New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-07-25

| sumption or movement to individual cor
porators. let them append to every future
! grant, and especially to this Invaluable
! monopoly now sought by home or foreign
corporators, the conditions which follow.
| LIE. there be an ordinance making no
contract, but delegating certain duties to
the corporators, and let MI. Burke move
such proyiso as follows:
Provided, That nothing herein contained
shall be go executed or construed as to I'M
pair or impede the right of the Common
Council to alter, modify or repeal this Ordi-
| nance at the pleasure OF the Common COup'
Gil.
The lobby agent OF the applicants will
at once swear that his principals, who are
immense capitalists and to whom money
| is no object, will never accept grant on
such conditions. Very well. Other cor
porators and capitalists have SO sworn,
| and atterward, when satisfied that they
could not secure the grant without accept
ing the conditions. have accepted both.
The same principle which induced King
James to sell monopolies Of every de-
| scription in order to avoid dependence
| upon the Parliament has again actuated
! legislatures to grant profitable franchises
| TO individuals. The same public indigna-
ton against q King who sold his people to
task masters has arisen against further
legislators who do the same thing. The
Western States have resisted the grants of
monopoly: so has the State OF Pennsyl-
vania, and we believe Of othern Eastern
States. There is at least one State OF the
South which has granted no Independent
or unconditional railroad charter. We
bu: Propose that our Council should do
the same thing. It will be appropriate
here to remark that as fast as. the
street railroad charters fall in they
should be reserved under the entire
and exclusive control Of the city govern.
ment SO tina. the street railroads would
make q system subject to the exclusive
regulation OF the city. No charter should
be granted or renewed without such reser-
walton. We have expressed our confidence
that any corporation will accept the grant
Of the levee franchise under the conditions
stated. The reason why they should, and
why they will do so, is this The public
can not foresee what will be the conse-
quence of an original grant. The corpo-
rators vii! be prepared to abandon the
grant il improbable, or to work it to the
utmost profit if it be profitable. The
public are absolutely incapable of OPP
pressing corporations doing their duty,
but the corporations will avoid every obi
cation, and evaae the performance of
every ser7ice possible. If one party is to
trust the other with the monopolies of
butchers meat, lotteries and wharves,
we had rather this transfer company
should trust the city, than that our
people Of all occupations should trust
private corporation in a matter Of
such importance. We do not believe
there is a space in the city over which the
corporate jurisdiction is SO important as
on the mart where our whole comm cree is |
received. There are thousands of men
and hundreds OF vehicles daily trave rising |
tina: space. ard the police jurisdiction OF
the city is.indispensable in the movement !
of the vehicles and men and commodities !
which Gongregate and commingle. 1t
would seen. to US that an Administrator |
Of Commerce would be on his white horse !
surrounded by his staff experimenting in |
person the daily conflicts aud comm tions |
which occur On this battle ground of !
commerce. the ponderouS floats which |
dash like heavy artillery through the
the thic..est Of the fray. the soustabouts. |
who break up the cargoes. the ste vedores
whose gangs are laden with corn sacks.
or who crowd the gangway, the or owds of !
idlers who peel bananas, or patronize the
pie-stands, or the strangers who are
picked up by the confidence men. all
combine to present constant demand
for supervision and protection that can
not be delegated with safety to any set of
men at home or abroad.
New Orleans must then retain the
means Of eontendipg with her formidable
rivals. To do so she must organize the
shelter. safe and cheap transfer of all
through goods. This should be one by
he city administration; but II a work so
essential shall be ;ntrus.ed to any corpcr.
Ition. il should oniiy DC wi:h the reserved
light 70 the Council to alter, amend or
epeal any ordinance which shall confer
ny such authority.