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THE DONALDSONVILLE CHIEF. OFFICIAL JOUCRAL OF THE PARISH OF ASCENSION AND TOWN OF DONALDSO\VILLE. VOLUME I DONALDSONVILLE, LA., SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 1872. NUMBER 18. lrniatsnthilic ( idf. Offie in Crescent Plae -Published Every Saturday Morning -AT- 4 Donaldgonville, La., -BY LINDED E. BEUTLEV, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR. TERMS OF SLJBSC'RIPTION: One copy, one year.. .. . $3 O)ne copy, sixmnonths ... 1 5---0 ..iugle copies... ................... 1, Payable invariably in advance. AD VERTINIYG RATES: t 0 [A square is seven lines Minion type.] d Space. I wk. [ mno. 3 mos. 6 mos. 1 yr. Ii 1 square.... $1 (N) $3 00 $5 00) $9 00 $15 a) 2 squares... 2 5 00 9 00 15 W10 A ()') 4 squares... 4 W 8 00 15 001 25 (5) 35 0+) column... 7 W 13 00 25 00 40 00 50 (K ii j colnum... 14 0) 25 0 40 00 61) 00 70 0) 1 column... 28 00] 40 00 55 75 (0 100 00 b Transient advertisements. $1 per square first S insertion; 75 ets. each subsequent insertion. 4 All official advertisements $1 per square each dl insertion. it Communications may be addressed simplal it CaauEF, D0onaldsonville La.," or to the edi ti tor and proprietor personally. st A large lire in Monroe, La., han Rc destroyed the greater portion of theli1 business part of the town. Total los- th .$589,300; insurance, $203,500. th II_________10 st4 The Hon. J. Henri Burch has a' .1 last earned a just and indisputed ti of tle to the initials R. C. M.-that is, T if they stand for Renegade Colored as Man. pr is News from Mexico is not at all re- by assuring to those who wish well to rei that distracted Republic. The levo- do lution is last spreading, and the peo ple are paralyzed. President Juarez, sli in a speech to Congress, correctly ro1 states the case when he says that the an country is consuming itself in a fruit- anl less struggle of military against legal of power. The fact is, there are too wc many military chieftains in Mexico, ha and the natural business of these idle tha men-who are just above the level of if bandits-is to plot conspiracies and tin lead revolutions. The tone of the President's speech is less confident ha, than we might have expected from and him under circumstances not specially str perilous. ret , , thr NEWSPAPER LAws.-The following I synopsis of the newspaper laws, will Ill be found interesting by those who re- tiol ceive papers by mail: 051 1. A Postmaster is required to give 7 notice by letter (returning a paper mi does not answer the law) when a sub- of I scriber does tot take his paper out of dos the office, and state the reasons for its pr' not being taken; and a neglect to do cut so makes the Postmaster responsible hot to the publishers for the payment. 2. Any person who takes a paper Cot from the Post-office, whether directed ty I to his name or another, or whether he to has subscribed or not, is responsible abli for the pay. abl 3. If a person orders his paper dii- flo continued, he must pay all arrearages not or the publisher may continue to sedl ing. it until the payment is made. dee 4. If the subscriber orders his paper be to be stopped at a certain time, and dole the publisher continues to send it, the era subscriber is bound to pay for it if he era takes it from the post-office. The law ly 1 proceeds upon the ground that a man - must pay for what he uses. i 5. The courts have decided that re- al i al fusin 'to take newspapers and periodi- 403 cals krom the postotlice, or removing t and leaving them uncalled for, is are prima facie evidence of intentional trey fraud. reds r.. $18 ExcITINO SCENEs.-St. Stephens (Roman Catholic) church in New York, which is bo fatmous for its superb music, was the scene of a disagreeable disturbance on Sunday last. Just as the congregation were engaged in the most solemn portion of the mass, in unearthly, yell was heard, and the congregation turning round saw a man, respectably dressed, writhing in apparent agony in the central aisle. ,He was a howling maniac. From his lips came the most dreadful cries and oaths. He danced and swung his arms around his head and tore his hair. The services were of course suspendud, and the man was forced from the church. He was sent to the hospital as a lunatic. A still more serious disturbance took place at the Roman Catholic church, sear the corner of Thompson and Can al streets, on Chrisinas morning. Jest as the priest was about pronouncing the benediction a drunken maniac named Ellis staggered up the aisle, and in a loud and abusive way de nounced the priest and congregation, and when ordered out by the sext)n dared ans one to