New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-10-03

soreets to the upper limits of the city, and having
length OF about seven miles.
.. Inc road connecting the Jackson Railroad
and Pontchartran Railroad depots running
through Royal, Bourbon st. Charles, Caronde1et,
Erato, Clio and Magnolia streets and having a
length of about six miles.
a. Inc Barracks road, starting from opposite the
Gustomhouse, and running to the United States
Barracks, through Peters, Chartres Royal, Poland,
and Deiery streets, and having length of about |
eight miles.
In the above lists of projected railroads there are
TWO which call up objections so formidable as to
demand the attention of the city authorities. ]
refer to those intended to run through Bourbon
and Royal streets.
Every one familiar with the topography Of the
city below Canal street knows that from Peters
TO Rampant street there can be found no room for
fallroad. The extreme narrowness of the inter
mediate streets renders the passing and repassing
difficult.
Ihe projected Royal street route has met with
| opposition from a large majority Of property
holders and business men thereon, who see the
necessity of keeping this busy thoroughfare of
trade and traffic free from distractions. would
ADD, that, independent Of this opposition, there
| are other rights to be consulted, which affect an
industrious, iaboring class, and in fact the public
at large.
The city, in compelling owners Of ordinary We
4 hcles OF every description to pay an annual
| license, impliedly pledges its faith to these men
that our streets shall be kept free from every OBJ
stacle which tends to impede transportation. Then
again, such streets as Chartres, Royal, Dauphin
and Burgundy, particularly the two former, afford
| the most direct communication with the Pont-
chartran railroad, along which stream of pas
sengers from Mobile and other cities daily pours
| Under the administration of the last military
a&pGintees, the contract for the construction of
| the Royal street road was sold. Confident sof its
validity the contractors, during the latter part of
| September, tore up the square block pavement on
| Royal, between Canal and Customhouse streets,
| ITra afnYxT IN Ini fna ooLv
joined by the city, the work was stopped and the
right Of way, under the contract, is now the sub
| iect of litigation.
| Eminent legal advisers have expressed the
opinion that in selling this contract the late acting
mayor and his bureau transcribed their power
and authority.
Its annulment would be an act of Justice both
to the people and the city government.
| FIRE DEPARTMENT
On the 18th December, 1860, the city entered
| into contract with the Firemen's Charitable AS
sociaton for the extnguishment of fires.
| This contract was for term Of five years, viz:
! from 18th December, 1860, TO 18th December,
| 1865.
In this contract the city stipulated to pay the
| association the sum of 100000 per annum The
late acting mayor and his bureau extended the
| contract upon the same terms and conditions to
| the 18th Deeember-one year,
| 1t will, therefore, be seen that it will soon be-
come the duty of the city authorities to make
new arrangements for the protection of property
| from fire.
| would recommend that the contract for the
| extinguistment of fires he again awarded to the
| Firemen's Charitable Association for a term of
| five years from the date thereof.
The association has faithfully performed all the
duties and observed all the obligations required of
it, even while subjected to heavy loss by the de-
preCiation Of the currency.
The appropriation Of 100000 per annum was to
have been paid in coin, or its equivalent.
The events of the last few years substituted a
| ,thirh dolly al
Yet the association has continued to receive its
pay in currency--a fact which, in the creation of
a new contract, should in my judgment, recon-
mend it to the generous consideration of the city
government.
In any new arrangement which may be made
the association desire to increase the number OF
steam engines from five to twelve.
The superiority of this modern improvement
r over the ordinary, yet tme-honored engine is Sc
well known as to need no comment at my hands
As the expense.of purchasing said steam engine
is incurred by the association, commend the mat
ter to your consideration in such annual appropri
+ alton you may think proper to make as tn
basis OF future contract.
+. No institution should be more cheerfuIly SUI
# ported by our taxpayers than the Firemen'
q Charitable Association. Its members, compose
. of the noblest and most self-sacrifcing spirits
/ our community, are seeplessly vigilant. Busines
health and, life are disregarded whenever dut
calls them to aid in saving the property of othe
from destruction.
In its organization, its personnel, in all thos
, attributes which honor and ennoble humanit,
the association has no peer i'll Europe
f America.
f PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
The schools are consolidated under one boar
. OF directors with one superintendent the systel
of instruction. the course of study the text boob
i used being uniform throughout the city.
To the accomplished superintendent, Mr. Wn
i Q. Rogers, am indebted for the following nte
esting facts;
i There are 40 schools, in which 238 teachers ar
constantly employed
e OF the schools, four are are high schools, on
e in each district, in which eighteen teachers ar
n employed
OF the primary and intermediate schools ther
t are eleven in the First District with sixty-seve
il teachers; ten schools in the Second District wit
: fifty eight teachers; in the Third District te
schools and tifty-eight teachers; in the Fourt
District seven schools and thirty seven teachers
!, During the annual session of the schools closin
with June, 1866, the average attendance of pupil
/ in the four high schools was, boys l6S girl
223; total, 39l. Exclusive Of high schools, til
n average attendance was, in
nanG First pTtriCt ,l157 ~
Q Third District. ........,.,,,.l5i III
, fouth Dlstrlct'.'s $50
Total Girls in attendance.
Total of Boys and Girls, 8
f The whole number of pupils admitted to til
schools during the year was Boys, 1924: girls
1887, or 1921 pupils.
During the last session the average number {
e pupils to each teacher employed was, for til
v High Schools twenty.one in the other schools G
the First District, ttty-sx in the Second DistriC
II forty in the Third District ffythree and in th
Fourth District fifty.
e The average of pupils to each teacher in all tn
l. public schools of the city is forty-eight.
+ The average embraces the pupils in the highe
J. departments, where the classes are smaller an
few in number. In most of the schools the mum
he m mn mi nf