The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-04-01
IAN ATTEMPT TO CLOSE
THEATER.
A New Way to Collect City Lii
cpnSeS.

We have had so mary acts Of oppression per-
pe!rated in this State under the guise of law
| we Nave seen SO much of the assumption o!
power and defiance of popular will on the
part Of Radical magnates, that perhaps we
| should have arrived at that blissful state oil
mind which would cause us to wonder at
! nothing And We confess that SO far as Radi-
more boldness and effrontry to astonish us
than they are ever likely to evince.
When, however, officers of the law elected
by our own people so far forget themselves
as to be guilty of arbitrary and unreasonable
exercise o. power when they depart from
the good old rules which custom has made
law, and attempt to use the machinery of the
courts for the purpose of causing unnecessary
vexation and expense, not only to individuals.
but to large numbers Of people, we may be
pardoned for feeling and expressing amaze
ment
We are credibly informed that yesterday
evening the City Attorney, B. F. Jonas,
caused to be seized for the non-payment of city
licenses, the Varieties Theater, and that not
content with that action and with placing O
deputy sheriff in charge, he obtained from
Jake Hawkins IN Injunction restraining the
manager and proprietor of the theater men.
toned from giving any performance until
said license, amounting to two hundred and
fifty dollars. be paid.
The effect of this very remarkable and We
may say unparalleled action-for it is the frs
time within our recollection that such an at
tempt was ever nade-was no doubt expected
to be the closing Of this place of entertain
ment, and very great vexation and annoyance
to hundreds of persons who had purchased
their tickets, and had made all arrangements
to go to the theater. This must have beer
the expectation inasmuch as all the proceed
ings were taken about or after o'clock, ani
when it was too late for the proprietor of thu
theater to take any steps to obtain stay o.
proceedings.
The case seems to be peculiarly aggravated
one, for the gentleman against whom the
blow was aimed, and who it was expected tc
iniure, is an old and wealthy resident,
more than able to meet any and all proper
demands. and whose position should have
given him immunity from any such disin-
eenuous assault. He assures us that he
had never had any notification tina.
the amount was due; that he was perfectly
willing to pay, and would have done SO cheer
fully upon simple request This being the
case, we can discern no plausible excuse fol
the action of the City Attorney and his subor
dinates, who seem to have been actuated ir
this matter moro by disposition to cause
unnecessary and unwarrantable trouble thar
to subserve the best interests of the city.
We are glad to know that the Sheriff con.
cluded to permit the performance to proceed.
We learn that the same summary and
extraordinary proceedings were meditated
against the Academy of Music and Flynn's
Gayety "a concert saloon), but for some REQ
son were not carried into execution.
The city is in no position to act in this
summary and harsh manner toward her cred.
itors, and if her debtors were to act with the
like severity toward herself, she would be de.
spoiled in short time of all her available
property. The action yesterday savors en-
tirely too much of the spirit which has ami
mated the men who have oppressed Loui-
siana under the cloak of Radicaisn, and we
trust, it will not soon be repeated.