The daily crescent., 1848-12-14


We admire all great discoveries, whether in the
physical or moral sciences, and we shall ever be
ready to hold up the inventors to the appreciation
and gratitude Of mankind. Particularly are we
the admirers of those great minds who have eluci-
dated political and financial questions, bringing
order out of chaos, and showing how apparently
the confused and inconsistent pursuits of men all
tended to the general good, and were all governed
by few simple and eternal laws The Genevese
who invented the modern banking system, by
which he obtained a handsome livelihood and
improved his credit by annually increasing his
debts, is to us model of perfection in his way and
worthy of all imitation by those engaged in the
same pursuits the Minister who originated the
plan of taxing people without letting them know
it, and quietly put his hands in their pockets and
took out guinea when they would have refused
to give him openly sixpence, is another Of the
wise men who can never receive sufficient lauda-
ton. But wisdom is not confined to one country
or to one age. The nineteenth century and the
city Of New Orleans is blessed with its due proper
ton and we have more than once noticed that an
extra quantity Of the divine emanatiOn had settled
upon the venerable heads Of our city fathers. Had
any doubts been entertained on this point before,
the action of the General Council last evening on
the subject of dray licenses would have removed
them. What, for instance, can be more profound
than the opinion with which the committee begins
its report, that the tax on drays, and other
vehicles, has for itsObect to indemnify the several
Municipalities for the expenses incurred by them
in paving and repairing the streets-can any thing
be clearer! The sole purpose of paving and re-
pairing the streets was to accommodate draymen
and cabmen-ergo draymen and cabmen should
pay the expense /; it makes no difference how dray
men and cabmen get the money, or who pays them.
The one may double the price of ride, or the other
may charge the full price of a dray load for what
little boy can carry in his hand-what matters it,
so they pay five or six dollars year tax! We
learn from this that the idea is altogether deIusive
that pavements enhance the value of property, i'm
prove the conveniences of our citizens accommo-
date pedestrians and equestrians, as well as dray
men and cabmen-but this is an entire mistake.
We beg pardon-we were going too fast, and draw
ing conclusions from only one paragraph in the re-
port, when such body of wisdom must not be
judged of except as a whole, though every part
beams with light. The third paragraph of the re-
port continues, If with UieD to facilitate com
naerce the Councils and property holders have made
great sacrifices and incurred heavy expenses, it is
the opinion of the committee that those who derUe
the most benefit and advantage from these Improve
nlentS should bear the burden of these expenses F."
therefore, increase the tax on drays and carts
How beautifully this chimes in with the other
The Councils and property holders have made great
sacrifices, but they have reaped no advantages
the sacrifices have been made for the benefit of COM
merce, but the Councils from their very organiza-
ton cannot engage in commerce, the property
holders have nothing to do with cOmmerce-but
commerce derives all the benefits, let commerce
pay-your drayman is the commercial man, par
excellence, therefore, pile it on the draymen!
This reasoning with the facts on which it seems
to be founded may be new to some, yet we will not
call it in question for moment. We are satisfied
to take it as it comes and be thankful for what we
get. We have slight suspicion, however, that we
will have to pay our due share of the increased tax
in some form or other. The draymen, finding that
they are exclusively the commercial men, and that
all the improvements were made for their benefit,
may give themselves airs, and insist upon rapid
accumulation of profits; or they may in consider
able numbers retire from business and decrease the
competition, and consequently add to the price of
their wares. In dozens of ways it may happen that
this tax upon these commercial men viii fall directly
or indirectly upon others. If this apprehension on
our part should prove to be unfounded, the surpass
ing wisdom of the measure viii stand out in yet
bolder relief What class in the community is so
wealthy as the draymen! Who toll less and reap
more than the draymen! Who benefit so largely
by paved streets, and by all the other magnificent
Improvements going on about us, as the draymen
For whose benefit do manufacturers toll and plant
ers till their fields! Into whose hands does COM
merce throw her stores! To whom are all men
tributary! The draymen! Then let them be
taxed What is the palry sum of $95 year
to pay on a horse and dray, the great imple-
ments of commerce Let it be raised to a hundred
or a thousand. While we are on the high road to
the temple of wisdom, why pause at the halfway
house Let US finish the journey.