New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-02-27

epidemic, and he had voted for it, IL
asked that the people of St. John be treate,
as justly as was the parish of Caddo
The bill finally passed.
} On House bill No. 20, to authorize tn.
police jury of the parish Of jefferson to re
move the seat of justice of said parish, con
sideration was postponed.
, House bill No. 143, to repeal the ac,
creating the parish of Grant was called up
Mr.. Stewart offered an amendment to add
the parish of Lincoln. Ruled out of order
The bill was finally passed.
House bill No. 1903, amending the law
regulating the costs of clerks of court, re-
corders, sherffs and notaries public came
up. The bill applies only to the parish OF
Orleans, and makes an immense reduction
in the fees of Offices. 1t finally passed.
Senate bill No. 8, to incorporate tho Loui-
siana Telegraph Company was finally passed
by vote of 80 yeas to % nays.
Mr.. Demas in the chair.
Mr. Mathews again called up House bill
No. l6O, and moved Suspension Of the
rules to place the bill upon its third reading
and final passage. Lost.
Speaker Hahn resu med the chair
House bill No. LOG, repeating the act au-
thosizing the Governor to appoint an Assist
ant Attorney General, was, on motion of
Mr. Lowell, taken up and finally passed.
Mr.. Murrell in the chair.
House bill No. %, to defer the assessing
and collecting Of the park tax, was called
up by Mr. Drury.
| Mr.. Hahn took the floor and said that he
knew something about this matter. He
was chairman of q committee appoint at
| the last session to investigate this stupen-
| uious park swindle. He was, however, op-
posed to the bill before the House for rea-
| sons which ho would explain. We all
know, he said, that in the establishment
| of this Board of Park Commissioners
great fraud was perpetra ted. The board
was created during the regime of
Governor Warmoth, and it was constituted
IN such way that the will OF the Governor
was supreme in the ma tier, the Senate not
being gwen the authority to confirm the
appointments. The board filled their own
vacancies. When the members were ap-
pointed, instead of appointing men who
were fitted for the positions by taste for
such matters-men who would have per.
formed their duties from a love of the
work-the Governor appointed number of
his otiiceholders and personal adherents.
These men purchased the property which is
now called by courtesy the City Park in
their private names, nd afterward sold it
at an enormous profit to themselves as q
board. They then inortgaged it to secure
the payment Of the notes, and as they had
sold it to themselves for great deal more
than it was worth they also mortgaged the
Old City Park property in the rear Of the
city to secure Themselves.
About one half of the purchase price has
now been paid, and, although that price
was enormous-w dishonest-yet he
thought it would be a suicidal policy to now
abandon the claim which the city possesses
More than $500, 900 has now been paid, and
on the failure to meet the first annual note
falling due the " hole would be lost
Every city should have park St. Louis
has recently fitted up one on an extensive !
scale. So has Chic ago: and nearly every
great city has a bre athing place OF greater
or less ma snit ude. In city like New Or. |
leans, which is so hot during large portion |
OF the year, park is very essential !
to the health and happiness of the |
people. 1t is a great benefit to the |
poor especially, who have no gardens of |
their own. Our china te is favorable to the |
Uyfb OF Nd
to adorn place Of public resort of this
nature. New Orleans should have the
most beautiful park of any city in this
country for this reason. And although it
would come hard on him, as it would on
many others, yet he thought it would be
bad policy to stop paying at this late day,
and lose all that had been paid.
MIR. Drury said that with all due respect
% the gentleman from ST. Charles (Mr
1ahn) he could not entirely agree with him
q his opinions. IL was true thar the city
lad paid $6S0,ooO for this park. This city
las a contingent fund with which to pay
judgments. That fund could be used to
mount of money which had been col
ected, there had as Yet not been one soil
airy cent paid to beautily these parks, and
he road leading to the so-calIed CITY
ark was in such horrible condition |
nat 1t was very doubtful if a person could
ct there with a horse and buggy. The | .
nnual notes amount to SIS, 900 each, and I
9 thought the city might meet these notes {
rom its Judgment fund and without the !,
ecessity Of collecting this tax =
MIR. Hahn said that he rose not for the | I
urpose OF replying to the gentleman from t
sumption tMr. Drury). He had omitted
.is re marks something which he intended y
say. The board was now in tolerably hon. Il
IT hands. But one OF the original members c
as now left Colonel James Lewis was !.
DIV on the board, and SO waa Joseph II s
glesby, as honest man as ever lived in y
his community. Il
Speaker Hahn resumed the chair |,
Mr.. Lowell said that with all due respect :,
his friend from Assumption (Mr. Drury) a.
would move TO indefinitely postpone O
is bill, and would make few remarks on v
is subject. lie desired to Incorporate the r
nguage CT Mr. Hahn as his own. In | W
lswer to his friend from Assumption he st
ould say that there was as good road az &C
uld be found any where between this city n,
10 Carroliton, and from that place to the in
. fark. lie was taxpayer in this city, 10 10
"a he was certainly opposed to losin. all n
at had been paid for this park. sc
lhe bill was indefinitely postponed al
I