New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-12-01
CITY CoUNCn-oFFIcIAI
SPECIAL MEETING.


CRY HALL. new ORLEANS. /,
Monday, November 81. 1874. 5
4 special meeting OF the Coun Gil was held
this day at II NJ.
Presentation. Louis A. Wilt. Mayor
presiding, and Administrators Brewster
Calhoun, Fitzenreiter. Lewis. Schneider,
Sturcken and Turnbnll.
The May or informed the Council tina: the
meeting was called to receive the Mayor and
Administrators elect, and turn over to them
their respective departments, readiness 20
to take charge Of the same being announced
in the following communication. which was
read and ordered to be spread upon the
minutes:
New ORLEANS. November g, 1874.
Hon. L. A. Witt. Mayor of the City 0: New Orleans
DEAR SIR-In compliance with resolu.
ton adopted last night at a meeting Of the
members elect Of the incoming Council, !
have the honor TO inform you that we pro-
pose TO wait upon you at the City Hall on
Monday, the thi,tieth instant. at twelve
o'clock NJ, to assume the functions Of the
city government.
! remain. sir. very respectfully sour obe'
dieDt servant. i. l.. BoUNY,
Acting Secretary.
The subjoined message from the Mayor
having been read, was. on motion of Mr..
Lewis. received and ordered to be spread
upon the minutes:
MATcRA11r OF New ORLEANS !
NoveLia.rY *. 1874. J
Gentlemen Of the Councils
This being our last full official meeting. /
avail myself of the occasion to return
to each and all the members OF this
body my cordial thanks for the uniform
| kindness, the unchanging confidence and
the generous assistance which ! have re.
| ceived from you.
From the first day Of my administration
until now our official and persona! inter.
course and relations nave been friendly,
confidential and pleasant. have presided
at more than a hundred meetings of this
body in committee OF the whole. and over
as many more in public sessions. all OF which
have been singularly harmonious. Differ
ing opinions on many subjects have led to
numerous discussions. in which l have
taken q part; but acrimonious debate OF
language, manner, tone or substance liable
to offend have been unknown in our delib'
erations. I am fully convinced that this
concord and harmony has resulted from
were moved bv the purest desire to pro-
mote the true interests OF our city.
We have met here as friends; as such We
have acted aud as such We now separate.
Our relations for two years OF gloom. ditfi.
Guilty and misfortune have been altogether
pacific, for the sufficient reason that we
have Jointly striven against many obsta.
cles to protect the rights and to enhance
the welfare Of the people Of New Orleans.
Acting in this spirit, each Administrators
has at all times had ample opportunity to
impart his views and suggestions, which
have always been heard with respect and
consideration. do not hesitate to say that
the concord, courtesy and mutual esteem
which have been shown by the members OF
this Council have never before been wit.
messed in any deliberative body of equal
numbers for SO long period. During all
this time have received innumerable kind
nesses, which shall always remember with
gratitude.
The two years Of your administration
have been the gloOmIest in the history OF
our city. You began your responsible and
laborious task when the real and personal
property of citizens was rapidly declining.
and that downward tendency of all values
has continued until nearly the close OF your
term of office. Your hands were SO tied by
unfriendly State legislation that you were
without the power to relieve the city from
enormous expenditures. You found her
bound for the payment of the interest on q
stupendous bonded debt. To raise this in.
terest you were forced by the most strln.
gent laws to tax the property OF our impOv'
erished and struggling fellow citizens. You
were likewise obliged to pay maturing bonds
by the same means, requiring, tor interest
and principle, q cash tax OF 81 80 on each
hundred dollars worth of deprecated and
constantly declining property. Besides
this, you were obliged to pay or absorb an
old floating debt of more than g., 600, 0G0, to
pay FOR the support of the State police under
the control Of the State about $So0.000. to
provide for the costly support Of the
public schools over which the Legisla.
ture left yOu no manner OF control.
to collect and pay over to a State board
tax to pay for city park utterly useless to
the city and never asked for. to fulfill many
onerous contracts made under acts OF the
General Assembly without the consent and
contrary to the interests and wishes OF the
people, to meet defeat or satisfy greedy
horde of claimants and litigants, and to en-.
counter difficulties in many other forms
which | need not enumerate. For 1874 you
have been enabled by the Legislature to
postpone the payment Of maturing bonds,
and thereby reduce the city debt tax one.
half of one per cent. Except this tardy and
scantv measure of relief you have been
unable to obtain legislative assistance. not
withstanding your most ass:duous endeav.
ors during the whole Of two sessions OF the
General Assembly.
The period of our administration ha. IN.
cluded financial crisis from whose damag.
ing effects the city treasury greatly suffered
and still suffers: but if the business Of the
city had never felt this monetary paralysis
the people in very many cases could not
have paid their taxes. Thousands of others.
able to pay. were discouraged by rents so
low as hardly to suffice for the payment o:
city and State taxes. leaving them actual
losers to the extent of their Insurance. and
repairs. in addition to the loss by shrinkage
in value. Many others have refused or
failed to pay taxes because imposed under
the compulsiOn of hostile Legislature.
The RI suit is that the assessed owe to
the city debt Of nearly i've millions.
Of which more than three millions
was due and exigible sixteen months
ago. Instead of buying for cash at low
rates. you have been obliged to supply abb
solute wants of the corporation at such
rates as would indemnify the sellers. much
in advance of market prices. Therefore.
while YOU have not increased the debts and
liabilities Of the city. you have not been
able to reduce them 20 any considerable eX'
tent. Your difficulties have increased con.
tinuailv with the decline of the city credit
and securities. You have been on duty
during the last watches OF gloomy night
Of adversely, and you leave your posts just
when the light of prosperity is beginning to
dawn upon our city, and when change in
the character of the General Assembly may
be expected to bring legislative re.iet and
restore confidence.
In behal. of the C,unci. and Cor myself
wish to return most hearty. and earnest
thanks to the officers employed in your
several departments and in mine. tor their
marked kindness toward me on all occa-