New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-12-29


to twenty-four hours.
The Mayor said that since the cOnsulta-
ton on this subject by the Council in com
mittee, he had received information on the
street, only a short time before the meeting
of the Council, which confirmed him in his
idea that the Council, before reducing the
hours that merchandise was allowed to re-
main on the levee, should first provide ware
houses where this property could be stored
He had ascertained that the wharfnger
of one district had stored some goods in a
particular warehouse, and after a month or
! two the goods were sold. The owner, sub
| sequently applying for his property, was
| informed that it had been sold. The
matter was finally compromised. An
| other warehouse, in which goods had
been stored by tine wharfinger was seized by
| the Sheriff for rent, and the owners of the
! goods had been put to great deal OF
| trouble to get their goods released. He had
further been told that one of the warehouses
was not insured. He did not think that the
wharfnger or the warehouseman had been
to blame in this matter; but there might be
cases occurring in which blame would attach.
He had no other suggestion than that the
s6rdinance should lay over for a day or two.
| Mr. West admitted that this was matter
which required further consideration, and
as the Mayor had very properly said, there
was responsibility on this city for proper
care of this merchandise. He would have
the facts mentioned investigated, and he
thought the suggestion that the ordinance
| should lay over for a day or two was very
judicious.
| Laid over accordingly.
The Charities Of the City.
| Mr.. Shaw called up the ordinance making
the usual quarterly appropriations for the
different orphan asylums.
| Mr.. Walton said, at the last meeting, he
objected to the payment of seventy-tiye dol
| lars a month to the st. Vincent Orphan
| Asylum. stating that there was no money
| in the treasury, and that he would oppose
everything not absolutely necessary to
carry on the machinery of the government.
| He thought the minutes did him little in
justice. They made it appear that he OBJ
jected more to charity than to nytlling else.
He did not object to charity, but only to
the way in which the city was disbursing
this charitable fund. He thought the COun-
| cil.was not bound, and was not at liberty,
| to appropriate money as they had been ap-
propriating it to these charitable institu-
tons. At the last meeting the final argu-
ment made was that charity was apprOpri-
ated for in the budget He had taken oc-
casion since to examine the budget, and he
found the charitable appropriations thirty
four Thousand dollars, whereas the Council
had already paid out to the different orphan
asylums. etc. more than thirty-eight thou
sand dollars He therefore objected ON this
ground to the appropriations proposed to-
night.
Mr.. Shaw was very sorry this budget OBJ
lection had not been communicated to him
during the week, and he was still more sorry
that the objection had been brought before
the Council on the last night of the year, at
time when 10 act upon this objection would
result in deriving the orphans of their
quarterly pay. He believed this was"the
first time that the budget had been raked up
to remind lin. on the third reading of an
ordinance. that the appropriation had been
exceeded. The budget was part OF the old
charter. which had been repealed, except so
far a. vested rights had been created in IA
yor of third persons. He had no doubt that
the Administrator of Finance was correct in
his views but he should vote for the apprO-
priation notwithstanding.
Mr.. Walton remarked that even if the
Council passed the amount there was not
single dollar in the treasury to pay it,
and he did not know when there would be.
The current receipts were entirely blue
Notwithstanding else; next week 1t Would
be red warrants, and then green ones, and
so on oJ in fnitun. AS he said before he
would oppose every appropriation except
such as were absolutely necessary to carry
on the government on the most economical
: scale.
Mr.. West: viii the Administrator OF
Finance allow me to ask if we can expend
any money unless it has been appropriated
by the Council,
Mr. Walton replied. when the Council
made up the budget for the coming year, h
thought Some of the items very large, ant
, it was explained that although thes'
amounts were put in the budget thu
Council were not obliged to expent
, them. We could come down below
, | them, but that we could exceed the bulge
he did not understand.
Mr.. West understood the AdministratO
to say that one of his reasons for vOtIn:
against the appropriation was, that he di'
/ not think it right to vote for an expendi
ture unless it was appropriated in tn
budget.
Mr.. Walton said the fact that the apprc
priation aros made in the budget was til
argument at the last meeting when he OF
jected to this seventy-ive dollars mont
for st. Vincent's Asylum. Now he merel.
met that argument by saying that nasmuc
as the budget appropriation was expende
there was no money to apply to these pun
poses even if there was money in the treas
g ury, which there was not. There were wal
rants drawn for current expenses Decembe
49, which he could not meet.
Mr. Shaw had argued, at the last meeting
that the Council was bound under il
contract in this budget TO pay this money
that it was a vested right to the amount {
the budget. He would now argue that til
right extended further-that it was dut,
+ We had made contract TO pay twcnty-fy
= cents week FOR these orphans. That We
duty.