The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-04-06
WORK FOB TEE EXTRA SESSION.

leans After settling prelIninaries and over
coming initial Obstacles: after recognizing
the House and after getting into some kim
of accord and understanding with the Senate
and Ex cutye; after the explosion OF large
volume Of pcnt-up ctf-rvescence, with the ac
companyiny wran9les and qnArrels, and aftel
concluding that the choice OF a United States
Senator does not concern the people hun
dredth part as much as measures OF actual
retrench,nent and feasible reform, what will
our law give do for the good OF the city!
The years business is well nigh over.
Legislation can not much affect the current
season Yet this is the time for men OF buSl-
ness to make preparations for the fall trade.
Owners OF buildings wish to know between
this time and September whether thelrhouSes
and stores are going to be tenanted or not.
Capitalists wish to know, from the tone and
temper Of tue Legislature, whether that body
is to be the pioneer of the people on their
road from d wilderness Of distress, or to
stand in their way rs heretofore, Ike horde
Of Arabs, hindering their progress. Men who
have idle means wish to know whether it can
be safely invested here, beyond the reach OF
cOnfiscltio for excessive taxes; whether bust
ness is 10 b. encouraged by protective laws or
blghted by the rapacity q official marluders;
whether confidence is to be toatercd Tor the
benefit of the people, or abused tor The profit,
convenience aud promotion q few poiltlcat
gypsies, and whether the people are q last 70
have good laws honestly administered, or to
be still afflicted with the products of legisla-
tive bungers and qulcl;s, enforced by titled
pettitoggers and silysters. Our city IS 10 q
condition to draw in capital and attract its
holders Fifteen millions are supposed to be
lying Idle here for want Of confidence IN the
immediate future. Sums, still larger, are
ready to be employed here in mercantile enter
prises, and in moving Southern and Western
crops as soon as the incubus OF misrule is
taken from the city and State
1t is very desirable that merchants should
know how to calculate for the fall trade, and,
therefore, to know with some degree of
rea ,onable &C rtainty whether existing causes
of depression are to be removed or not. Inc
city debt represents very large interest
which affects q great many holders and deal
ers directly, as well as the masses OF the
people indirectly. There arc about twenty
two millions of city bonds outstanding, which
cost to the actual owners total OF be-
tween ten and fourteen millions, aid cal! for
an interest tax amounting to nearly
million and half What viii the recon
structed Legislature do 70 relieve The
city from this tremendous and unbearatle
pressure: VIII they sanction by law the
non payment of interest for three or five
wears, and so reduce the city tax by one per
cent, until property again becomes capable of
bearing tax and yielding revenue? Viii
plan be offered by which the debt may be
enuitably adjusted on a scale of uniform re-
duction, There appear to be no adverse in
terests among members elect in either House
to hinder any measure of relief which may be
accorded to the city in this matter.
Ifnothing more be done, the laws which
now compel the Council and Mayor to levy
and collect he.interest or city debt tax might
be safely repealed in order that our home au-
thorities may have full control of the sub
iect aud lie lett free to arrange with the cred
itors of the city in such manner as necessity
dictates.
The question of the Metropolitan Police |
presents greater difficulties 1t was organized
for Radical purposes, and most Of Radical
abuses have been committed under its protec
ton. II has been virtually an outpost or gar
rison of the Federal army, obeying the orders Of
the President and Radical majority |
in Congress, as communicated through |
the Radical Governor. It has been COM
posed of devoted adherents of the usurpation, |
and its officers and commissioners, appointed |
by the us,lrper, have been hostile to the peo-
pie of New Orleans. The police has been the
body. guard of the Radical vagabonds aud in
tfusive officials who have preyed upon the
people of the city and State, the cunning de-
vice of. those who thought they needed mil
itary protection, and who would othe rwise
have been uneasy without the constant pres
ence of a regiment of United States troops
Through the Metropolitan machinery they
compel the city, at her own cost. to maintain
more than twice rs many men as necessary at
wages from twenty to thirty per cent hlgner
than better men get as lahorers and mechan-
les, without having the slightest authority or
control over them. Will the Radical Sen
ate and Governor surrender the body
guard Of the Radical party TO the city
government Or. if they are not will
ing 70 surrender control OF their
janiza,ies. will they not at least limit the
number and lessen the expense We antic-
pate abundant contention over this matter,
but a single days debate will be enough to
show TO our Conservative friends whether 4
restoration of the control of the police to the
city is or is not possible. decrease of its
expense should at least be insisted upon, ii
nothing more can be had.
A MISTAKE We regret exceedingly that
through mis- sake the st. Charles Theater
,,,,, ~, o,,r Sunday iss,,. |