The daily comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1850-1856, 1853-01-09
81 oFr1ciAI.. ss
XY COUNCIL p101EEU1N0e
Baron RotGE, MoNDAY,(
Jany. 5th, 1853.
IT, noc~I .~r s~0n~ks~,n.. .~x..A ll,sC IA

AHe Dodtu VI bejcCtulcH Nhet tHAo u"y,
present:
Jonr. r DurRoco, Mayor,
Eugene Ianoue, Joseph Monget,
Jordan Holt, Chas. Guedry.
Mr.. Chas. L. Hall, having presented Ger
tifcate of election, to fill the vacancy occas-
toned by the resignation of Mr.. Levi KEEL
lum, was duly qualified and took his seat.
The proceedings Of last meeting were
read aud approved @
The committee appointed on the 9Th
Dec to enquire into the particulars and
facts, reatative to the Wharf erected by
Messrs Pike and Hart, submitted the fol-
lowing report. which on motion was order
ed to be spread upon the minutes, and pub
ishcd with the proceedings Of the board
REPORT.
"We the undersigned appointed on the
9th day of December, slS52, committee
to invl gt1eate msmatteH relative to the
Wharf of Massfs Pike X Hart, have paid
all possible attention to the matter, end
respectfully make the following reror:
"Messrs Pike Il Hart in the years 1850
erected a wharf in front OF their Ware house
without even informing the Board of Selcc
men of their intention, although according
TO the charter OF the Corporation the Land
ing in front Of the town is public property
under the control of the Board of Seiectmen.
They were suffered to proceed as it was
viewed by members Of the Board, that the
extensive business they were carrying on
required such convenience"
lin July 1850 Messrs Piae& Hart offer
ed to sell said Vi hart to the Evaporation. sior
the sum of twenty fiN. hundred dollars,
III in <,a,<, md tivs
years; said proposition was on motion OF
the board, referred to committee Of two
of its members, viz: Messrs. Brunot and
Tunnard who, at a subsequent meeting held
in September 1850, reportcdss'that they
thought it inexpedient to entertain .he pro-
positionn
"On the 10th Nov. 1850 a resolution
was adopted, fixing the boundry of the
Steam Boat Landing, (which to that time
had been undefned) from the foot OF Laurel
to the foo. of Convention street. and grant,
ing TO the lessees OF the Whlrf Boat at the
landing as extended, the same privilege
whith they possessed at the landing as it
then existed, which was to collect from
Boats landing at said Wharf Boat and not
elsewhere"
Since the refusal Of the Board in Sept.
1850 to purchase said Wharf, it does pot
seem that any proceedings were entertain
ed relative thereto, by that or any subse-
anent board, until the month Of Sept 1851,
at which time, we are informed by Messrs
Theriot, Heude and TiIano, composing u
portion OF the board of 1851, that MIR. Hart,
one of the members of the board, stated that
they would not repair the Wharf any more,
and that if the Corporation thought it
fworth while, they might take hold of it
and repair it, that said members under
standing that the Wharf was abandoned
to the Corporation, authorized the repair,
which was done at an expense Of ever $500.
In 1852, Mr.. Hart again stated that the
Wharf wanted repairs and the street COM
mttee were authorized to have the neces-
sary repairs made, which work was per-
formed at an expense OF 1888 So.
From the best information we have
been able TO obtain, we do not see that the
Board OF Selectmen have at any time TAX
en- possession of the Wharf with view OF
appropriating private property to their
use u
"That they refused in 1850 to purchase il
and that they would have never touched it
in 1851, mhen IL was in dcidpidated stale,
for repairs or otherwise, had it not been uri-
der the circumstances above stated. The
! Board OF Selectmen never believed, that by
making repairs under these circumstances,
it should have been implied, they "bad TAX
en- possession of pTivste property, without
paying for it. What right have Messrs'
Pike sSs Hart lost over the wharf from
| what they enjoyed at its erection! Your
committee cannot see they have lost any
| those gentlemen have now almost the ex-
elusive use of the platform and the wharf,
although repaired at the Corporation ex-
pense, ard no revenue mas ever been col
iected from said Wharf by the authority or
for the benefit of the Corporation"
with these facts before us. we think
the Corporation are in no manner bound to
buy said Wharf from Messrs. Pike " Hart,
for the following reasons"
list The Wharf was built on public prop
ertv. for their use without any permission
or action of the Board"
I'D. That the Corporation have refused TO
purchase it."
.3d. That it is erected on caving ground,
and would entail the corporation in debt for
annual repairs and building. and
9th That Mcssfs* Pike 4 Hart have new
er considered the Corporation indebted to
them for said Wharf and that the present
reahest does not come from them, but from
parties requiring information on the sub
ject. All of which is respectfully submit
ted. J. MONGET, Chairman,
CHAS. GUEDRY.
TREASURY'S REPORT.
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