True American. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1835-18??, 1838-10-11

IL only necessary toEstate That oouoo Square yuS'
ofthe pavement conemp'a tcd by this ordinance is
for streets situated without the taxable limits OF the
municipality, and that it would be palpablc VIC
lltion of the law take the money of the tax pay
to improve the property of perso ms who pay
no tax ut all besides, while abent one haiti the
cost of paving is reimbursed 10 the Treasury by
our taxable citizens, no part OF tho Expense Of paw
ing streets in tho ni,f"rpor1IoT-Ssrts of tho mu
nic palIiv can be -ecovs!ad from the Nropery hold.
ers, it beisg expressly prohibited by YIN act Of tn
Legislature anenda'ory of the charter ut the City
of New Orleans, approved Marct 2Sh 1873. So
that the whole expense OF paving those streets say
Sl65 900 would fall the treasury, This alone
sufficient require of the Council. in The opin.
ion of the committee the unqu llih d coudeHlna.
ton of this extraordinary ordnance.
As to the 81 ohectioh the committee must state
that at this psrlod the annual revenue oil the MUM
cpallty is oarely sufficient to meet its current ex
pendlture including the interest the de taliesdy
created that it will be necessary to incrs that
debt from 50 900 to $500 900 to meet existing
obligations and to complct works now in progress
That suddenly to augment the debt 100000 more
would be TO expose the Municipality to the most
serious Inconvenience, and place in imminent dan
its credit and its character. While by waiting
until IN in rcase OF population in tine rear of the
Municipality will sanction so large an expenditure
there and when the general prosperity OF this por.
ton OF the city sha have produced corresponds
ing increase in its annual revenue, the projected
auelioration may be made with advantage To the
property holders and with convenience to the
treasury
As to the 9TH and last objection, the committee
have in lnvestg ting this natter ascertalncd some
facts That were as surprising o them as they will
be conclusive ta the council, to the great inpro
Prety OF paving soma Of the streets In question
admitting there were OF er objections 1t is,
tor Instance, provided that St Marc street shall
DO paved from Common street to the Protestant
Cemetery with hexagonal wooden blocks, which
will cost including side VI alks S3l2l6. Your CON-
ai,tee have visited this street winch they had some
difficulty in finding, there being few inhabitants in
its vicinity, and those few ignorant of its location
and of its ma ne: however they found it,--but not
| a building fence there to Indicate it's T.
istence, except the enclosure of the gas works of
the gas bank. The priineval forest yet occupies
considerable portion of St. Marc, well of
Claiborne street, while in its whole extent it is
almost an impassab In order to ascertain
the value Of property fronting st. Marc street,
your committee had recourse to tho books of tho
treasurer Of tho state, AMI find from the
es,lnat" for this year hat tho value of ali The
squares on the north side of said -tre', from Com.
mon to the Protestant Gene cry, is $40 900, which
is about 50 per trout fcrt around the square: sup
posing the appraisers were wrong, and that tho
property is worth DOUBLE then hive six dollar.
per running foot while the paving per running
foot would cost 50.
II would therefore seem that all the property
fronting on that street Of the usual depth Of two
lots excluding tao gas works is not worth much
more than the paving won d cost! L! the valuation
tho assessor be correct, the property is worth
more than two thirds the cost of paving the street!
The same OBJECTIONS apply to other streets and parts
OF streets that 1t Is proposed to pave with granite
a wood but 10 iroile with more force than to tho
named.
1t may be urged in opposition to Thu objection
that aliho' the property may not now be wo tn the
cost Of the paving, the ptving wi itself give great
additional value to it. The fact cannot be denied,
but it is fact that has weight in The minds of
the conmittes on streets and landings. 1t cannot
seriously be pretended that the funds Of tho Num-
cpaiIly can be used with view of giving specu
awe value to property now possessing little
none intrnslcay and uninhabted, while the streets
IN front OF property possessing great value and n
large population remained unpaved. No portion
of the community uld derive any benefit from
the paving OF snch streets st Marc street, on
eept the owners Of adj AGENT lots and large Tracts
OF swa up lands in the immediate vicinity of them.
