New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-02-14

| do not pass-yeas 81 nays9.
| The bill for the relief of Protector Fire
| Company. of jefferson parish, being before
| the committee
Mr. Carr, of De Soto: 1 would like to
| know how much tax he desires to levy on
| the people of this State,
| Mr.. Garstkamp, of Jefferson: | will
answer that question. The gentleman very
| well knows that in 1870 myself opposed
| the annexation Of the Fifth District to New
| Orleans, but they would consolidate Jetfer-
! son City with New Orleans; and you put OH
such heavy taxes that the people up there
can not support their fire companies You
made au appropriation for the Fire Depart
| nent, and they never got Il cent OF If. by
| consolidation you raised the taxes 80 high
| that they can not support it, and they have
| to apply to the State. l move that the bill
be recommended for adoption.
Mr. Bryan. of Calcasieu: 1t seems to me
| that to ask for an appropriation of this kind
| is positively and absolutely absurd. If one
corporation should get aid Of this kind. so
| should another. | am interested in little
| town way back near the line between Texas
and Louisiana, and l contend that have
! just as much right to ask for State aid to
| organize Il fire company, buy an engine and
build Il house for it as this company has. If
this city of Jefferson is so heavily taxed, rs
| tho gentleman says, through its being
| joined to this city, that they can not bear
it, they ought to call upon the corporation
of New Orleans for help, and not upon the
! State.
Mr.. Lynch. OF Iberville: think it is very
improper. very unwlSc, and very incXpedi-
cnt for this House to grant aid in the man
| ner In which this aid is sought. If they
want to buy steam engine, and if they
| have organized fire company. and they
want to make it more effective, and better
able to give assistance in saving life and
property, let them apply TO the city of New
Orleans, of which they are Il component
part. At any rate they had no fire
work i'll the City of Jefferson. The fire
companies there are more for ornament
than USE. They make 4 magnificent show
on the fourth OF March, when the fire com
panlcs turn ont. but don't think they have
ever rendered much service. On that
ground am totally opposed to giving them
State aid II is a bad precedent
Mr.. Burch. OF. East Baton Rouge: If
understand this bill. il asks aid for Il fire
company III Jefferson parish. That fire
company ought to be entitled to the hene-
TITS OF the FIrcmen = Associations Bit if the
gentlemen will rccollcct. the appropriation
TO the Firrlnen Benevolent Association WAS
made prior to the annexation of this parish
OF jefferson to New Orleans. TIL. fire com
panv has applied to this association and
the association refused to give them aid on
the score that the appropriation was made
before they We're brought into the .jirisdic
ton of the city. They have no means but
tins to obtain aid: now they come to the
Legislature. and ask for $4,000 Mr.. Milton
Morris says ii is too much. bet if it Was
Tor his church III ~. James he wouldn't say
80. don't think that this is such an ex-
orbltant appropriation.
II they come TO this Legislature next
year and ask for another appropriation, |
think it would be time to tell them to go to
the city of New Orleans. But, since they
can not get aid from the Fircnen's Benevo-
lent Association. they ask the State for it.
lhls fire company is something beneficial.
believe il Is well known that the gentle
men who belong to it are men who have
been identified with the Republican party
III that parish for long time. 1t is pretty
hard to get $1,000. | will only say to the
gentleman that brought it in that he should
have made it S9,0oo.ooo and it would have
passed right off.
The committee recommended to the
House that the bill do not pass.
lhe committee having under consilera-
ton the bill for the relief OF Polycarpe
Forter-
Mr.. Garsthamp. of jefferson This is a
lcVte contractor who built some lcveeS III
lS6't-67. When the work was finished
cents. which he had to receive. and after
ward he had 10 sell them at Il loss OF thirty
per cent. so that he was a loser of fifty
cents on each dollar OF his contract; and
now he asks that the State shall make the
contract good There were similar bills
passed this House last session. ii | am not
mistaken.
Mr. Barrett. OF Orleans: Where WI, that
levee built
Mr.. GarS,kanp: l refer the gentleman to
the engineer who measured the work. My
head Is not big enough to hold everything.
Mr.. Barrett: am sorry that differ with
nv istincuShcd friend from Jefferson. but
if we give this to this gentleman now-I I'M
derstanI that he was to receive bonds for the
work which he has donc-and was forced to
sell them at twenty cents on the dollar. if |
recolcct properly. If this gentleman sue
cccds III CARRYING this bill through the House
now. we might take every man today who
has been connected with the Metropolitan
Police force who has received warrants. and
sold them at 4 large discount. and we might
bring in a bill relieving them every one.
simply because they have been forced
to sell their warrants at discount.
Gentlemen take these contracts at their
own risk. and the State certainly should not
he responsible if they lose il they do il is
their own loss. and not the loss of the State.
Therefore | am opposed to this bill.
Mr. Worrall. of Jefferson: | think when
the committee understands this claim they
will be willing to report tavOrably upon it.
1t seems To be very simple matter. A
gentleman takes contract to build certain
levecs. The Board of Public Works after
an examination of these levces. report IA
vorablv. accepting the work
MIR. lorke. OF Carroll: Do you know
whether the hoard has accepted that work
Mr.. Worrall: Yes. The board accepted
this work. and certify that he is entitled to
a certain sum of money in cash. 1t appears
that the contractor has debts pressin. upon
him, probably from the workmen. poor
people. who are obliged to have their
money. and he like a good man, not being
that he is entitled to, accepts the best that
he can. 1t is simply question that comes
before us that we must settle at some time.
1t is question of feeding these money
sharks. who get at the present time more
than one third or one-half of all the money
that is paid out by the State. Mr.. Worrall
made some other remarks in this connection,
but they were inaudible 1T the reporters
desk
House that the bill do not pass. Yeas %.
NAYS ~.
The committee then rose.
The House having under consideration
bill for the relief of Mr. Rcmicli. Tax Col
lector of Nerlnilon parish
Mr.. Carr. OF DcSoto: l would state that
Mr.. Remick has Il certificate from the State
showing that this money was paid
into the treasury of the State.
The certificate was read.
Mr.. Quinn. of Oreans ! would like the
gentleman from DE Soto. Mr.. Carr, to ex-
plain how the gentleman Overpaid himself
1t is something unknown for man to paw