The Weekly comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1853-1855, 1855-05-27
NUMBER 81.
% N n, y nfcu u d
BA1os Rouas, May stst, 1856.
To ygs Ep,res OF rss Cener

To sHR EDifeR Vf rHs CeAkr.
Dear Sir 1t is with the utmost
reluctance that place myself before
the public. in reference to any person
al matter. but | cannot pass without
notice, certain remarks contained in
an article published in your paper Of
yesterday, under the title Of 1t mat
iers not "
You say that at the meeting on
Thursday Il suppose you mean Fri.
day) the Board Of Selecimen recon.
sidered and laid on the table the ordi-
nance to open Lafayette street. You
say "This was done on the advice Of
the City Attorney, who points to the
charter with one hand. and with the
other at the figures Of debt hanging
over us. "
As have the honor to net az the le-
gal adviser Of the corporate authorities
Of Baton Rouge. / presume that the
statement, in reference to the City
Attorney, is intended to apply to
myself
II so, I beg leave TO say, that you
award to me an undue degree Of hon.
or and responsibility in connection
with The affair.
As to my controlling the Board Of
Selectmen in references to a matter
which is purely question Of expedi-
encv and propriety, ! have never
dreamed that such could be the case,
even had the disposition to attempt
the exercise of any such Influence.
1t is true the Mayor and Board arc
in the habit of calling on me for legal
advice, but this advice is confined
purely 10 questions of law. At the
meeting in question, / was called up
on by the Mayor aud Board to advise
hem as to whether they had the legal
'iuht 10 increase the tax over and
above the limit 6xed BY the act Of in.
corporation. (Vis: 4 Of one per ct.)
In order to carry out the contemplated
Improvement.
! unhesita'ipgly declnired that they
had no such power that The limit Of
taxa ion was expressly fixed by law,
md that they could not exceed il.
This il tie sum and substance Of
my action IN the matter and l pre-.
sumo that none will bs found to dis.
pnte my opinion.
Upon this, certain members Of the
Board expressed doubt, as to their
ability to pay for the proposed i'm.
provements from the ordinary reve.
nue, and the Whole matter was not
re considered las you state). but post
poned until The next meeting.
It seems passing strange to me
that You should speak Of me as con-
rolling the action Of the Board
My feelings of podesty dispose me
TO shrink from any such imputation.
expressed legal opinion as it
was my duty to do, and / am will
ing to be held responsible for that
opinion. bnt so far as the ezpedieney
or Propriety of the proposed meas
ure is concerned / have nothing more
to say than any other citizen Of the
town. Yonr brilliant picture of point
ing to the figures Of debt. T" is
wholly and entirely fancy sketch.
[ have nothing to do with the debts
f the Corp,ration. except SO far as
hey may come within the purview
of the conr,s. II is not for me to de-
eide whether it is expedient for the
cny 10 contract debt Of $1,000 or
$4,000.
could not even at this moment
reliably guess within 5000 Of the cor
pora'ion liabilities.
Therefore, my dear sir, It is some
times important to make reasonable
distinctions.
am willing to bear my just re-
sponsiblities. but not those Of others.
The members Of the Board are nQw
doubt willing to bear their own bur-
dens, and discharge their own duties
without dictation from any source.
| Let me beg you to recollect, that
legal advice upon an incidental matter.
does not necessarily include the ex-
pcdiency Of measure. Aud allow
me further, TO suggest that. when the
I Board next meets. YOU increase YOUR