474 



LOUISIANA. 



sition at the head of the House, and to drive 

 his adherents with him from power; and the 

 opposition faction, now known as the " Car- 

 terites," but including the men originally ar- 

 rayed against the Governor, appeared to be 

 equally determined to control the Legislature, 

 and to ultimately cause the complete downfall 

 of Governor Warmouth and his followers. The 

 organization of the Senate was prevented by 

 the absence of a quorum. The opening of the 

 House was stormy. On the second day of the 

 session the passage of a resolution was secured, 

 by a vote of 49 yeas to 45 nays, declaring 

 "the unabated confidence of the members of 

 the House in the efficiency and integrity of 

 Hon. George "VY. Carter, the Speaker," and 

 " pledging to him their hearty support during 

 the continuance of the session." But the sub- 

 sequent tumultuous proceedings, and the in- 

 vestigation of Congress, form a part of the 

 history of 1872, and will appear in the next 

 volume of the ANNUAL CYCLOPAEDIA. 



The law of 1870, relating to education, was 

 amended by the Legislature of 1871, by a sup- 

 plementary act, providing for the appointment, 

 by a State Board of Education, of boards of 

 school directors for the several parishes, towns, 

 and cities, who shall have charge of all the 

 funds and school records heretofore held by 

 parish, ward, town, and city boards ; the par- 

 ish boards shall have charge of all matters per- 

 taining to schools in towns and cities having a 

 population of less than one thousand persons, 

 and the town and city boards in towns and 

 cities, excepting the city of New Orleans, of 

 more than one thousand inhabitants. All are 

 to be under the direction of the division su- 

 perintendents. It further provided for the 

 levy of a school-tax of not more than two 

 mills nor less than one mill on a dollar, each 

 year, on the taxable property of these parishes, 

 towns, and cities. The board for the govern- 

 ment of the schools of New Orleans, according 

 to the act, must be composed of one member 

 from each representative district of the city, 

 and so organized that the term of office of a 

 third shall expire each year. At the beginning 

 of each year, they shall ascertain the amount 

 of funds necessary to carry on the schools 

 under their charge for the current year, and 

 report the same to the Board of Administrators 

 of the city, who shall levy the amount on the 

 taxable property of the city, and direct the 

 same to be collected within six months from 

 the date of their notification of the amount 

 required. It is further provided that in any 

 parish, city, or town, where a board of school 

 directors fail to establish schools within sixty 

 days after their appointment, or to perform 

 such other duties as are required of them by 

 law, the division superintendent for the division 

 may establish schools, and perform, as far as 

 possible, other neglected duties. In accord- 

 ance with this law, the city authorities of New 

 Orleans proceeded to levy the tax, when ihey 

 were prevented by litigation. It was found 



that the seventh section of the Revenue Bill, 

 approved on March 3d, before the approval of 

 the, School Act, prohibited the city from col- 

 lecting taxes in excess of two per cent., and 

 that the taxes already levied exceeded that 

 amount. The tax was, therefore, not laid. 

 Nevertheless, the officers charged with the 

 duty kept all the schools in operation, having 

 received assistance from the State Superin- 

 tendent and city government. Attention to 

 this matter was called by the Governor in his 

 message at the opening of the session of the 

 Legislature of 1872, and the immediate passage 

 of a bill, authorizing the levy and collection 

 of the tax, was recommended. 



The whole number of schools established 

 and in operation in the State at the close of 

 the year was 640 ; whole number of teachers 

 1,420. The amount of the school fund which 

 has been apportioned during the year is $305,- 

 309.90. This sum gave to each child in the 

 State, entitled to attend, $1.16; but, being ap- 

 plied only to the schools in operation, the at- 

 tendance of pupils at which was estimated at 

 90,000, it has given for each child in actual at- 

 tendance the sum of $3.39. 



The condition of the railroads of the State 

 has materially improved during the year. The 

 interests of the New Orleans, Mobile & Tex- 

 as and the Louisiana & Texas Railroads have 

 been united ; and the work of building these 

 two lines, the former from New Orleans to 

 Houston, and the latter to Shreveport, La., has 

 been vigorously pushed, and it is expected to 

 be completed before the close of the year 1872. 

 The importance of railroad communication 

 with Shreveport is obvious when it is stated 

 that this is a railroad centre connecting with 

 the gigantic Pacific Railroad system, and the 

 point from which the great Southern Trunk 

 Railroad has started for the Pacific ; and 

 Houston is in direct communication with 

 the extreme Southern lines. "When these 

 roads are built, it is anticipated that the 

 fleet of sea-going vessels which will bring 

 the products of Texas to New Orleans will 

 naturally seek to revive and build up the 

 neglected trade of New Orleans with the en- 

 tire Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. 

 The New Orleans & Northeastern Railroad 

 Company, the New Orleans, Metairie & 

 Lake Railroad Company, the Right Bank 

 Railroad & Freight Transferring Company, 

 the Louisiana & Arkansas Railroad Compa- 

 ny, the New Orleans, Baton Rouge & Vicks- 

 burg Railroad Company, the Alexandria, Ho- 

 mer & Fulton Railroad Company, and the 

 Arkansas & Delta Railroad Company, all of 

 which have received State aid, failed to do 

 any thing; and consequently the Governor, in 

 his message to the Legislature of 1872, recom- 

 mended the passage of an act providing that, 

 unless work on these roads is begun within 

 six months from January, 1872, and regularly 

 prosecuted, their charters be repealed. 



The condition of the levees on the Missis- 





