The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-05-18
CITY AFFAIRS.
uu,NyCupAL MATTERS
nratuagc Mntters-Assisting Commerce
Ana other Topics.

wr.fuamc NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. C0hiiHcFcs-
Ana other Topics.
Nv a.1emecourt, the City surveyor. is urging
abe necessity OF opening Claiborne eana' ~ LIS
uansde street, to facilitate drainage. Ihe GRAIN
a,o atera of the entire front Of the city. between
~ Peter street and the old canal to Espianade
atreot ia received by the Claiborne Canal be-
tveen those points and by the circuitous way Of
t,rleans street aud Broad street aud lead to tho
London Avenue Draining Machine.
The plan or Mr.. d'Hemecourt would do away
with tho necessity of the Orleans street canai,
and would send the sewerage across Eepisnaae
utreet into ST. Bernard canal 70 the LONDON Ave-
nue. machine. A look at the head OF ST. sefn"fa
canal would allow the water to flow as iar ~
Elysian Fields street. IL needed ZOE hso eA"h-
gushing purposes in that locality.
The Board OF Underwriters propose TO pay TOT
The labor in cutting tho canal across hspiana"e
street. provided tho city will furnish the mate-
r;a,s. which will cost from three to Tour hundred
dollars.
rns e,romwell line of steamers having erected
=, b.na.ouo warehouse OH tho levse at thor
lending are DESTROYS of having the grade OF The
Mob;,o Railroad in rear Of the building lowered
or plsnked up to the grade OF the warehouse, i'll
order to admit Of the passage OF drays and floats
;nsi5e. The Administrator OF Commerce has au-
thoriEed tho demand to pe made on tho railroad
company.
The Administrators Of Finance wishes shippers
and consgnees TO b. informed that applications
must be made to him perst nally, or through hfe
wharf gers, whenever it 10 do irab'e TO moor IN
coming veseels at points specially allotted 10 GER
tain trades as hs claims that he alone can deter
mine whether the space 10 not required for it's
special lurpoges.
case Ii print has occurred recently. coffee
laden vessel finding the coffee wharyes occupied
nv or by some cotton SHIPS, was mo0rsd 1t
tho wharf of tho Mississpp Valley lraneporta-
ton company. On inquiring into the matter
Administrator Cavanae aecertained that permis
zion had been previously obtained by me cotee
ship from the agent OF the Transportation UDn'-
panv MIR. Cavsnac says that although the wharf
Is intended exclusively for the use Il tho barges
of tho company they have, however, no right to
grant permission TO other vessels TO BIO noored
thore aud that he alone is responsible for euch
rermiss,ons, and can Judge az the propriety Of
allowing ships to unload ut the wharf.
Mr.. Cavanac asBerts that heretofore this system
sof promiscuous permits has led
TO THE BLAcKMAIIxNa
or snio owners and Gonsigneas, who have
been made TO pay Gums varying from ono hun
dred 10 one hundred and fifty doNars for prlvi-
leres which would have been granted by him
readily aud without charge. HO expresses his
determination to prevent the occurrence OF such
scandaIou. proceedings during his administration
of tho Department OF Commerce.
TIE RAILROAD TAX.
Members of the Property Holders Union en.er-
tain encouraging feelings regarding the defeat
of the Pacific Railroad tax, and say that at all
events. should the vote OF the people be ia favos
of il, they will, upon the first attempt made 10
collect tho tax, enjoin the city from doing so.
THE GAINES CASE.
Ia reference to the daines case. tho Mayor AZ
prcheuhs no annoyance to the city, but claims
from legal advice, that many OF tho purchasers of
the property in litigation cannot now call the city
in warranty, hey having failed to defend them
selves against the suits Of Mrs. Gaines. even
after the Oily Council had given official notifies.
ton TO these purchasers that the city would not
DO responsible to them In case OF such failure.
As to Mrs. Gainee prospects OF getting into full
possession of tho properly, in como cases this
masters In ohancery will have to make heavy ex-
.hIbits against her. Much OF the land has never
been built upon nor have any revenues been d.
rived theretrom. hence Mrs. Gaines Will have
nothing to set off against the taxes which the
present owners Of the land have been paying OIL 1t
for tho past e Teen years or more. La other cases
the revenue may rot amount to so much as the
taxes paid on the property by prebeat owners or
their vendors.
There are, also, many othor CoLingenoisa
which may not bo favorable to the celebrated
claimant. Mayor pilsbury thinks, however. that
the entire litigstiop, as far as tue property re-
ferred to Is concerned, could DO compromised iof
two hundred thousand dollars, cash, and that ii
would DO TO the advan' age OF all parties II the
city had the money to effect such compromise
but the city hasn't.