The daily comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1850-1856, 1855-05-22
-''C0mmrAlcatsd,

Dear Sir sit ID. with the utmost
reluctance Mat I pIsce myself before
the public, in reference to any person
NJ matter. hutI cannot pass withou,
notice, certain. remarks contained in
an article published in your paper Of
yesterday. under the title Of 50 1t mat.
ters not.
You say that at the meeting on
Thursday Il suppose you mean Fri.
day., the Board of Selectmen recon.
sidered and laid on the table the ordi.
nance to open Lafayette street. You
~ 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 act as 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, 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
Selectnen in reference 10 a matter
which is purely n question of expeii-
encv and propriety. l have never
dreamed that such could b.. the case.
even had I the disposition to attempt
the exercise Of any such influence.
II is trne the Mayor and Board are
in the habit of calling on me for legal
advice, but this advice is confined
purely 70 questions Of law. At the
meeting in question, l was called up
on by the Mayor aud Board to advise
them As to whether they had the legal
right to increase the tax over and
above the limit fixed by the act of in
corporation. VIZ: 7 Of one per ety.
in order to carry out the contemplated
improvement.
l unhesitatingly declared that they
had no such power-that the limit Of
taxation, was expressly fixed by law.
and that they could not exceed it.
This is tho sum and substance of
my action in the matter. and l pre-.
sumo that none will be found to dis
pute 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 revs.
nue., and the whole matter was not
rs-consilersd (ss you state). but post.
ooned until the next mee'ing.
It seems passing strange to me
hat you should speak Of me- a. con.
rolling the action Of tho Board
Ny feelings Of modesty dispose me
o shrink from any such imputation.
I expressed q legal opinion as it
vas my duty to do, and I am will
ng to be held RESPONSIBLE for that
opinion. but 50 far as the ezped;eney
" propriety Of the proposed meas.
ire is concerned. I have nothing more
o esy than any other citizen Of the
own. Your brilliant picture of point
ng to 1.-THE figures of debt. " i.
Wholly and entirely q fancy sketch.
have nothing to do with the debts
+ the Cooperation, except so far as
hey may come within the purview
# ths'courts. 1t is not for me to de-
ide whether it is expedient for the |
ity TO contract a debt of $1,000 or
10000.
l could not even at this moment
eliab!y guess within 5000 Of the cor.
oration liabilities.
Therefore, my dear sir. it is some.
ines important 10 make reasonable
distinctions.
l am willing to bear my Just re-
possibilities. but not those of others.
he members of the Board are no
oubt willing TO bear their own bur:
ems, and discharge their own duties
'ithout dictation from any source.
Let me beg you to recollect, that
gal advice upon an incidental matter,
oes not necessarily include the ex-
ediency OF Q measure. And allow
,e further, to suggest that. when the
|oard next meets. you increase your