try and put him out. Xn an insta nt twenty men sprang from their seats and made for Ells, Coo fusion and consternation segne id, Some of the women screamed, while others fainted. Ellis backed tip a inst a pew, and drawing a knife dared them to come on. A man named Knapp then advanced upon Fllis, and he plunged his knife into Knapp's shoulder. Ellis was then knocked down and stabbed by somme unknown persons, and Jeln taken to fia station-Douse. ANN UAL 13IESAGE t OF I Goverlor H. C. Warmoth, igq TO TIE t General Assembly of Louisiana, SESSION OF 1872. I STTATE OF LOUIIAINA,) ii Executive Department, t New Orleans, January 1, 1872. Geutlemne of the Senate and House of Rep a resent tives of the State of Louisiana: 5" In compliance with my duty, under r 1 the constitution, I have the honor to lay before you the following informa- t tion res ecting the general condition e of atlis n the State, with the recom- e mendati d of such measures as I have a deemed if sufficient importance to a merit yo)r especial consideration: 0') PUBLIC DEBT. ti 0 The State Auditor pdrsists in pub no lishing to the world that our debt is t4 W) $41,194,473 91, which he makes up C b? y add 'g to the actual debt of the ri -St State, rich is $*2,295,790 58, an G u. amount hich he calls a " contingent d, rh debt" o 18,898,683 33. This last is la indeed 0 ungent. It is contingent " 1- in that i" b oming actual debt is en- tl ti tirely de 4ndent-tirst, upon the con- a struction! of certain railroads, for se ! which the State has agreed to indorse ram to second ortgage bonds for $12,500 et p per mil the companies having the aI right to tne first mortgage boiids for to ' the smne, amount; and, second, upon bi the foolish presumption that these Pm roads, with all their franchises, rolling Px stock, fitures, trade, etc., will not be al '" worth * ,000 per mile, the aggregate tri of the #1 and second mortgage bonds. tit This is l more a debt, to be employed di as suct tthe expense of our State sit credit, t5ian is the ihdorsement of a by promissory note by an individual who or is secumed for the liability he assumes, on - by a pl ge of five-twenty bonds or po a real eat , in the proportion of four te dollars one. the In thif first place, there is not the pe I, slightest;probability that any of these to s roads, except the New Orleans, Mobile pr and Texiis railroad will beconstructed; Stb - and, in the aecopd place, if every one po I of themi should be built, the State ter a would l amply secured from ever m( having to pay the indorsement, for the the reason that the roads chartered, da f if constructed, would be . worth four un tfnmes the amount guaranteed. no' This unwise course of the Auditor tw has tended to depreciate our securities, I a and has given the enemies of recon- Le struction capital from which to mis- ap] represem- our government and to evi throw redit upon us abroad. the In 1 our debt was *10,157, 882 12. the In 1868 when the present administra- dec tion came into power, it was $14,347,- wo 051 02, a-nd it is now about $23,045,- its 790 58. 'This increase consists in three by million dollars employed for the repair or of levee- three million to take up the car floatin ebt which had been incurred Sta prior tolle inauguration of the pres- 185 cut go mnent; two and a half mil lions an seribed for stock to the New cisi Orleans. Mobile & Texas Railroad Au Company, and seven hundred and fif- wa ty thoutand dollars subsidy granted oth to the sanie company. The present the administration is not properly charge- thma able with the three million dollars for is s floating debt because it was mostly, if be not entirely, created before its incom- qui ing. So that the real increase of the goi debt by tae present government has 7 been only about six and a half million s5i dollars and the wisdom of the sev- a s eral ac involving the increase is gen- Tl$ erally needed and almost universal- prig ly app ved. mei The bonded debt on which interest rea is being paid is $19,858,300, the annu- Sta al interest on which amounts to $1,- and 403,820. Of this debt, $1,357,000 ill cial State lends have been purchased, and wan are he by certain trust funds in the rest treasu ", which, if cancelled, would den reduce our interest paying debt to crei $18,5 300, and the annual interest the to $1, ,400. alm FINANCES. The eandition of our State finances deinan your most serious attention. The reot of the State Auditor will show deficit for the past year of nearly rwo millions of dollars. This has been caused by the inefficiency of tax collectors and the enormous ap propriations made at the last session of the General Assembly in excess