The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-06-14


Orleans from the city, what value would they put
upon their property? Was not the value Of all
the property in the city dependent on commerce,
and did they think that this property would be
rltced without a struggle? No reason could be
offered for their killing themselves, for their
thrusting their commerce to destruction. If he
could not stand without leaning on the man who
supported him on the right, and he were to take a
knife and stab that man, would he not be injuring
himself! and if he killed him, would he not be
completely Frustrating himself! So it was with
them; the more they stabbed their commerce
through, the worse they would become and the
present complicated system of wharfage dues and
port charges, was weakening our commercial pow
ers, and driving commerce, by its fatal thrusts
from shore.
He understood that the law required the Harbor
Masters, when their fees amounted to more than
certain sum, to pay the excess into the treasury
but he had never been able to discover that any
portion of the fees had found its way to the treasury.
He (Mr Payne) had received certificate from
the present State Auditor, Mr.. Bordelon, stating
that nothing at all had been paid in from the Har
Dor Masters during the time that he had been in
that office.
The law provides that three cents per ton should
be collected from steamboats,, but he had been told
that this was not collected by the collectors. He
did not know for what reason, but perhaps the col
ectors could not be made to exact so impudent
demand, yet this was the law. The rate Of whar-
fage he had fixed of one and half cent per ton
upon sailing vessels, for every day they remained
at the wharves of two and hafcents for steam
ships, and two cents for steamboats,, had been based
upon proper calculations and taking the difference
OF time of staying in port, and making voyages,
which is found on the side of sailing vessels, this
arrangement of tonnage dues will be found to be
placed nearly upon an equal footing, with regard to
steamships and steamboats, The expense of MAIN
| tanning all the wharves in the city Of New Orleans
during last year was Sl55,OOO, and he held that
the only true principle Of wharfage was, to pass
! law which would not exact collect more money
| than was required to supply the cost of keeping
\ the " harves in order. BY this system, which he
advocated the amount of S2l 900 would be raised
| in year, to defray these expenses, and he was
sorry that the port could not be relieved of the
whole of it. He referred to this subject that pro-
| perty owners might be informed of these things,
| and prepared to make move before they saw the
value oftheir property reduced, by neglect Of the
| commerce of the port.
The revenues collected for this year would be
much less than those collected last year, but they
would be amply sufficient for the purposes of
| wharfage, and rather more, according to estimate
than would be required.
| With regard to the payment of Pilots, he had
no objection to reasonable remuneration, as they
were very useful body of men, and quite neces-
sary to safe navigation; but he did object to pay
| them such fees as would injure the commerce OF
the port. They had no power to interfere with the
l
which met vessels outside the bar, and charged
high rates for bringing them to anchor in the
river but competition should be invited, and these
charges would be reduced. They ought to be
relieved of the Pilot monopoly, and he thought
some plan might be adopted for dispensing with
the OF boats outside of the bar, and only calling
| them into requiston when vessels were really in
| the river He next came to the Harbor Master,
| and he wondered why the Wharfnger could not
do his duty, and save expense. Then there wa,
| the Port Warden, who had the privilege of de-
manding five dollars from each vessel coming to
the port whether his services were wanted or not
He would ask property-owners to look at these
things and reflect and they would see that al
| these charges which were laid upon commerce
came out OF the pockets of the property-holders o
the city of New Orleans, and would, in the end
be as sure to reduce the value of property, i
would tend to raise the rate of taxation. He con
tended that the port charges of the city, during tn,
| last six years, would have been sufficient to pay
| off the heavy debt which is resting upon it
He hoped the citizens would husband their resour.
| ces, and foster their commerce, and not squeeze
the blood out of it, act the part Of the Grecian
fool, and kill the hen that lays the golden eggs
Let them hold on to their commerce, and strip il
OF all extra taxation. He would be glad if he
could come to the conclusion, and be sustained by
that Council, to take off every dollar of taxation
upon commerce for the next three years, and remit
the dues of every class of vessels from the steamer
to the atboat. Ii would be to their interest to do
it, and he believed it would be to the interest OF
New Orleans ii she to demand that her
| commerce should be stripped of every burden
Sec how, in ten years. she had changed her rank.
| and been reduced FROM the third to the seventh
city in the Union. This was enough to put any
Southern to the blush, when he saw the
Emporium of the South greatly on the decline.
He alluded to Rome, and compared her Empire
like item to the vast confederation Of America,
and yet, in that important confederation, New
Orleans retrogading.
| No city in the world had more natural advan-
tages than that, but they were acting with them
like the and heir of rich father who went on
| with his thoughtless revelry, without being pre-
pared for the reverse. And they had been going
on in similar manner, until they had sister city
| rising up, and becoming a rival to them in the
commerce, and until small village, 700 miles off
| was then rising out of their spoil. They had re
yelled with their natural advantages, till they hao
raised the ire of their best customers and surround
ing nations were now trying to strip them of thos,
advantages, by stealing their commerce. Would
they stand quietly by, and the flag that stood a
| the head of the commerce of the world dishonored
He trusted they would not, and he hoped there wa
not one present, but what felt it his duty to &C
| promptly for New Orleans. Exposes like thes
would tend to arouse the capitalist, and to max
him take all moral means for the purpose of bene
fitting the city and they would also cause ever
one to take an interest in unfolding their com
merce, who had the good of the city at heart. H
had lately asked number of captains of vessels
they knew fany of their friends who had left Of
coming to this port, and the first knew of four
while every other seaman he asked knew of frou
one to six, who said they would not come to New
Orleans, because they were eat up with ex
penses. He pressed the Council to pass the ord
nance, that evening, that it might go into opera
ton the first of July, and then resumed his sea
| amidst applause