LOUISIANA. 



433 



Under the confiscation act of the Confederate 

 Congress all branches of northern firms doing 

 bii.iness in the city were required to present a 

 full balance sheet to the authorities. For in- 

 stance, a co-partner of a northern commercial 

 firm was required to close at once and adjust 

 the balances. If there was any thing due to 

 northern co-partners it was at once sequestrated. 

 In October the Governor issued an order di- 

 recting all military captains to drill their com- 

 panies once during each day, and he author- 

 ized them to force the attendance of their 

 men by placing all who refused to do duty 

 upon the list of persons who were suspected 

 of being unsound in their allegiance to the 

 Confederacy. 



The report of the markets for the 9th of No- 

 vember presented the following facts : 



" The receipts of cotton since September 1 

 were 1,789 bales ; stock on hand, 11,907 bales. 

 Flour was selling at $11 25 to $12 25 per 

 barrel ; week's receipts 4,970 barrels. Corn 

 had advanced to $1 25 per bushel for white ; 

 and red wheat 2 25 per bushel. Oats $1 25 

 per bushel. Western hay $50 per ton, and 

 prairie grass $35 per ton. Mess pork was re- 

 tailing at $45 per barrel ; the stock in private 

 hands was only 99 barrels, the rest of the stock 

 (3,929 barrels) being held for Government 

 stores. Hams were retailing at from 25 to 27 

 cents per pound, and lard 27 to 28 cents. There 

 had been no receipts for a week of either pork, 

 bacon, or lard. Western butter was quoted at 

 35 to 40 cents per pound. Kentucky bagging 

 was selling at 24 cents per yard, and India at 

 24 cents. Gunny bags sold at 30 cents each. 

 Whiskey $1 per gallon, and the week's receipts 

 only amounted to 31 barnels. In regard to the 

 article of coffee there was none in first hands, 

 and the amount held by grocers was very 

 small, the stock being almost exhausted. Sales 

 of Liverpool salt brought the following rates : 

 $10 to $10 50 per sack for coarse, and $11 to 

 $11 50 for fine ; packing salt has advanced from 

 $5 50 to $6 per bag of two bushels. Lard oil 

 sold at $2 50 to $2 60 per gallon." 



The Governor, in his Message to the Legisla- 

 ture in November, stated that the taxes for 

 State purposes were payable on or before the 

 1st of December in each year. The amount 

 paid in to the 15th of November was $614,816 ; 

 the amount then unpaid and due was $1,113,948. 

 Only about one-third of the amount assessed 

 had then been paid in. The amount of funds 

 in the State Treasury on the same day was 

 $383,622. 



The appropriations for military purposes 

 made by the last Legislature amounted to 

 $960,000. Of this sum there had been expend- 

 ed $768,446. In addition $670,000 had been 

 borrowed of the banks, of which there had 

 been expended $646,761. The total expendi- 

 tures for military purposes were $1,415,207. 

 There were at the same time outstanding debts 

 for the same objects amounting to $181,000. 

 Total military expenses, $1,596,807. 

 28 



This sum is charged to the Confederate 

 States, and was at that time before the author- 

 ities at Richmond to be audited and paid. The 

 amount, when allowed, would be an offset 

 against the Confederate tax laid upon the State, 

 and would help the State to settle with the 

 Confederate authorities and assume the collec- 

 tion of the quota of Louisiana through her new 

 officers, and at her own convenience. In mak- 

 ing these expenditures, the Governor had ob- 

 tained a loan of $670,000 from the Bank of New 

 Orleans, of which his balance in hand was 

 $106,101. 



The debts to the banks for advances to the 

 quartermasters and for estimated military ex- 

 penditures, reached $950,000. There were the 

 balance with the banks and the balance of unex- 

 pended appropriations, so that new appropria- 

 tions were required for $653,944, and new 

 means to the amount of $845,499. These are 

 for military advances. The money in the 

 Treasury belonging to the several branches of 

 domestic administration was $383,622, of which 

 sum only a trifle of $12,860 belonged to the 

 general fund applicable to appropriations. Such 

 was the aspect of the Treasury, and it was one 

 evidently requiring the wisdom and sagacity of 

 the Legislature to find means for sustaining 

 the public credit. The willingness of the peo- 

 ple to contribute unstintingly to the public 

 wants was constrained only by the lack of 

 ways in which to make their property and 

 means serviceable to the cause in which they 

 were embarked. 



The measures recommended by the Governor 

 were the following : 



An extension by the Legislature of the tune 

 for the collection of taxes. 



An act to make Confederate notes receivable 

 for taxes. 



Authorizing planters to issue " supply notes," 

 or note* negotiable for the purchase of planta- 

 tion supplies which should be a lien on crops. 



The suspension by the Legislature of the 

 duty imposed on the Attorney-General to insti- 

 tute proceedings for a forfeiture of the bank 

 charters for suspension of specie payment, with 

 provision to submit their action to a convention 

 of the people, to be held after the conclusion 

 of peace. 



The issue of small notes by the banks, for the 

 purpose of abating the nuisance of illegal pri- 

 vate circulations. 



The question of a stay law had been much 

 discussed, and the Governor advised the Legis- 

 lature to proceed with extreme caution in rela- 

 tion to it. He discouraged any interference 

 with the regular course of probate and judiciary 

 proceedings, and was disposed to approve gen- 

 erally of such legislation as should merely stay 

 executions and secure the lien of creditors on 

 the property of debtors. 



At this session of the Legislature an act was 

 passed to suspend all judicial proceedings 

 against persons in the military and naval ser- 

 vice. Another to suspend forced sales, known 