of the revenue. To meet this deficiency two things are necessary : First, a re dtictio to the minimum of all the ex penses f the government; and sec ond, a igorous and/efficient collec tion o he revenue. This is practica ble, anj the best solution to the prob lem I ve been able to devise. The ount necessary to pay sala ries of iuffers need not exceed $320, 000; that for mileage and per diem of members and the contingent expenses of the General Assembly need not ex ceed $J25,000; while all other expen' sea, p able from the general fund, includ those necessary for the sup port o ie militia, of public institu tiont a charitable character, such as institu ons for the deaf, dumb and blind, the Insane Asylum and the Charity Hospital of New Orleans, and for the rent of public buildings, etc., need not exceed $420,650. The interest on our State debt amounts to $1,403,820 per annum. It requires $400,000 to maintain our public hool system. The ur mills assessed for the gen eral fu is believed to be sufficient to pay e salaries of officers and the curren expenses of the machinery of tw goc runnent. It is doubtless enough i to do so with economy, but it should not be expected to bear the draft of' four millions of dollars in appropria tions, as was assumed by the legisla tion of the last session. I would, therefore, recommend that i during the present session of your i honorable body an act be passed inak ing a general appropriation for pay- a "?) mnent of salaries of officers, interest on the public debt, expenses of public i education and the public charities, a 9 which act shall be a general law and 1 remain in operation until flhodified or I ler repealed by the General Assembly. a t Should this be done, we shall avoid< "u- the evil which has heretofore prevail- t oil ed, of crowding into this bill a large 11- number of olnoxious appropriations 1 ve and coercing unwilling members to i to vote for its passage under the threat t of defeating the necessary appropria- t tions for the year. b- I desire to call your particular at- c is tention to the decision of the Supreme t up Court in the case of "The State ex d be rel Solomon and Simpson vs. James tn Graham, State Auditor," in which the c nt doctrine relative to appropriations is e is laid down in the following language: S at " But it is contended by the relators n- that the appropriation does not create g i- a debt ' because the money is pre- n or sumed to be in the treasury.' This ii se raises the very serious question,wheth- a xj er or not the Legislature can make C ie appropriations unless there be money S r to meet the warrants authorized there- p ,n by, either actually in the treasury or 3e provided for by the revenue bill. The S ig power of appropriation is the right to ,e apply to public purposes money in the * te treasury. Article 104 of the constitu s. tion declares, 'No money shall be o1 d drawn from the treasury but in pur- If e suance of specific appropriations made ir a by law.' An appropriation is an auth Lo orization to the Auditor to check up- aº on the treasury for moneys there de- m ir posited. If, therefore, the revenues at nr be inadequate to meet the interest of i the phhlic debt and the current ex- am e penses of the necessary State agencies il e to-preserve the government, an appro- of c printion (whereby the liabilities of the State are increased) for any other pur- at e pose than for the support and main- bi e tenance of the machinery of govern r ment, is a debt within the meaning of tl r the constitutional amendment, which b< I, declares ' that prior to the first ofJan- v, r unary, 1890, the debt of the State shall L4 not be increased so as to exceed r twenty-five millions of dollars.'" tl ,, From this it will be seen that the fy - Legislature has no power to make any es - appropriation for any purpose what- ai > ever, ' unless there be money to meet ca the warrants authorized thereby, ei ther actually in the treasury or provi - ded for by the revenue bill." In other - words, when an appropriation is made - its payment must also be provided for th by the assessment of anadditional tax Ri r or the act will be obnoxious to the 1 1 constitutional amendment limiting the sta I State debt to $25,000,000 prior to at - 1890. ha 1- Nor do I believe that under this de w cision of the Supreme Court the State d Auditor has authority to issue any F- warrant upon the general fund for d other than the necessary expenses of t the government, until it is ascertained that the portion of the revenue which r is set apart for the general fund will if be in excess of the total amount re - quired for such legitimate expenses of e