New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-02-28

| eminent have been presented to your CON.
| mittee. Some of these questions do ps
| come within the peculiar province OF Tia
| Judiciary Committee, but are more levs
| latiye in their character, such as can be SCI,
| lied on the floor of the hoHse and cOnsij.
/ arad in debate as we'll as In the committee.
| but nine-tenths Of the bill originally Of
! fered ia made up Of matters amendatotv
| of the statutes of the State il
! subjects which have long required reform
| To the argument that changes should k
mt Oft till a more stable government and
| nrosperous times shall come, the best replv
| "a that the cutting off Of abuses and Cor
| ruptions can never safely be put Oft; and
| the effective Institution of reforms il thA
| best manner to give our government per.
| manence, and restore quiet and satisfaction
| as we'll as prosperity.
No spirit of narrowness toward the pres,
| ert city government has influenced you
! ~ npit q Their success in the admins
! Itation of their charge ought to BE- the wish
! OF every good citizen.
! We will briefly explain the salient fea
| lures of the bill offered as substitute:
! IL abolishes the Department of Assess
ment4 The chief and only objection to
! this measure ia that it removes an officer.
| The present Administrator Of AssessmentS
/ aa well as his immediate predecessor, has
L
| can be possibly implied in removing good
| officer because the office is useless Taxa
! ton shall be equal and Uniform throughout
the State" says che constitution, and
| though this does not prevent extra taxa
| ton for city or local purposes, 1t certainly
| does not admit of variable assessments be-
| tween citizens Taxation upon shifting
| basis ia not equal and uniform, and but for
an indispositop In the people as we'll as the
| judiciary TO push even sound doctrines 70
| iDiuriOus conclusions, the taxes would ere
| this have been severely tested.
! The city or the State assessments, then.
| should be discontinued, and the superior
and essential power oil the State requires
| the retention of its assessments.
The Department of Police has not been
! regarded As d very important OF essential
| office. As far as il IS supervisory over the
! recorders it seems pr0pce ShaS any such sfs
| peryision should ha left solely 60 the stis
! trict Judiciary. The police duties belong to
the Police Board The lighting aft city
! lamps can as web be attended to by any
| other department, and the supervision OF
| furnishing supplies and OF accounts belongs
| more properly to the Department of Public
! accounts, The charge of penal and re.
Z rmatory institutions belc0 - to OF GERS Of
d; their own, and their inspection to the EOuLs
| Oil and the grand jury.
The Department of Watefworhs ara
! Public Buildings has beeu suggested as be-
! ing composed of matters not necessarily
pertaining together; but this, as well al
| several other features of the bill, we leave
entirely to the wisdom of the Legislature.
Il il strongly urged by many that the
| Administration form must be abolished for
| want of the necessary checks appertaining
to local government. 1t has tie power Of
original levy. appropriation and final ex-
pendture, as well as the power of making o.
permitting additional debt in various ways
! The bill is framed with tho view Of destroy.
ing the System, but giving II renewed
| trial, furnished with some checks and regu
lations not hitherto existing. compile
, ment of citizens is added 20 aid IN the de.
alterations of the Council. In the addi.
tiunal bill, herewith submitted the Ad-
! ministtatGGs are forbidden by the strongest
| provisions to exceed their budget. They
! are made administrators of the annual reve
! enUes only. without any other legislative Op
| Gebt,maklpg power. The issue oi bonds 10
| restrained and defined. The piedging x
bonds tor advances 10 the city government
is legalized: the back debt is provided for
! by funding. judy n.nts ars to DO hevie8
| separately 30 give the citizen more prac-
! teal and definite view of the causes ana
| cure in matters for which the public suffers
| damage or punishment. Nothing but s.
I wrong by the vU6iC or their officers, acting
!
Successful litigation, and it Is alarming that
there Us so much o! it.
! We have also had hud'9 consideration
House bill No IG8, offered by Mr. DavIdo
son. of Livingston. entitled an act to amend
the charter of the city OK New Orleans, TO
| abolish the departments of administration
| and provide for eXecutfvs ptiiceys separate
| from the Council to orgaRizs il Council
| composed o. Aldermen from the several
| M ~ do nyal
regulations for The 20! egnment of the city
| corporation. We report the same to the
| House also for its action 1t proposes a
different plan from that Of Mr.. SeWell.
being To some extent Il restoration of the
| old form OF city g2y.rntu'ut. j. has been
| already ordered by the Housa 70 be printed9
and We ask that the bills here with reported
be also printed as soon IA practicable in
| their now form and placed upon the Gcs.3
of members. with the following titles:
Substitute for Hous, bil! No. 50. ,ss, -;
20 rro1fIa addi'ionl: stgui;.tion. for the
| government Of tbe corporation ana for the
organization of the Council nf Che city 81
New Or!eane; to abolish. certain depart
ments and transft! the iutiea Of 'he .ad'
ministrators OF said dcpartments 10 othe
! AGnAinlstra tors herein named. and to reeu
late the offices st city engineer and city -:
togney.
The additional ao: reported by the cevo
mite. 70 be entitled Ycuss bill No. -, III
act to limit the power Of the city of New
Orleans TO contract debts. to regulate the
annual budget, t0 regulate the execution
and collection of Judgment. and the bring.
! ing and prosecution OF suits against the city
Of New Orleans. to define the igriade.ion
| of ccuVts relative thereto. to sreyent :hs
excess of power in making Contracts. and
to confirm the pyeseat anil segulate tG:uss
ieyiss Of taxes.
Respectfully submitted.
MICHAEL. HAHN, Cha:r,x,.nS
T. G. DAVIDSON.
WILLIAM KERN.
GEORGE &. BEEH4R.
Cesnr-rHs or juofCe ,~P q
I February n IB7J. )