The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-06-07
CITY TAKE.
New ORLEANS, June 6, 1874.
the Edit RS New Orleans Bulletin

NEW ORLEANS, June 6, 1874.
. To the Edit RS New Orleans Bulletin:
, In this mornings issue of the Picayune
under the caption of Getty Taxes" state
ment is made that the present stringent law
for the collection of city taxes was passed
by the Bayonet Legislature" '.mh the ap
: proral Of all the citizens" This statement is
not only ontrageously untruthful, but has
not even the semblance of probability tC
entltle it to credence; for it is a notorious
fact, that at least nnetsen-twentieths OF
the citizens Of New Orleans, whose opinious
are entitled to any weight, or who have any
interest in the material well-being Of the
city or its Inhabitants, have never recOg-
nzed Kellogg's Legislature as a Legitimate
body, and as a consequence would not, by
any voluntary act, thus tacitly recognize its
legal existence.
Again, it is manifestty absurd that any
citizen, not directly interested in the
wholesale robbery of the peOple-under the
name of taxation-wOuld advocate the pas
sage of law to enable the authorities
more effectually to carry out these nefarious
schemes of spoliation, by which the whole
community, without distinction of party or
race, are inevitably overwhelmed in one
common ruin.
Again, no fact is better established than
that no respectable citizen favors the usurp-
alton of authority in local affairs by the
| Legislature or State, by which the citizens
are really deprived of a representative gov
| eminent for mere party purposes or more
etfectually to rob the people, thus deprived
Of all power of self-protection.
The usurpation of local selfgovernment
by any Legislature, however pure, would be
a grievOus wrong, violation of principle and
fraught with evil as precedent, but the
of Nv 4
by courtesy, a Legislature, but which is
really band of jobbers, sitting in council
to devide the property of the people among
themselves, is an enoImity too stupendous
10 be described. Hence, the self-eyident
absurdity of the assertion, that all the citi-
zens approved Of an appeal to this body to
enact a law, for their more effectual and
rapid robbery.
1t is said by the Picayune that the Cham.
Der of Commerce framed this law, and
urged its enactment. This statement Is
made, l presume, to induce the people to
quietly submit to the severity of it's eXac-
tons, as that august body, composed Of
some of our best citizens, would neither
approve Dor sanction either a bad or
harsh law
To people at distance this argument
may be of weight, but to us it is simply alb
surd.
The chairman, who wields a commanding
influence, has been charged again and again
with being in completely with the plum
derers of the people, nor have those allie
cations, although circumstantially made
been disproved, and it is also currently re-
ported that he has boosted that he did more
than any other man to establish and per-
petuate the Kellogg usurpation.
Ii this body, which retains this gentleman
at it's head, and thus tacitly, at least, in
dOrses his acts, possesses the confidence of
the people, or could give weight to any
measure advocated by him, it is new to the
people Of this city.
While upon the subject of taxation, will
take occasion to state that it is reported
that several members Of the city admins
tration were endeavoring to log-roll strin-
gent tax collecting bills through the Kel-
logg Legislature. If such was the case, no
language is sufficiently strong to be used in
condemnation Of such conduct. 1t would
b ca base abdication of their duty to their
constituents, and a REIMBURSEMENT of author
ity delegated to them to serve the people, in
protecting them from that class which has
been robbing them for years, by taxation
grossly excessive and impOverishing beyond
all precedent. 1t is also said that they used
their influence in the Legislature to defeat
bill having for its object the limitation of
city taxation to point within the power of
the people to pay. N.