government. s The credit of our State abroad has n stptaiined, without great loss however, - a severe shock during the past year. - T11 reckless manner in which appro - priations were made for the improve ment of real and imaginary bayous, ,t real and fictitious claims against the - State, private charitable associations - and enormous compensation to offi i cials, the manner in which $750,000 d was squandered by the House of Rep e resentatives, together with other inci 1 dents, have told heavily upon our a credit both at home and abroad. While t the government has been extravagant, almost criminally so, in its expendi tures, productive in itself of the most mischievous effects on our credit, an s other interest, thinking to combat ex tremes by others quite as insane and I disreputable, took upon itself, at the f suggestion of some ambitious politi c cian or server of some opposition rail- I f road interest, to commit a number of I - gentlemen to the silly attempt to fore I stall the action of the Supreme Court; f to pass judgment on questions then before it-to declare the unconstitu - tionality of laws subsequently decided - constitutional by our Supreme Court, - and to affirm that such debts as were I - contracted in excess of a certain amount - in aid of railroads, etc., were uncon- ] stitutionaland would not be paid. The gentlemen who were deceived 1 - into signing this circular now see that 1 - while they have only teo porarily af- 1 F fected the credit of the State and de- 4 3 layed the negotiation of our bonds I abroad, they, in their private inter- I " eats, have not escaped, but are already experiencing the evil effects of their < carelessness. They delayed, and came I near defeating entirely, the construc ction of a railroad the importance of l I which to the city of New Orleans and to the State can not now be fully esti- I I mated. Many of these gentlemen in form me that they were misled, and that it was farthest from their wish to cause the embarrassments which the 1 originator of the paper intended, and which it did actually produce. A COLLEGE IN THE INTEREST OF AGRI CULTURE AND THE MECIIANIC ARTS. By act of Congress, approved July 2, 1862, and the amendments thereto, i the United States donated to the State ,i Id of Louisiana land scrip amounting to i of 30,000 acres, for each member the 1- State had then in Congress. I- The grant was conditioned on its formal acceptance by the State, and it in compliance with the terms on which ir it was nade. I 1- The State accepted the donation by I - act of the Legislature, approved March in 5, 1869. This act designated the Gov- t [c ernor, Chief Justice and a commission- I s, er, to be appointed by them, to act in I d behalf of the State. Senator John z ºr Lynch was appointed commissioner, C T. and the commission thus formed re- s d ceived from the Secretary of the In- E f- tenor scrip for 209,920 acres. The State a v should have received 210.000 acres, d s but there is a provision in the act Ii o making the grant which provides that e .t the scrip shall be issued in denomina- t tions of one hundred and sixty acres. I' The commissioner of the general land h - office in Washington therefore refused e to issue scrip for the eighty odd acres > s due Louisiana. a s The scrip was sold at eighty-seven 81 e cents per acre, as high, if not the high- 0 s est price, I believe, received by any P State at that time for scrip thus issued. P s The 209,920 acres sold at this rate a gave net, after deducting $317 37 com- h - mission paid in New York for deliver- ci ing the scrip there, $182,313 03. This e: - amount, in compliance with the act of n Congress, was invested in Louisiana cu State bonds, as follows: cl S$250,000 Louisiana State six per s cent. bonds at 64 cents.........$160.000 00 ni $36,000 Louisiana State six per ha cent. bonds at 61 cents......... 21,960 00 b, $286,000 bonds for................$181,960 00 This leaves a balance to the credit P' of the commission in bank of $353 03. It is hoped that this amount will be ti increased by interest falling due next T month, on bonds already bought, to an ol amount sufficient to enable the corn- ti mission to buy $14,000 more bonds, and thus swell the fund to.