Year: 1872

| "Asoous noviuS ptsSScu u JOINT r6SOlut1Or
to that effect over his objection by tn.
constitutional majority. Hence it is tina
the action of the House in continuing fiv
or six committees in session after the ad
journment was not legal. even if the re
solutions said by the Speaker to hav,
been, had been legally passed. Twill no
discuss the question of whether they die
pass the House, for I do not believe tn,
House was competent to give any sucl
authorization A committee can only be
authorized to sit during vacation by ar
act OF the Legislature. properly approved
In accordance with the constitution.


state these facts to suggest the remedy.
recommend the passage of an act fixing
the compensation Of members, the rate o.
mileage and amount each member shal
be paid; the number and character of the
officers, clerks and employees of each house
and their compensation; defining wha,
shall be considered contingent expenses,
and limiting the amount for each house
the adjustment Of the Office Of warran,
clerk, and providing that the members
shall be paid in warrants drawn by the
Auditor, as is customary in all Other
claims against the State; that vouchers,
accompanied with the bill of articles, on
showing the character of the services rem
dsred, BY what authority they were pur-
chased or employed, shall be fled with
the Auditor as his vouchers, and il shall
be his duty to scrutiniEe and examine the
bills TO see. that they are in accordance
with the law. II is believed. after care
full calculation, that one hundred and
twenty-five thousand dollars is amply suf-
hcient to pay all the expenses of sixty
days session Of the General Assembly.
The bitterness which existed at the in
auguration of the present administration
has, am happy TO say. entirely disap-
peared. and perfect tranquility now reigns
throughout the State. No one is molested
on account of his political opinions. A
few personal difficulties occur now and
then, perhaps, but they are incidental to
any society, and are not attributable to
political differences


Our criminal laws, except in the city of
New Orleans, are enforced with commend
able promptitude. The disposition of
jurors, with few exceptions, to convict
individuals charged with offenses against
the law, was never more manifest than
now. Punishment for crime is3adminis-
tered to offenders with certainty and Sc
verify.


In the parish of St Landry. where in
1868 large number of colored persons
were killed for differing on political ques-
tions, but few weeks ago two young men,
both white, were convicted and sentenced
to the penetentiary for life for attempting
violence to colored woman, notwithstand-
ing she did not enjoy the best reputation.
At tie same session of the court, out of
fourteen criminal cases tried, but one
prisoner was acquitted.


In the parish of DeSoto, white prison.
ers have been most severely punished for
violence, aud injury to colored people, So
it is throughout the State. Justice is meted
out with an even hand to all alike, giving
the strongest evidence of the healthy tone
of society, and the purpose of the people
to secure equal protection to all, and to
insure the honest enforcement of the law.


With this happy condition of affairs,
we must look to the reformation of the
many evils and abuses that have crept into
our administration. The subject is one
that calls for your most careful considera-
ton and promptitude of action


l. 1 recommed to you the modification
of the registration law, in resp ct to the
appointment of registrars and their COM
pensation. The law should require them
to be residents of the parishes for which
they arr appointed They should be
ineligible to any other Office while they
are in the discharge of their duties as re-
gistrar, and their compensation should be
reduced and paid, together with that OF
commissioners of election, by the parishes
in which they serve and on the subject
OF registration and election I repeat my
of the last session.


"The disregard of the rights of franchise
evinced in many localities in the State in
1868 induced the Legislature of 1870 to
resort to the most stringent measures for
the people. The violent rancor of that
period having now given place to more
liberal and just acknowledgment of the
true relations of all our citizens, I COM
mend to your consideration the modiica-
ton of the registration and election laws
to an extent that, while securing the
inalienable rights of all, will make the
usage under them less irksome and exact
ing to the few"


2. The election law should be so modi-
fed that the expenses of holding elections
shall be borne by the parishes, and that
in the city of New Orleans the city itself |
shall bear the burden.
3. recommend that the State Registrar |
Of voters, who is practically the Supervisor