The daily comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1850-1856, 1853-01-07

Jsny. 18th, 1853.
The Board Of sclectmen met this day,
present: -
Jons. r Duyaoco, Mayor,
Eugene Lanoue, Joseph Monget,
Jordan Holt, Chas. Guedrv.e
Mr.. Chas. l.. Hal, having presented Ger.
ti6cate Of election, to ill the vacancy occas-
Toned by the resignation Of Mr. Levi kel-
lum, was duly qualified and took his seat.
The proceedings Of last meeting were
read and approved
Tho committee appointed on the 9th
Dec. to enquire into the particulars and
facts, relatativ0 to the Wharf ERECTED by
Messrs. Pike and Hart, submitted the fol-
lowing report, which o,, motion was order
cd to be spread upon the minutes, and pub
lished with the proceedings Of the board.
REPORT.
"We the undersigned appointed on the
9th day Of December, 1852, committee
to investigate matters relative to the
Wharf Of Messrs. Pike Il Hart, have paid
all possible attention to the matter, and
respectfully make the following report:
"Messrs. Pike u Hart in the years 1850
erected wharf in front OF their Ware house
without even informing the Board Of Seec-
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 Selcctmen.
They were suffered To proceed AZ It was
viewed by members OF the Board, that the
extensive business they were carrying on
required such convenience"
"in July 1880 Messrs. Pike Il Hart offer
cd to sell said wharf to the corporation, Tor
the sum OF twenty five hundred dollars,
payable IN one, two, three, four and i've
yeats, said proposition was OIL notion ot
the board, referred 10 "a committee Of two
oil its members, VIZ: Mcssrs. Brunot and
Tunnafd who at a subselneGt meeting held
IN September 1850, reported that they
thought it iuexped!eui 10 entertain She pro-
position"
On the 18th Nov. 1850 a resolution
was adopted, fixing the boundry oil the
Steam boat Landing (which to that time
had been undel,nedl from the iootoi Laurel
H. the loot OF Convention street, and grant
Ing 10 .he .c,3,s1 OF lhe Wnlri Boa. a. the
landing as extended, the same privilege
wulch they possessed at the landing as 1t
thei. existed, which was TO collect from
Boats landing at said Wharf Boat and not
else where"
Since the refusal Of the Board in Sept.
1850 to purchase laid Wharf, 1t does not
seem that any proceedings were entertain
ed relative thereto by that or any subse-
quent board, until the month Of Sept. 1851,
at which time, we are inlormcd by Mcssts
Ih.riot, lieude aud Tilano, composing a
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 1t
worth while, they nisht take hold Of it
and repair il, that said members UNDER
standing that the Wharf was abandoned
to the Corporation, authorized the repair,
which was done at an expense 0! ever $500.
IN 1852, Mr.. Hart again stated that the
Wharf wanted repairs. and the street COM
mlt;cc were authorized to have the heces-
say repairs made, which work was per-
formed at an expense OF $3.50 SIS.
From the best information we have
been able to obtain, we do not see that the
Board OF se!cetmen have at any time taxi
en- possession oil the Wharf with a view Of
aprropriatins pIiya.e property to their
use
That they refused in 1850 to purchase It
and that they would have never touched it
in 1851, mhen IL was IN delapidaied state,
for repairs or otherwise, had i, not been un
der the circumstances above stated. The
Board oil Selectmen never believed, that by
making repairs under these circumstances,
1t should have been implied, they had taxi
Ell possession ol private property, without
paying for it. What right have Messrs
Pike 4 Hart lost over the wharf from
what they enjoyed at its efcctioni Your
committee cannot see they HAYES lost any |;
those gentlemen have now almost the ex-
elusive use OF the platform and the wharf,
although repaired at the Corporation ex-
peiise, ard no revenue has ever been col
lected from said Wharf by the authority or
Tor the benefit Of the Corpoiation.0
with these facts before us. we think
the Corporation are in no manner bound to
buy said Wharf from Messrs. Pike Il Hart,
Tor the following reasons
s.lst The Wharf was built on public prop
crty, Tor their use without any PERMISSION
or action OF the Board"
I'D. That the Corporation have refused to
purchase It,"
I'D. Thatt is erected on caving ground,
and would entail the corporation in debt for
annual repairs and building and
18th That Messrs. Pike II Hart have new
cr considered the Corporation indebted to
them for said Wharf. and that the present
request does not come from them, but from
parties requiring information on the sub
lect All Of which is respectfully submit
ted. }. nONGET, Chairman,
CHAS. GUEDRY.
TREASURES REPORT.
Amount on hand last IenOrt Sl23 01