$300,000 in six per cent. bonds. This will give an a annual income of $18,000 to be used am in sustaining a college-in the interest of agriculture and the mechanic arts. in The commission will make a full m and detailed report to your honorable cc body at an early day. o The State Is to be congratulated on o the manner in which the scrip has been disposed of and the proceeds in vested. It is to be hoped that the n Legislature will be equally wise in de- wi veloping a plan for the establishing of hi the college. As this subject is one 'I fraught with such interest to the State, especially as it furnishes an important o aid in giving completeness to the edu cational system, I bespeak for it your of most careful consideration. , RAILROADS. e I am encouraged that your faith in or the New Orleans, Mobile & Texas x Railroad Company is about to be most e 1 berally rewarded, and that, notwith e standing the most violent opposition o at home and abroad, we are to have speedily constructed a railroad from New Orleans to Houston, e in Texas, and another to Shreve y port, in our own State. At the r time it was feared the enterprise would f prove a failure, and thiit we should I lose the large sunms already advanced It in aid of the company. In Europe 1 and in all the money centres of our - own country, the appearance of a cir f cular, numerously signed by the friends and partisans of opposition railroad s interests, having for its object the de- 1 , preciation of our credit in order to defeat the negotiation of the bonds - given by the State in aid of the coin - pany, caused a temporary embarrass ment, and came near defeating the I e enterprise. 1 s The company for this reason, was 1 - forced, for a time, to suspend work, i and, indeed, the payment of its em- 1 - ploycs. The stockholders have, how- t - ever, recently met and subscribed for r the bonds among themselves, the en- i tire amount being readily taken. In I addition to this, Mr. Charles Morgan, - owning and controlling the rival rail- I road interest, has been induced to 1 - compromise his oppoiition and to t - unite with the company by subscrib ing for a large part of its stock and i its securities. t By this combination we shall secure c more speedily than was anticipated, I f not only the road to Houston, Texas, c - via Donaldsonville and Vermilion- i ville, but also a royd from Berwick's < L Bay, via Vermilionville and Alexan- t dria, to Shreveport. t I I deem this the most important I epoch in the history of our State, and I if we can, as I believe we shall, at the t close of our administration, be able to t1 - point to the achievments of these two t great enterprises, I shall feel that we I I have done more for the material in- I terests of the people than could have been expected at the commencement, a even under the most favorable aus- 1 pices. The wisdom of your legisla- i: tion on the subject will he fully vindi- r cated, and the aid, at one time believ- f ed to be extravagant, will be ap proved by our whole population. t The New Orleans and Northeastern c Railroad Company, the N\ w Orleans, c Metairie and Lake Railroad Company, li the Right Bank Railroad and Freight ti Transferring Company, the Louisiana , and Arkansas Railroad Company, the t New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Vicks- t burg Railroad Company, the Alexan- v dria, Homer and Fulton Railroad a Company and the Arkansas and Delta Railroad Company have all failed so p far to do anything. I, therefore, re- ii commend the passage of an act pro- r viding -that unless work on these v roads is begun within six months and n regularly prosecuted the charters be y to repealed. They stand in the way of he capitalists who can and would do the work, and should be removed. its ad THE LEVEES. chl On this importanit subject I have I much to say. Upon these works de- 1 by pends the prosperity of our State in 1 chl Ier agriculural and railroad in- t v- terests. Possibly New, Orleans n- might exist upon the commerce in passing between the great North in west and the outer world, be qr, cause of her position on the Missis- t e- sippi river ; but the wealth of the 1 n- State depepds upon the completeness t te and safety of our levee system, and it a ;s, deserves and should have, as it has c et heretofore, your most earnest consid- c at eration. For the first time in the his a- tory of Louisiana, one comprehensive 1 ss. plan has been adopted, and let us a id hope it will be effective. ii Ad The various laws passed since the z es settlement of Louisiana to 1871 have I all proved ineffectual to stop crevas- 1 n ses, andl occasionally vast destruction a r- of property; and if it were even then a ~v proper to trust to the old riparian ii j. proprietor plan, all such ideas are a to now obsolete, from the change of the c - labor system ; and the only way to a r- compass the object was decided to be t is either by a constitutional amendment r )f making the levee tax perpetual, or by a ,a contract with a private company or c corporation for a term of years, that d some plan could be developed