New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-09-04

shall make prompt payment and return @
costs and expenses due the city, whethel
bearing percentage or not.
Mr.. Shaw moved that the commission Or
taxes due previous to 1871 be reduced IRON
| twenty per cent to ten per cent, and thai
the commission on taxes of 1872 be reduced
from ten per cent to five per cent. st the
time he drew up this ordinance he did not
suppose there would be one quarter of the
taxes due and unpaid which he now found
outstanding, and the rate of remuneration
was in his opinion entirely too high.
Mr. Bonzano accepted the amendments,
which were adopted.
| In lieu of sections eight, nine and ten OF
the ordinance, as originally drafted, Mr.
| B0nzano moved to substitute the following
section, laid before the Council May ?, only
| substituting two years from the date vi
passage instead of eighteen months as sti-
pplated in the section
SECS Be it further ordained, etc, That
| this contract shall be and exist for AND dur
| ing the term OF eighteen months from the
date of passage of this ordinance, and dur
ing such further time as may be deemed
necessary to complete the work on hand. az
the city reserves itself the right, by q ma
jority vote of the Council, to rescind and
terminate the same for cause, and upon
rescision all bills, papers, books and docu-
ments necessary to further prosecution Of
suits and recovering taxes and costs shall
be Surrendered and. turned over to the city,
according to the direction of the Council;
provided, that said collectors shall be REIN
bUrsed by the city for all clerks costs,
sherif's fees, recording mortgages, and
printing actually paid on such unfinished
work.
Mr.. Shaw said he was opposed to the
adoption of this section, although ne him
self, as a matter of courtesy, had intro
duced it. He did not think the Council had
a right to enter into contract extending
nearly two years beyond their term of
Office.
Mr.. Walton said he did not think the
Council had any right to supersede him in.
his Office. He did not feel inclined to allow
the Council to override him. He had tried
to do his duty. lie had good legal author
ity for saying the proposed ordinance was
illegal, and it was a question with him
whether if passed he would not resist il.
Mr.. Shaw commended that every Admins
traitor was subject to the direction OF the
Council. The Council had the right to
direct him Mr. Shaw as to the manner in
which he should audit the public accounts.
Mr.. Walton-Bnt they have no right to
appoint another auditor.
Mr.. Shaw replied that the Council had
right to require him to employ experts, and
this was virtually what he proposed TO do
in this instance. The object of this ordi-
nance was to afford facilities for the colIec.
ton Of back taxes, which the city had
hitherto failed to collect. There were thou
sands OF dollars of back taxes winch the
OF Finance could not give
his personal attention to, and which he had
not succeeded in collecting. These taxes
extended back for ten years. and ranged
from 500 600 TO $4,000 year. The ordi-
nance under discussion proposed to appoint
collectors of those taxes. 1t simply pre-
posed to bring into city affairs the
same system of collection on COM
mission which was adopted by almost
every man il his private business. It ala
not supersede the Administrator OF FL
AohNV' 70 bNIS OIL cRSChU Ill LIS uduus5 ana
provided for the compensation Of that
agent. But while he Mr.. Shawl approved
If the general objects Of this ordinance, he
objected to the amendment suggested by
he Administrator sof Assessments Mr.
Bonzano. He saw in it the germ of law
suit Somebody would contend he was rot
removed for cause, and would sue the CITY
or the whole fee. He called for the read
ng Of the sections which the amendment Of
he Administrator of Assessments mir.
8onzanol was designed to supplant.
The sections were read, as follows:
SEC. s. Be it further ordained. etc, That
his contract shall be and exist for and
Turing the pleasure of the Council. to
which Is reserved the right, by majority
vote, at any time to rescind and terminate
he same; and upon such RECESSION all bills.
papers, books and documents necessary 10
urther prosecution of suits and recovering
axes and costs shall be surrendered and
urned over to the city according to the d.
eotiOn of the Council
SEC. 8. Be it further ordained, ETC., The
Collectors shall be entitled to no percentage
for any moneys not actually col
ected by them or during the continuance eff
heir acting as such; and after the rescission
VI their contract they shall not, upon the
,reteLt OF previous efforts or services he en-
ltled TO collect any percentage or recon-
,ense whatever, except for clerks and sher-
It's costs incurred by them as hereinbefo7e
provided; and they shall await the pleasure
# the city IN collecting the same, and shall
iold the city IN no damages or responsibility
or failure and delay in bringing suits to ex-
cutIon and realizing thereup0n; it being
he true intent and meaning of this ord
.ance that the city government be in fu+ure
S at present, left open and free in the trans.
ction of its business for municipal puroosea
oieIy without the Intervention Of private
interests
SEC. 10. Be it further ordained, etc, That
he said contractors shall agree in case the
legislature shall at any time remit-o disal-
1W IN favor OF che taxpayers any portion
1 the charges andaclaims herein allowed 10
e incurred on behalf Of the city by said
the said collectors shall hold the
lty harmless, and as not mourning anv
on account thereof it being
ne true intent and meaning hereof not to
tempt to make any contract in derOCarion
+ any future legislative power or to occa-
ion any expense TO the city in consequence
mourning costs that may be RENTED aa
fOresaid.
After the protraeted discussion the
proposed BY the Administrator
Assessments, to replace the foregoing
9ctions, was adopted by the following vote:
Yeas = Cockrem, Delassize, Remick.
onzano-4,
Nays-Shaw, Lewis, Walton-3.
Mr.. Cockrem in the chair
Subsequent sections we're read as follows: