New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-01-24
NEW ORLEANS REPUBLICAN, WEDNESDAY JANUARY a.


to address the meeting, the moment he
said he did not believe the Council were
corrupt, there commenced a general boot
ing-so much had you, Mr.. Mayor, poisoned
the public mind.
The Mayor-AllOw me to ask the Admin
istrator if the Mayor is not member OF the
Council? He is made go by the charter.
Mr. Bonzano-He does not consider him
selfso.
The Mayor-He has always endeavored
to make himself so.
Mr.. Bonzano-There has nothing &C.
Cured since Ihave been here, and L have
been in this city since l was boy, that has
had such an effect upon me as this attack
on this administration.
The Mayor-That's very well for the ad-
mnistration, but should not think tit, as
a member of this Council, nor as the
Mayor, to do this.
Mr.. Lewis-The offense committed must
have been in the Mayors message. The
extract read by the Administrator OF AS
sessments MR. BonzanO) is from news
paper. l stated at the very next meeting
of the Council that the audience composing
that meeting was largely made up OF offi-
GERS and employees of the city government.
We are all classed as thieves. 1t mistake
not there was a disposition Of some to come
and hang us. Now don't hold the Mayor
responsible for this. don't believe 1T to
be the duty of the Mayor to contradict all
the statements made in the press. But
let lis 60 back to his message. Ii these IN
ferences have been drawn from anything he
stated there, the Mayor says he will cor
rect those statements. He says he meant
to cast no reflections of that kind, and we
must take his word for it. think it is i'm
posing quite tedious and impossible duty
on the Mayor to expect him to correct what
may be stated at these mass meetings, and
what may be stated in the public press. We
are all classed as thieves. | don't think l
have stolen anything yet. II l have, 1t is
SO little that the citizens will hardly grumble
ct it, This letter, sent by the Mayor. was
dictated, believe, in the presence of some
three. four or five OF the Administrators. l
saw nothing improper in it, The first saw OF
its publication was in the evening papers,
and the letter sent by the Mayor and the
article in the paper do not correspond
at all.
The Mayor will read the letter, which
was written or dictated, as has been stated.
in the presence of two or three Admins
traitors. and afterwards read to all. The
only objection taken to it being on the part
of the Administrators Of Commerce to one
phrase, which would have changed II he
had been present before the letter was SEMI
off. 1t was as follows:
MAYoRALTY or NEW ORLEANS
November l6, 1871.
C. H. Slocomb, ESQ.,, President Citizens Associa-
SIR observe by this morning papers
that the Citizens Association adopted a
resolution appointing a committee to lnves-
tigate, analyze and report upon the budget
for the coming year, and the license ordl-
nance. l beg respectfully to solicit that
you will appoint such committee at your
earliest convenience, and inform them that
every facility will be afforded them by the
city government for investigation OF its
affairs. feel the situation of the city TO be
so grave AS TO Justify and call for thorough
and compiete examination by citizens who
have sufficient time to give the requisite
attention to the matter, and whose capacity
and character will give weight to any re-
port or suggestions they may have to make
The MAYORS parlOr. or a suitable room IN
the City Hall. will be placed at the service
of the committee, if desired.
Very respectfully.
BENZ. +. FLANDERS, Mayor.
When this letter was alluded to in the
citizens meeting, l considered myself in
cluded in whatever was said of this Coun-
ell. l say further, in regard to the Mayors
message, that if any gentleman will point
out any passage which, legitimately or
properly, can be construed into making any
charge of fraud or malfeasance in Office,
against any Administrator, l will retract it.
have not intended to make any such
charge. l simply say the management has
and no more. Is that large enough Is
that broad enough'
Mr.. Bonzano-Wben you found that the
public impression was that we were looked
upon as corrupt men, as thieves and
scoun6 rels, as the chairman of the Com
mittee of Fiity-One called lis at the first
session, before any man had put his foot
in this hail TO examine matters: when you
found your communication was the basis
or starting point of such charges, it was
your duty to say promptly and en-
phatically, 81 don't accuse these men of
being dishonest men, but you did not do
anything.
Mr.. Lewis remarked that when the
MAYORS letter was sent to the Citizens
Association. Mr.. SIocOmb, who was the
President of that body, and who was on
some of the Administrators bonds, did not
withdraw from that bond, which was the
best testimony that he believed in the
Administrators sincerity
Mr. Walton-Unless l am very much mis-
taken, the Mayors letter and message were
not the beginning of the surmisings, and
wEisperings, and charges, against the city
authorities for not managing properly.
do not see the reasOnableness of holding
you responsible for any charges of this
kind because you mentioned i'll your mes
sage that things were not well managed. l
am not quite so belligerent as my neighbor
here (Mr. Bonzano), but l have been very
much tried by the paragraphs appearing in
the papers, making no exceptions at all, but
chasing all together as being spectators,
if no worse, and charging dishonesty on all
But have lived long enough to know that
a man who undertakes to correct a news
paper report has very serious job on hand
and have never said a word about it.