for per- p )o manent security, instead of the vacil lating policy which has heretofore ) been followed. The first contract proposed and tl it passed by the Legislature of 1870 was . subject to many constitutional objec- d tions, and I was compelled to veto it. tl aThe next act, No. 4 of 1871, for the tl n same purpose, had and has several u objectionable features, and the addi- d tional act or contract, known as act e: No. 27; approved February 28, was eE n required to obviate these objections, c< and still the two bills do not properly y' harmonize. You may, therefore, dur- ci ing this session, be asked for supple- PT mental legislation to make the system complete and effective. Act No. 4 e provided for the issue of one million ni I of dollars in State bonds, but as the s} constitutional limit of indebtedness e, has been reached, this assistance could tl not be given to the company. They at were also authorized to issue five hun- N dred thousand dollars of their own at bonds, on the anticipated estimates. re This was not permitted to be done, ei and the company were either unable m or indisposed to commence the work of building the levees uutil since Oc- di tober 1. While probably without my cl sphere of duty, strictly construed, yet I felt con1ktrained to take an interest inl the management of the affairs of the li Louisiana Levee Company, andfhope ti t my interference has insured to the pt - enefit of the State, as well as the th r company, for their interests are now tit º identical, and it is to be hoped that yc I under the present management our n, alluvial lands will be protected, our wi railroad communications preserved, la and our State resources developed, sh according to the prophecies of the su I most sanguine friends of the present it I levee system. The "outlet" and "thes ms cut-off" advocates are the most bitter Su opponents of the present system, and a I have directed the State Engineer o th prepare papets on these subjects, th v which will be embodied in his annual ca report. of o In Act No. 7, approved February s 24, 18715 creating the Board of State - Engineers and abolishing the Board - of 'ublic Works, you allowed one e h Bldred thousand cubic yards to com plete the existing contracts of the s Board of Public Works. This was not sufficient, as appears from the re - port of the State engineers, and you - are asked foi tin appropriation of r $53,584 76 to pay the certificates of - indebtedness issued by the Auditor i for the one hundred thousand cubic yards, and $57,853 79 in payment of - the certificates of-indebtedness issued . by the State engineers to complete j the works. During the high water last spring a 1 nm tmber of crevasses occurred, and as the Levee company had not taken 3 charge of the works, and there had been no legal provisions for such a contingency, I was compelled t* pro - vide means to. close, or attempt to s close the breaks. For this purpose the Citizens' Bank advanced sixty thousand dollars, and the Louisiana t National Bank twenty thousand (0ol l lars, which money was expended by the State engineers, assisted by Sen ator Lynch as disbursing agent, -%ith º the result you will read in the State Engineer's report, and the special re - port of Mr. Lynch on this subject. That promlptitmide of action and the assistance given by these banks pre vented a vast destruction of property, is evident, and I would ask you to make the proper appropriation to re fund the money as early as practicable. No special appropriation was made at the last session to defray the expenses t of the engineer corps, and much in convenience was the result. It is h hoped that this important matter will not be overlooked at this session, for upon the activity and efficiency of this department depends the protec tion of the State in levee matters, as well as all other internal improve ments. You will find a condensed and com prehensive view of the magnitude and importance of the levee system in the report of the Board of Engineers. Yo:i will see that Engineer Van Pelt esti mates that over four millions of cubic yards are required to repair the levees f from Red River to Fort Jackson. You c will find that Generals Humphrey and Abbott estimate that over six millions of yards will be required to raiae the levees to their old grade, and over thirty-five millions of cubic yards to - the new grade. You will find that º there bas been built under the Board - of Public Works 6,380,000 cubic yards. You will find that over eight millions of cubic yards have been built in the parishes of Madison, Carroll, Tensas, - Concordia and Pointe Coupee since - the war, and that over