Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1858-05-22
baton Rouge Correspoadsnes'

Our corporate authorities tire having ~ 70
volved til. City ID a ~ suit witll u
Crosse Tets R*i]road Company, = 30
,wo.thirJs Of the tax payers At least, Eo'
understanding i i new phase, your cor
respondent would request tina. you vii
give tho following space in your col
u,nns.
lu: the opinion Of most Of the men,
be1s Of the bar, the present Board have
not the slightest. foundation for tile
course TREY have thought proper to ,pur-
sue, in ordering the Mayor of the city
To witbhold5bis signature from the bonds.
The course pursued by the afriends Of tile
tax, has been characterized by the Ut
most prudence. Nothing can shake the
basis Of justice and equity upon which
their Claim is founded. The most skill
full legal practitioner cannot find a single
flaw in their procedure, and what is to
reward those members of the Board WHO
intend 10 involve ia il. legal troubles and
expense use'essly, but the condemnation
of Their constituency?
In the first place the property owners
voted to subscribe $50, 900, payable in
five annual installm ents. Then, in com.
p|iancs with an act Of the Legislature,
they were allowed to extend this. sub
scription: to bonds having; twenty year.
TO run. This change was. cteerfully
made in compliance with the promises
IF their late Pre.ident, and was accepted
BY a vote Of 1856 to %. Now what il
the; result /? No sooner WAS this new
Board inauggurated, than they refused to
allow the Mayor to sign*tliese bonds, for
the following sci forth reasons "That
the people in voting did no: understand
,hs question, and knew nothing Of tile
six per cent, interest attached to these
bonds. Ignorance Of law is no excuse but
it. appears that but few, besides the
Board, were: ignorant sof this six per
cent, interest. The law was published
in both Of our papers, and 'c:anvvas.s,l
upon our o''rt streets By men owning prop
erty, many Of whom would have then,
and would now, mortgage it forstwenty
years and pay ten per cent, for the
money. and make money by lending it
At advanced rates. IT. 81 IT,
) The idea. that we would prefer paying
lhe cash in five years 70 paying six. per
cent, interest at twenty, is simply pre-
posterous~ and the naive and innocent
calculations Of some men that tile inter
est 10. twenty years would amour. to
more tl,an:the principal, and therefore
should fight any concession Of 10 the
very list, is absurd. Tie same p prii,aitci-
:ls Of calculation would cause \ ian to
1e g bis property because the inter
est Of tue amount invested in i.-insur
snce, taxation, etc, would inIthe course
# = fews years become double the amount
irst Paid tor il. Railroads in the South
p,~xy dividends, but your cores
90 % ~ asserts upon POI Tie authority Of .be
2 President resi- himself, that this s4or. line Of
'i j lni les IN length, has made$l5,0oo
n the past eight months! /. .e... ! vi
If shis $4,000 subscription had been
.~'vaiiabie, the Road would have paid a
'f'vildend hi" year, but independent Of
purchasing and paying sffo,rr a new loco
not (Qtle 5Chlas. 4. Slack the. re-
n1ainder was advanced ing lieu Of these
'onds, upon the only debt owed by the,
In reply: q. those friend. Of the
Road who: assert that they were dIs&p--
in their expectations of the
Of The Road, We can only re:
nark"that ii the last meeting Of Tie
Board 3 I'D Of Directors, On Saturday last, it
t rs resolved et,t', 70 pusl,, forward and com
y I the road thirteen, miles further to
he tAtchafnlaya."" :sAf T.. =. .r1
j Tug Board Of ss'eectmen cannot ge:
'ut5of this subscription-ttey are not
ryine' sofit'eems from their proceed
ngs. md every effort that they make i.
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