New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-12-06

b raised from fifty dollars to ono hundre,
and fifty.
An amendment moved by Mr.. Bouzano
to make the license one hundred dollars
was carried.
The Mayor said before final vote wa,
taken, he desired to read some memorial
which had been received IN the subject
The first was as follows:
10 the Mayor aud the administrators Of the city o
New Orleans:
We, the undersigned citizens and mechan
les Of the city Of New Orleans, assembled a,
the lurnhaiie in mass meeting. do sOlemnly
protest against the proposition of taxing
free labor, and especially against the license
ordinance to be passed Ut the next regina,
meeting OF the Council, levying on tho Door
mechanics and tradesmen an additional tax
in strict violation Of the constitution of the
United States, which forbds the taxation OF
free labor; and we respectfully ssk the
Council to amend the license ordinance "a
| far as to exempt from taxation che small
tradesmen, who have but little or no caDi.
| tai, and who are not able to suffer additional
| taxes.
The memorial was supported by some
three or four hundred signatures.
The Mayor next read the following CON-
nunicatiOn, which had been handed to him
since the commencement of tho meeting:
CHAMBER OF CoxusRcx.
New Orleans, November 10, 1871. !
At special meeting of the chamber,
held, pursuant to call, ON this evening,
President j. H. Oglesby ia the chair
Mr.. +. A. Haber stated that the commit
tee appointed to examine the question of
license; upon the ordinance now pending
before the City Council, had instructed him
to offer the following report:
CHAMBER OF C0xuKRcx
New Orleans. November %, 1871.
To the President and Members Of the Chamber Of
Commerce.:
The committee appointed by your hon.
orable body on the twenty first of Noycu-
Der, 1871, to memorabilia the City Council
ON the subject OF the reduction of the IL
cense proposed for the year 1872, begs leave
to report, that, upon the investigation of
the proposed law, they find it impossible to
make any recommendation on the subject.
which will he free from the charge Of in
equality. -
That, in the opinion of your committee.
the whole license system is hostile to the
spirit of modern commerce. and its aboli-
ton will only place New Orleans ON an
equal footing with most cities Of the United
States.
They, therefore, not feeling authorized,
under the resolution, to recommend it's en-
tire abolition, report back to the chamber.
with the recommendation that the abolition
OF licenses be recommended to the CITY
Council upon all callings, except such ~ do
city Of New Orleans, and the immediato
abolition of all licenses which depress or
discourage labor, and ON all small dealers.
and mechanics.
+. A. HABER,
JOHN Ii. kENNARD.
On motion, the report Was adopted, with
Instructions to the committee to present to
the Common Council Of the city the follow
ing resolutions:
Resolred, That the chamber concur with
the committee appointed to recommend the
amendment and reduction of the license
and tax law now pending before the Com
mon Council.
Resolred, That the abolition be recon-
nended to the City Council upon all csllings
Except such as do not contribute to the gen
IRA! welfare of the city of New Orleans.
md the immediate abolition of all licenses
Thich dePress or discourage labor. and on
Nj small dealers, tradesmen and mechanics.
true extract from the minutes of the
View Orleans Chamber Of Commerce. Given
!nder my hand and seal Of office, as above
lated.
WILLIAM NJ. BURWELL.
secretary Of the New Orleans Chamber of
Commerce.
Mr. Walton remarked that the Council
'as In an extremely unfortunate position.
he Chamber of Commerce and the Citi
ems Association wanted them to abolish
ne license system, but had not . single
Institute to suggest.
MI. Bonzano stated that the ordinance
educed as it now was, he thought, would
ling hardly more than $500. 1000. Every
'mplalnt had been listened to, and wher-
yer he found the license was bearing too
cavity on the license payer he had reduced
as low as possible.
The Mayor said the truth was that with
le inability of the Council to levy more
an certain amount Of taxation. which of
self would not much more than pay the
terest on the debt and other expenses,
Oh as lighting the city, sheriff fees and
rohers' charges. which the Council could
It avoid If it would, why there was no other
course than to 60 on with the license
X. The committee of the Chamber'.bf
fairly admitted, after going Over
ordinance, that they could not better it,
{ they would knock it all off. As he (tho
'yor) had previously stated. he believed
whole license system an evil, but he did
see how it could be avoided at present.
lthout it, the city could not more than
the interest on the debt and those ex-
1ses which were imposed upon the city
law. The Council could not helm passing
$ ordinance.
1r. BonzanO said the great objection
sed was that the licenses were not uni
N; that man doing Business to the ex-
t of two thousand dollars had to pay
same tax as a man in the same line Of
tie doing business to the extent of two
ldred thousand dollars. He had en-
vored to explain to all who had come to
that this was the fault of the recent
ision OF the Supreme Court in the in
ance cases; that this decision was also
reason why each individual in a firm
taxed instead of the firm collectively,
heretofore.
he yeas and nays were called on the
'nded ordinance, and it was unanimously
,ed.
r. Walton, in voting aye, took occasion
ay that he was in every way opposed to
system of licenses, and always had
D, but he saw at present no other course.
act had been prepared, to be submitted