The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-06-30
CITY COUNCIL.

CITY COUNCIL.
The City Council met In regular sestdon /
at noon yesterday, Hon. @. j. Leeds, Mayor, |
in the chair, and all the Administrators
present
This following message from the Mayor was |
read co. 5l4ia5 ,,cs - ..1tsaasi
I5.ll New ORLEANS. June 20, 1875.
Gentlemen of the City Councils 4
On the 29th OF December last, / submitted |
to your consideration q message in which II
objected to the ordinance adopting an es;i- |
mate of the receipts and expenditures Of the
city of New Orleans for the year 1875.
In this message made the following Ne
marks, viz: I9jF@
ct seems to me, however, that the distress
of this community is SO great and their ina
bility TO pay this excessive tax is SO evident
that the occasion is one in which it il proper
to consider whether laws enacted to compel
you to levy upon your constituents tax
which they can not pay can be constitutional
or obligatory upon you.
The inability of the people to pay so large
a tax, which l then asserted, has proved to
be true. With the utmost energy on your
part, with the greatest Inducements to-
prompt payment, the time has arrived when
the receipts from taxes will not meet the ex.
penditures, and the question now arises,
"How is the city government to be admlnls-
tered? ?" ssu 81. sa esa4 fa
Even if in disregard of the constitutional
amendment, you were satisfied to drift along,
making appropriations without the means to
meet them-making purchases at exorbitant
prices-it would only be for short time.
Then the inability TO purchase at any price
would puta stop 70 this mode of proceeding
What then remains? Either the functions
of government must fail, or means must be
found to sustain them.
As in the message have just quoted,
then advocated suspension of the tax for in
terest, on the ground of the public necessity,
so now see no way of protecting the public
welfare but by taking from the taxes collected
sum sufficient to meet the current neces-
sary expenditures, reduced to the lowest
point comm ensurate with the efficient per-
Torrance Of the duties committed to your
charge.
The public safety is the first law, and this
must justify you in using the funds which
should otherwise be devoted to the payment
of specific debts If this Council had control
of the police and of the expenditures which
they should make, or of those which are de-
voted to the public schools, would recon-
mend the immediate cutting down of these
expenditures to the lowest possible point, or
their total suspension for time. But as we
have no power over these matters am COM
PEELED to advise that which seems to me the
only practical mode of sustaining the govern
ment. t7a CHAs D. LEEDS, mayor.
The m essage was ordered spread upon the
minutes. - =.
An ordinance appropriating the sum OF
SIT, 768 03 for the payment OF the pay rolls OF
the Departments of Improvements, Surveyor,
Waterworks and Public Buildings and Com
merce was adopted. -
On the petition of Michael Mullen for per-
mission to erect q steam engine at No. III
Poy, ras street, the Administrator Of Com
MERGE reported by resolution granting per-
mission as prayed Tor. lQ t55
The Administrator of Police reported bids
for furnishing ~, 900 poisoned sausages, and
that of Luke Duffy for Ii cents apiece being
the lowest, was accepted.
Administrator Landry introduced resolu-
ton accepting the bid of Henry Ellerman for
the lease of the wharves, and asked that it be
adopted. a4a ia p
The bid of Henry Ellerman, proposing to
lease the wharves for period OF four years,
and to build the wharves required by the City
Council in other than the First, Second, Third
and Fourth Districts for $10per square, and
further proposing, if it shoul0meet the views
of the Council, to continue the lease for two
years or more, to make all the repairs, pay all
the expenses for police. lights and other
necessary expenses in connection with wharves
and levees, not to exceed thirty thousand dol
lars per year, to make reduction Of fifty per
cent in wharfage dues, and to deliver the
wharves in good condition at the expiration oi
Administrator Burke moved the following
substitute: III
Whereas, the statement Of disbursements
on account of the wharves and landings Of
the city of New Orleans exhibit an expendi-
ture Of $1,S4O,O0O ostensively for the repairs
and maintenance of the wharves; and
Whereas, the impression prevails that said
expenditures should have been less than one
third of said amount; be it 80
Resolved, That the committee appointed to
investigate the accounts of the Department
of Improvements be instructed to examine
all vouchers estimates Of work and expendi-
lures in bonds or cash, on account of the
wharves and landings, since April 4th, 1870,
and to report thereon. That fer this pur.
pose, the committee shall hold night sittings,
if necessary, and may employ an expert clerk,
at salary not to exceed the rate OF one hum
dred and fifty dollars per month. Z
That acceptance Of the bid for the lease Of
the wharves be postponed until said commit
tee reports.
He spoke at length to his resolution and
against the leasing of the wharves. he
| claimed that in case the expenditures were
not fraudulent, but were correct. then the
city was making good financial transaction
in the lease.
II, however, it was found that the expendi.
lures and bonds were tainted with fraud, the
| Council would be charged with being acces
sorry after the fact should they accept the
| bids. taa
1t would not require more than ten days
to make the investigation, daring which time
neither the city nor the lessees would be mate
rally injured.
His motion was lost and the resolution OIL
Administrator landry came up for actor
and was adopted Administrator Burke and
Bertoli voting in the negative. Mr.. Bertol
explained that he was in favor Of the leasing
of the wharves, but thought that it would
be no hardship to postpone the matter al
requested by Administrator Burke.
| Administrator Burke reported on the pc
tition of night-soil workers, that, in the opin