the
results of the free labor system that the
crop Of Louisiana has been this year in
erea ed by 10000 hogsheads of sugar,
10000 barrels of rice and 10000 bales of
cotton. This encourages the hope of q
speedy return to the highest rate of pro-
duction ever attained in the State. There
Is still great disproportion between the
arabic area of our lands and the
amount of labor necessary to bring them
into full production. The present popula-
tion is but about six to the square mile
over the whole State, or about twenty-five
to the arabic square mile. Applying then
tbs normal proportion of field laborers to
gross population, it will be seen that de-
fioienoy of labor exists sufficient to account
for low valuation of the lands and the
reduced quantities of production.


To supply this deficiency must consti-
tute an important object. An extended
and expensive experiment has demon
Strated that foreign emigration Is not dis
posed to come directly to Louisiana. 1t will
be proper, therefore, to resort to the mgra-
tiOn Of labor from States in which it is held
in excess, for hepurpOse Of making or So
curing our crops. Public or private sgen-
cies might promote this object by Offering
transportation, homes and wages to such as
may wish to settle permanently among us,
or temporary employment to such as may
wish to escape the inacfion and expense Of
a Northwestern winter by seeking employ.
ment in the plantation work and winter
harvest of Louisiana. The encouragement
Of this migratory labor, as It prevails in