New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-07-14

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F. A. Woolfey-three gentlemen who III
q derstood nstaSial bazlness, and were ais
universally understood to be honest. The
bad made Their award approying the claim
The work done under this act of the Legi
lafure covered some one hundred and thirty
five books, or more. The notaries had gon
through them, and they said the bill was nc
too much. The Recorder of Mortgages sal
it was great deal too little. 1t certainly wa
avery large work. The Administrator Q
Accounts, however, had no knowledge of j
except what he had received from these nc
taries. He had failed to detect any groun,
on which the bill could be opposed. It wa
referred to the late City Attorney, Mr.
Beckwith, who said that the Legislature
had the power to pass such an act, and tina
the bill must be paid by the city, unless
there was proof of fraud. He (NIr. Shaw
had found no such proof. Three weeks agt
he had presented this bill and allowed it tt
Assessments might satisfy himself that thu
work had been done. His particular
object in postponing the matter was
that the Administrator of Assessments
might have an opportunity of going to the
office of the Recorder O. Mortgages to look al
these books for himself. He (Mr. Shaw,
saw no wisdom in opposing bill unless
there were some grounds for opposing it
He had often spoken IN this Council against
the system of the Legislature auditing bills
against the city, but the Council could not
help themselves. If tie Legislature chose
to say, 81 order certain work and you shall
pay for it," what coull the Council do! 1t
was all very nice for administrators to say,
II want to put myself right on
the record" but what had the
record to do With their duties
as Administrators He thought Admins
| traitors were right ON the record when they
| did right; and when hey knew there were
no grounds on which hey could successful
ly oppose a thing, wh,n they knew it would
fall on the city just SO certainly as a .judg-
| ment, he thought one of the duties of an
administrator was to meet the emergency
There were several things of which the
Council had not the auditing. They had
not the auditing of the police expenses yet
they had to pay then. Every month they
were told to put down so much, and they
did it. Suppose administrators chose
to do like the prviOus Council, and
throw over this police appropriation
from month to mont involving the city in
litigation, damages AMI costs-would that be
doing their duty as administrators! 1t was
quite enough for administrators to do
the duties they rcre charged with.
Those duties were arge enough, and if
every administrator attended to them he
would have enough do, and the blame of
appropriations like hese would rest where
it belOnged-with tn. Legislature.
Mr.. Walton said, with regard to the
s27, 900 item, after ne explanation of the
Administrator of Accounts, he was prepared
to vote yea on that.
Mr.. Shaw remarked that both of them
came in the same caegOry.
Mr.. Walton: Then as we are obliged to
pay it, will vote va. This is one of the
legacies of the Legislature.
Mr.. West desired o explain his vote He
had come to the sale conclusion as the Ad-
ministrator Of Finance had now come to,
some time ago, thatwas to accept what they
could not help. 1t vas true that the Ad-
and a most valuable drag he was on the
Council-still he tbught it was discourtesy
to the Administrators of Finance to attribute
to the Council design of spending the
public money.
Mr.. Walton reptile. that he had not made
any such imputatiOn
Mr.. West said the remark came at any
rate from that enc of the house. If the
Council itself had )een allowed to make
this contract, they right have made a bet
ter bargain. Still, 6 the claim was to be
paid not in cash, hit in 7:3O certificates,
perhaps the thirty pr cent spoken of was
not out Of the way.
Mr.. Walton repeatd that one of the audit |
ing notaries had It'd him distinctly that
thirty per cent ha been allowed on the |
citys credit; and had further said he
thought this thirty er cent ought now to |
be taken off. He Or. Walton) thought so |
too. Still, if the legislature said it must be |
paid, and the Administrator of Accounts
said it must be paid why let them pay and |
say no more about :.
The Mayor said e had previously urged |
that clear distintion must be drawn be-
tween expenses irurred by the admins
traitors, as the expnses of their administra-
ton, and the expnses they were called
upon to settle asthe expenses of the pre-
vious Council, or te acts of the Legislature, !
which they could lot control. He was not |
sufficient lawyer decide the point, but it
did seem to him nat it ought not to be in
the power of the Legislature to order any
amount of work o be done and to say to
the city "you nut pay for it." The city
attorneys, howevr, who had all been faith
full to the city, hid not seen fit to contest
the point, and held not see how the Coun-
ell could now const it. There were other
bills audited by he Legislature which the
Council were oliged to pay. In his
opinion it was outrage on the citizens
of New Orleas that they should
thus be deprived the regulation of their
own expenditure;but if the law officers of
the city could td no suitable defense it
was for the Administrators to do their duty,
and for the peopl to see they did not elect
such legislators gain.
The roll was lgain called and the item
was unanimousl, adopted.
ApprOpriatDns and Resolutions.