The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-06-25
Those Tax judgments.

In one OF oHrfecent numb ers we directed
attention to the fact that tax judgments
had been entered up in the Superior Dis
trict Court against numbers of religious
and charitable institutions in this city, our
Information going so far, indeed, as to en-
brace every one of such institutions. The
attention of Judge Lynch being called to
the fact he put himself to the trouble of
personally scrutinizipg the list of tax judg
ments which he was called on to sign, and
found number of them evidently bearing
upon properties exempted by the policy of
our law from taxation. The list of these
properties with the comment Of the Judge
has been kindly furnished US by
MIR Burke, Clerk of the Superior District
Court, and is here inserted. The numbers
refer to tax bills.
First Presby teriau Church. 3,426.
Hebrew Congregation, 40S5.
Institute Brothers of the Sacred Heart, 4. 10.
st. Mary's Orphan Asylum, 100
Society Roman Catholic Church, 9 1888.
Association of the Colored Orphans of Louisi-
ana, 9 345F
THIRD German Methodist Church, &c, 065.
st. Elizabeth Asylum, 10 32S.
Society of Redemptoristr, 10, 355.
Society of Daughters of Charity, 10 6A.
Milne Asylum, Sol.
Roman CATHOLIC Corporation, 1U9lo
Society Roman Catholic Church, IL, 1928.
Milne Boys Asylum GA.
Prytania Street Presby terrain Church, SOL
Catholic Male Asylum: 10: nm
Congregation of the Missions, $50.
Catholic Institution, 573.
Catholic Orphan Institution, 675.
Academy Sisters of Mount Carmel, 2,6s4.
Protestant Orphan Home, 500.
N. o. Catholic Male Asylum, 5,S48.
N. o. Female Orphan Asylum, 6 09l.
N. o: Female Orphan Asylum, 6.Os4.
The jodgme rents against the foregoing itstitu-
| tionS are not signed at present, as the Court,
from o casual examination, thinks that they
may, under the law, be exempt from taxation
The City Attorney ia directed to examine this
matter, that the Court may take anal action on
| these judgments.
It is clear from this list that our inter-
vention was not entirely in behalf of Cath
Ollie institutions. The first item on the list
is DR.. PAlmer's church and the second il
the property of a" Hebrew Congregation
A number of other properties belonging tx
Protestant communities will be found or
the list.
| 1t was aot proper that tho labor of max
ing this investigation should devolve upol
the Judge of the Court. The signing of suct
Judgments is ordinarily a mere work O
routine, involving but slight effort beyont
that of the actual writing, while the car
bestowed by the Judge in this case involve
the scrutiny of some twelve or fourteen
Thousand separate Judgments. This implie
an arduous labor and a very tedious jot
all originating in the carelessness or culpa
bility of some one through whose hands tn
, business had previously passed.
f The Bulletin in abiding to this subjet
| is, therefore, wrong. 1t says, in referenC
r to the fact that Judge Lynch had called th
) attention of the City Attorney to thes
I complaints: "The explanation of the Al
8 torney seems to have been satisfactor,
D and the judgments were allowed to stand
8 1t appears from the above list that th
{ judgments were not allowed to stand, {
d least so far as their identity was patent c
o their face. There may be and doUbtle
# are many other judgments bearing on e.
9 emptsd property, which could not be pos
Q lively identified under the descrjptiC
:, given. 1t can, indeed, we'll be conceived tn
the City Attorney was not accountable +
il tho state of facts. The voluminous VOL
b of taking defaults against every name pm
y lished in the delinquent list is, to q gre
D, extent, necessarily done by clerks, wit
Z out the personal supervision of the ATTIC
r. ney. But the original error is the respOnI
as BILE one, and that lie with the AssessOrs. Th'
r. work is not of routine. It lie done pcrutin
l. iDgly, piece by piece. These properties we
D. put on their lists Intentionally and tn,
DIT mode of compensation is such rs to ha
III made it quite profitable job.