fourteen rail lions of cubic yards have been built in the State during this time. You will also find the cause of this vast in crease in quantity over the estimate, of foimer years. The Louisiana Levee Contpany has lately reorganized, with some of the strongest financial men iv the State"e directors. Mr. Gaines, of the Citi zens' Bank, is its president, while Mr. Duncan F. Kenner, one of the oldest planters on the Mississippi river, and a man of great practical experience and knowledge of the levee subject, is its vice-president and active business manager. The company has now a cash capital of $500,000, and has as samed the payment of all work con tracted for or authorized by me du ring the late season of uncertainty and delay of the company to prose cute the work. I have great confi dence now that the work wiU be done promptly. MILITIA. I have again to speak in terms of the highest praise of the State militia. The valuable service they have ren dered in preserving the peace, and the spirit and enterprise which they have manifested in keeping up their organizations under many difficulties and at great individual expense, entitle them to the high est commendation and to the en couragement of the State. I hope that you will make an appropriation suffi cient to enable them to make an ap pearance creditable to the State. PUBLIC EDUCATION. At the commencement of this ad I ministration the State posssessed no B system of public education. What R ever facilities were afforded prior to I the war had been well nigh obliter ated, leaving, outside of the city of - New Orleans, only here and there a I solitary school. The Freedthen's Bu reau under the direction of the gen eral government, had established a number of schools, which were inde pendent of State conatrol, and were designed for the benefit of a single class of citizens. The Legislature of 1869 enacted a general school law, which, it was be lieved, would meet the necessities of the people. It differed in many points from the recommendation of the Superintendent of Public Educa tion, which had been transmitted to your. honorable body with my endorse ment, and experience proved how un wise was that divergence. The law lacked the elements of directness and simplicity which were needed to in sure its efficiency, and although under it a successful commencement was made in public education, the State Superintendent found it necessary to apply to the succeeding Legislature that of 1870-for such modifications of the law as would give the State edu cational authorities an actual in place of a merely nominal control of the school work in the State. Too timor ous to grant all that was asked, that Legislature, through itas committees, rejected the simple yet complete sys tem proposed by the State Board of Education, and left the cumbrons ina chinery demanded by the former law almost intact. Still much was accoum plished during the following year notwithstanding these disadvantages. The foundation of subsequent success was laid, but through an expenditure of labor and at an expense which would have been avoided had not a fear of centralizing power, where alone power could be efficiently employed, deterred the Legislature from passing the bill proposed by the Superintend ent of Education. At this junctuie the present mem bers of your honorable body were elected, and during the seas]j of 1871 the school act was so amended as to give the directness aind simplicity which had been vainly sought from the action of the previous Legislature, and it is gratifying to know that the success attained under it has equaled the expectations of the advocates of those amendments. Information fur nished by the Superintendent of Pub lic Education enables me to state the towns and rural districts of the State, where, at the commencement of this administration, only here and there a solitary school existed, now six hun dred and forty may be found filly or ganized, equipped with teachers and moderately supplied with the appli ances of education. . So successful has been the workings of the present law that no hand should be allowed to disturb it. Its simplicity and effec tiveness are sufficient arguments in it* behalf; and a law which is sustained in every feature by the approval of the Board of Education, should not be changed at the demand of any the orist unacquainted with the practical difficulties that are to be overceme. Obstacles, a few years since deemed absolutely insurmountable, have un der this law, been overcome, and a general good will has been secured for the educational system of the State. Kindly feelings have supplan t-. [V'ONTINUED ON FOURTH PAGE.I