[102] Session Laws of Louisiana, 1869, Nos. 10, 88. [103] _Ibid._, 1869, No. 66. [104] Sen. Deb., 1870, 771. [105] In 1869, the appropriation bill passed the House Jan. 7, the Senate Jan. 12; in 1870, it passed the House Jan. 10, the Senate Jan. 12. [106] Session Laws, 1869, No. 15; 1870, Nos. 2, 49. [107] _Ibid._, No. 52. The governor, unwilling to veto this bill, allowed it to become law by expiration of the time limit. Herbert says the overissue of vouchers forced these warrants down to two and one-half cents in 1871, 403. [108] House Deb., 1870, 22. [109] _Ibid._, 1869, 122. The speaker of 1871 considered that he had used his patronage very sparingly when he gave “three or four indigent friends places as messengers and clerks.” _Ibid._, 1871, 136. [110] House Jour., 1870, 62; Sen. Jour., 19-20. It was proposed to allow the chairman of each standing committee in the House $5 extra per day. [111] Sen. Deb., 1870, 845. [112] House Deb., 1869, 225. [113] _Ibid._, 17. [114] _Ibid._, 1870, 83. [115] _Ibid._, 484. [116] Session Laws, 1869, No. 114, Sec. 3,* 30; House Deb., 1870, 9. [117] Sen. Deb., 1870, 848. [118] House Deb., 1870, 313. [119] Session Laws, 1869, No. 116. The company drew $36,000 in bonds and was then merged with another company for a different purpose; and fell into the hands of a man who in 1875 was doing drainage at a cost 100% higher than responsible citizens were ready to accept. [120] _Ibid._, No. 51. [121] House Deb., 1869, 266. [122] “But why dwell further on a scheme the whole aim and purpose of which is to speculate, for individual or associate profit, at the expense of the people? What more need be said to demonstrate its impracticability--its utter disregard of the interests, the welfare, the health, and happiness of this community, and the unscrupulous motives and purpose of its designers and advocates.” _Picayune_, Jan. 7, 1869. Jan. 22, it advocated government aid to railroads and denounced the ship canal as an iniquitous project--wild and visionary. “It is susceptible of proof that certificates of stock in this wildcat speculation have been freely distributed among members of the legislature and others, for the purpose of influencing their votes in favor of this impudent proposition. Not only this but the principal individual whose name heads the list of corporators has boasted of the cheap rate at which our new legislature hold themselves.” _Bee_, Jan. 27, 1869. See also the _Picayune_ of Jan. 7 and Feb. 10, the _Commercial Bulletin_ of Jan. 11, 25, Feb. 12, New Orleans _Times_, Jan. 23. [123] House Deb., 1869, 106. [124] The Assembly of 1870 granted further aid against great opposition in the form of drainage taxes, amounting to about $2,000,000 per year. Session Laws, 1870, No. 4. Extra Session. This law was passed despite the complaint that in two years not a spadeful of earth had been dug, nothing done but the purchase for cash or credit of a dredge-boat. Sen. Deb., 1870, 751.