The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-12-10

failed to meet the expectations OF those VINO
elected them. / believe there is much trutr
in the observation. but it must be borne II
mind that they were placed in most dlf1icul'
circumstances and are not to be judged roc
harshly. They were constantly threatened
with decapitation, and had little or no iegis'
lative discretion. In these regards the pres
fnt Council is in no better condluon, 1t may
be said vet these have material and mora
snnnort in the 18th of September and the ID
and I'd of November, of which the former
had no counterpart and il may safely be pre-
dicted that the coming Legislature, however
If NAV be constituted. will feel constrained to
remove from the limbs of this fair city the
shackles that have held her in bondage fol
these many years.
But come back to the inquiry, which is the
main purpose of this article, how the city can
pay, not It's debts, but its daily expenses IN cash
We have seen the city has no money in her
treasury, and no credit on which to borrow,
and if she could borrow it probably would not
be we'll to do it. The only resource left, there
fore, is to collect the taxes past due. How
can this be done with the least possible dis
tress to the citizen, and yet so as to enable the
city to pay its current expenses in cash?
The city authorities have declared that they
will enforce payment Of the tixes due after
the 18th of this current month, and these
taxes amount to several millions Will they
advertise and sell in the next forty days two
or three millions Of property! Will it be
either wise or humane to do SO? 1t must be
remembered that the great majority OF the
people of New Orleans are an impoverished
people; that. under the mercilcss rule Of
STRANGERS aided by domestic allies, their
prosperity and business have been de-
stroyed thai, under this blight, the income
ioI hoe oho1
one-half two-thirds, and sometimes even
more, giving not enough even to pay the
taxes that, during the last summer, great
numbers have had little or no employment,
and that great numbers Of dwellings have
been occupied for which as yet no rent has
been paid.
have spoken of property occupied-the
case is much harder where the property has
been unoccupied or is unimproved. Under
these circumstances suggest that the people
be allowed to pay their taxes by inst Ailments
of one. two, three and perhaps even four
months. This will enable those who have
been straitened in their incomes by q very
dull and trying summer. now that the season
of business has commenced, to lay by some
thing monthly to pay their taxes, who can not
at this present tilneI pay them without great
sacrifice.
That these taxes must be 'collected there is
no dispute, and it is most desirable that they
should be collected at an early day but one
fourth of the taxes due, paid monthly into the
City Treasury, will more than suffice to pay
the current expenses: and it is a vain thing for
the Council to undertake to pay the current
expenses Of the city ard at the same time pay
the debts of the city, according to the letter of
the bond. Some arrangement must be made
with the creditors of the city, SO that the pres
ent burthen of the debt will be lightened. It
is more than the people can bear-it brushes
them to the earth and paralyzes action. Let
the burthen be lightened for the present, and
give the people time to recover themselves a
little. D. S. B.