While the public suit'r, first to the extent of the
expense, and secondly by the misapp. icaton IF
fund, tor paving where it is rot required, thereby
deprivlng more important streets of the benefit
paveAcnt, in snuch, but a United quantity b.
ability to borrow noncy, namely that fixed by our
means TO pay the interest on the whc debt.
The recent contract made with Johtt Mnurn
provides for 25,OOO yards of pDving; which the
Council may increas" to IS 600; 900 yards of
round stone; ami 1910 yards ,que q ,iltr blocks
which in ali would anou t TO $2e7 500. Twelve
or eighteen months may bo required TO complete
this work, aud the paving will progress under tins
contract quite as fast as the wants ut the penf ar
re A adm
therefore, no further contracts for paving are at
this time necessary.
The committee OF streets and landings herewith
submit IA resolution fixing IN the RI Gets tia. Mr..
Mnturn sia proceed 10 paw" simultaneously with
NJ lgdzlnc sreot-ln the selection and order of
paving, they havo boon guided by the lnvarlabe
pe of the council up to this time: the streets
most important TO be paved, being the first in
oruer.
Yo coMntec are reluctantly compelled to no.
lice in defence of the course of this Council, on
The subject OF paving an address to the public in
The oth ;ia paper by of the aldermen of tho LIST
ward and beng the minority of your committee.
This document purports TO be q counter report,
that it is SAID this Council has arbitrarily reiused
10 receive, which assertion seems to tho undersgn.
ed to be as n'lslstuned by facts most of the
they feel it to be their duty to reiute.
lac member had underworld to introduce this ad.
dress pre- atory remarks on introducing ord.
nance for paving, which Proctsil irregular,
and is prohibited by the rules OF this Council and
ny those OF any deliberalve assembly il. coun-
try, inasmuch as ii l. considered equivalent 10 ar
gung qur s'lon that cannot bu debated until after
one OF more readl gs, while the ordinance he was
about to propose had not then bccn read Your
committee will pass OVER tho great improperly of
a member OF this Council, who differs question
OF expeuIency from ms colleagues appealing 10 the
ctlzc"s to intlle 90 them in .ha decision Of mat.
tiers, which 1t is but reasonable to presume, have
been thoroughly examined and are well understood
by the Council, VINO by law are alone vested with
the power of deciding them the proceeding
is us unprecedented is unuslltiabe, and is the
mure remarkable for total disregard of all propre-
y, BY being addressed to the citizens generally, in.
stead ct his own constituents. The member an
nounces that he is influenced ony by the purest
putriottsm- hat lie appears Ms the champion of
truth and IA the protector Of the cause OF this pro
pie agains the attempt Of the Council to wIliuliy
perpetuate abuses. Your committee will abstain
from boasting OF their patriotism, will they
pIre To possess the oracuiar powsr OF alone usp9n
sing truth, or the yet more extraordinary faculty Of
to the Council tho WISHES OF The peo
pie, particularly OF those wine are not their consttt
ue nts-but they, wit all deierence and respect for
the honorable motives OF tholr colleague, will
deavor 10 show that the address i'll question con
talns assertions represented tActs til. to the
dersigncd seem to have no foundation in trut,
al II unconlrudisled uld tend TO lnsIead tho
public and to dlnluIsh tie confidence of the Ctl-
zcms OF the second municipality in their reprssen.
iatIyss in this Council.
The minority his address to the citizens states:
"Tho difference OF opinion between the majority
of the Streets and Landings coHimttee and myself
,u the subject Of MIR. Mnturn's contract, IS this:
Il wish to adhere TO Mr.. Mnturn's own off r 10
pave five thousand yards OF cubic blocks at A SO,
~ and