New Orleans Republican., 1871-06-22
CITY CoUNCIL-OFFIcIAL
REGULAR NEETING-CONTINUED.

REGULAR MEETING-CONTINUE
CITY HALL, Nav ORLEANS,
June 81, 1871
The recess having expired, the Council
reassembled in regular session at noon.
Present: Mayor Benz. F. Flanders, il
the chair; Administrators John Cockrem
Qmprovementsl Alfred Shaw (Accounts)
L. T. Delassize Public Buildings), Frank
c. Remick (Commerce), James Lewis (Po
lice). John S. Walton (Finance), and H.
Bonzano Assessments
The New Canal.
Mr.. Cockrem sent up to be read by the
secretary the following letter
NEW ORLEANS, June II, 1871.
John Cockrem ESQ, Administrator, etc:
| have the honor to acknowledge
the receipt of your communication of the
sixteenth instant in which l am notified
that certain levees are to be built, and in
reply / beg leave to state that among the
obligations imposed upon me by law, under
my contract with the State of Louisiana,
am ignorant of any involving on my part
the construction or maintenance of levees.
In carrying out my obligation to widen and
deepen the New canal and dig additional
basins, l have thrown out very large
amount of earth on the lower side of the
canal, and incidentally afforded protection
to a part Of the city, and in the further
prosecution of my work this will continue
TO be done. To this extent shall be happy
to aid the city authorities in their efforts to
protect the city from foundations; but /
can not consent to assume grave and oner-
GUS responsibilities far beyond my ability
to fulfill and not imposed by my lessor, the
State of Louisiana. |lff
r. TAYLOR,
Lessee of New canal
Mr.. Cockrem thereupon moved the fol-
lowing resolution:
Resolred, That the Mayor and CITY At
torney take legal measures to compel i'm
mediate performance of their obligations
on the part of the lessees of the New canal,
and to hold them to accountability for the
past.
The Mayor stated that the City Attorney,
after a thorough investigation, had given
an opinion which would be submitted in
writing at the next meeting = that the |
lessee was obliged by law and by his lease
to keep the canal and its levees in thorough |
repair and strength.
The resolution offered by Mr.. Cockrem
was unanimously adopted.
Miscellaneous.
An amount of $667, disbursed by the
Treasurer on account of the City Surveyor,
for instruments. paper, ETC., was made
special order.
remonstrance against the permission
given to Dr. Elliott, to establish stable on
Baronne street, was received. The resolu-
ton granting the privilege was reconsid-
cred, and the remOnstrance referred to the
Administrator of Police
Another proposal from the late city gar
dener Wallace, with regard to his yiolets.
was referred to the Administrator of Police
with power.
The Administrator of Assessments offered
the following resolution to be printed and
laid over.
ResOlred, That the Administrator of FL
nance be and is hereby authorized to cancel
the judgments rendered in favor of the
city against Mrs. George w, Pritchard, as
follows:
For the tax of 1863, suit No. 24,I24, Sec
Dnd District Court amounting to $85.
For the tax of 1864, suit No. Is, 53S Fifth
District Court, amounting to $l27 so.
Said taxes being assessed ON property in
Ter name, in square No. 192, second assess
nent district, bounded by Thalia, Camp,
orytania and Melpomene streets, and the
judgments having been settled in October, |
866, by the consent and to the satisfac-
ion of E. Bermudez, Esq, then CITY At
orney.
Mr.. Walton called up tax resolution for :
be relief of Augustus Reichard, which was j
assed. j
Taxing Church Property. |
Mr.. Walton next called up the deferred
uestion of releasing from taxation building :
Dts upon which educational and religious f
uildings we're in the future to be erected
he cases before the Council were four in '
umber: =
l. The property assessed in the name of v
ishop Odin, one-half of which was used e
n educational purposes. ..,.-... :.
3. The property assessed in the name of 4
ev. Henry Kleinhagen, and used exclu-
vely as a German Protestant church, P
lough the personal property of Mr.. Klein u u
lgen. Fl
8. Building lots purchased by the Leland e.
University for educational purposes
4. Building lots purchased for Rev.
r. Wayne's Presbyterian church, Sixth
strict. 81 81
The key note to the objections to these W
emptions was contained in report of the b;
lministrator of Finance on this latter "
Sc dated April 4, 1871, in which he said: If,
If the church had been erected it would
We been exempt from taxation under Sec til
N fifteen of the charter, but do not un- ar
rstand the language of that section to 10
ply to any church property except such tn
is actually used for public worship. gr
The question OF remission is, therefore, III
my opinion, left with us to decide. til
There can be no doubt that we are ad- ei,
nistrators OF a public trust, and not al tn
)ners Of public charity. If we remit one lie
ans taxes it is donation to him, and in
eases the burden of every other taxpayer,
lich we have no right to do. But put in
is case upon higher grounds. Here is a
igious society asking for grant Of pub a
money because of its religious character co
le taxes are paid into the treasury by clti- all
us of every variety of religious faith, for ca
G purpose of carrying on the city govern Al
ent. Probably not one-tenth of them, if be
piled to for aid to this society, would be til
ling to grant it. How, then, can we do or
: them what they would not do for them of
vest Speaking for myself, and, as be- wi
We, for vast majority of taxpayers, / he
Y we have no right to give public money in
any religious society whatever. / there pa
re recommend that the petition be not wi
anted. tb
Mr.. Shaw expressed an opinion that three de
these cases clearly came under the W. w
arter The Council were not legislators III
this matter. The question as to whether wi