New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-04-14

have reason 10 believe that the public schools gen
orally in satisfactory condition and that the boards ay
ing them il charge during the past year have zeaousy
and faithfully performed their duties.
recommend the Of public education to the cspe
| cinf attention Of your honorable body.
deem it my duty to call your attention to the fact
that The last Legislature adjourned without making any
continued organization Of the various volunteer corps Of
this city For the last thirty EIGHT years the State has
regularly set apart specific sums for the encouragement
and maintenance of citizen sodiery and the spirit
Of emulation consequent this fostering care and pro-
lection has called into existence volunteer force in this
city uncqualed for their efficacy discipline and military
bearing. Numerous instances record in the his
tory of NewOrleans where the volunteers have haen
mainly instrumental in preserving peace and order and
it cannot he denied that in all large cities liable to sud
den exctements, which seized hold of by bad men
an result in public disturbances the existence Of mill
tary force at times indispensable to the safety and good
order of a community
Imuch regret therefore that the Legislature failed
make the comparatively tring appropriation required
for the support of these companies Most OF the men
composing patriotic citizen soldery are in humble
stations of life and unable to take from their private
sources the necessary to maintain the efficiency Of
the corps to which they are attached.
Their hands tied and their energies thus crippled the
whole organization of the volunteer companies is threat
ened to be broken unless they obtain aid from the
city government Under these circumstances feel Jr-
titled in recommending you to take into serious consider
alton the situation Of these companies and to express the
hope that may find it compatible with the public wei
fare to extend such assistance will enable them to keep
up their organization aud usefulness. -v---r.-----
must direct the attention Of your honorable body to
late Stephen Girard Philadelphia By the last testa-
mnt Of the deceased plantation together with upwards
thirty slaves was ed to the city under reservation
of the usfuct Of said property and in favor of
Henry Bry of Ouachita for term of twenty years An
other article of the will bequeathed to the city the undi
vded half Of 207 600 of land in the parishes Of Mon
roe and MOrehouse, known portion Of the Bastrop
grant the plantation referred to being also included in
this title. the validity of which has been annuled how
by decision of the Supreme Court of the United
States We have therefore only to deal with the negroes
now held by Mr. H. N Bry the agent of the city he hay
ing been appointed such in 1S4S by the
of the sinking fund subject to the disposition of the Com
mon Council in which body vested all the rights title
and interests Of the several municipalities as also OF the
General Council and the Board of Liquidators have
recently been placed in possession of complete list OF the
slaves numbering in all sixty-six to of which how
ever Mr. Bry prefers claim which would seem to be
f 10 1927 when the slaves Rivere Beufs so
many deaths occurred that Mr. Bry being apprehensve
for their safety sent for boy named Manuel then five
years old informing Mr. Grard what he had done who
approved Of and wrote to him to keep the boy As this
might be construed donation Mr. Bry desires it to be
distinctly understood that in it should be considered
he had equitable claim on him he is willing to buy the
boy inasnuch as the wife and children of the latter be-
long to him There is also another boy whom he also
wishes to acquire at fair valuation have received two
for the purchase Of the remaining sxtyfour slaves
nasmuch is desirable that this matter should be
brought to speedy conclusion so as to save expense
would advise that committee be appointed to take the
whole subject into early consideration All the papers and
documents relative to the transaction in my possession
The late Abjah Fisk bequeathed to the city of NewOr
leans fine building at the corner of Customhouse and
Bourbon streets for the purpose of establishing public
library for the benefit of the community at large In
1647 Mr. Alvarez Fisk of Natchez presented, through
Mr. b French the city of NewOrleans the very val
liable library of the latter gentleman for the purpose
carrying into effect the praiseworthy object of his de-
ceased brother The library in question comprised the
very large number of about six thousand volumes pre-
sentng collection of exceedingly valuable books relating
history commerce. physical science finance
statistics biography etc have lately received frc
Mr. B + French who takes warm and deep interest in
the success of this free library package of books and
contributed by several friends Of his at the North
for the benefit of the institution and he informs that
he will continue his efforts to obtain donations Of works
with the view of increasing the usefulness of the library
The establishment of free libraries has proved powerful
auxiliary in the of public education and morals
and deem it my duty therefore, to commend this ns
tuition your enlightened care and protection In the
meanwhile would suggest the appointment of cont
mttee to examine into the and requirements Of
the Fisk Library and to have the books carefully arranged
and catagued with the view Of adding the usefulness
n and character Of the institution.
The thirtyseventh section of the charter consti
: tues commission, to be composed of the Mayor Comp
troer Treasurer and the Chairman of the Finance Com
mitee of the two Boards of the Common Council to b.
called the Commissioners of the Consolidated Debt of Nes
Orleans whose and authority regulate the ab
ties Of the Municipalities and of the old city by the
ton of Consolidated Debt clearly defined recon
mend the organization of this board at the earliest
ment. the duties devoving upon them of the
Gus and constant attention 1t may be barely necessar
mention that the act creating the Board of Lqudator
repealed by special Of the Legislature OIL
the 9TH March last and that all the effects credits
papers and books of the board to be handed
); to the Commissioners appointed by the thirty-seven
Is section of the law of consolidation.
lie I beg to submit herewith to the Common Council de
tailed statements marked B, C. D and b of the debt
of the General Sinking Fund the old municipalities
late city of Lafayette From these appears that til
entire liabilities Of the city of New0rleans amount
e. s7,7s4,415 50, distributed as follows
II General Sinking Fund old city debt . So 92276o
First Municipality y.......-........,.... 1.O5ISO0
is Second Municipality Observation-Disclosures. 23s0,5G2
1t Third Municipality .................... 9lS.5S
e Lafayette 5U4,o2o
l. Total 81 ,iS44I5
p Of this large debt considerable amount is past d,
of Df IN
oncrs appointed under the thirty-seventh section
be directed towards the necessity of funding that porto
" forthwith, and of placing liabilities in sasfactor
u train of settlement Having consolidated the variol
conflicting interests and sections into corporation
vi behooves to act up to the consequences Of t
n commercial compact; and the first step to
ID teen and confidence abroad and to place Neworeans
i the eminent position she ought occupy must mai
~ tain our public faith nvioate The attempt to sustain
IL, large toatng debt must always end in embarrassme
~ cf and loss and the homey maxim, to pay as GO W
apply with equal force to communities it does to ind
ID viuals Our credit has suffered most severely from Il
delay in paying up punctually the interest of obg
10 tions. AT the present moment there bonds of u
whole city past due to the extent of s23to0o while
rs interest matured amounts to s25676o besides which Il
three municipalities and Lafayette nearly 100000
II. 1t. the same account.
et 1t is confidently believed that consolidation will pro
y remedy for this state of things and there can be
doubt whatever that the unity of interests in which
m now embarked will contribute materially in bring
; about the desired result But the act of consod
IN IN ton will not iqudate the heavy debt which
which amounts to upwards of ten per cent the
Us property of the city That be effected only by
l
aid in developing our resources by the encouragement
IT, II internal improvements and especially by giving
n countenance and support to railroad enterprises
have only to look abroad and witness the astonishi
effects produced in the value of property by railroads
eu convince the most skeptca and unrefectng that
% future greatness and prosperity of New',rcRns in
mately linked with the extension of that system of
Gu provements without which city State aspire
us commercial eminence Railroads have achieved for
' Northern and Western cities of this confederacy what
i the advantages of superior natural position have b.
w unable to accomplish for NewOrleaus They have
icy instances actually doubled the value of land
u property in ten years while with the increase
n been Slow and of late years almost nominal The
believe any good citizen will hold back in the
ca enterprise that has been in motion but on
contrary vii! contribute cheerfuy in behalf of thu
great works upon which rely for the continuar
la of commercial ascendancy. While the subject
the debt deem it supertuols almost urge upon "
ae honorable body the necessity of maintaining the strict
economy in every department of the city government
was To judicous expenditure of the public money for
" provcments essential to the comfort interest and
o' of the inhabitants there be objection
III costly anelioratons that can be deferred without
fest injury to the community should be carefully avoid
NV am not disposed to press parsmonious policy
70 Common Council, but consider wise system of
he my ZONE that scrunizes closely into the nature and
cessy of every contract, indispensable to the pp
the welfare.
has would recommend to the Common Council the al
free tion of general ordinance relation to mproveme
hat throughout the city and in carrying this into eec
be would be well to consider the of improvem
Dks may be executed without being direct charge on
public treasury OF such kind would the constr
Re tion of railroad in the connecting the