The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-11
THE COUNCIL MEETING.
PROCEEDINGS FILLED WITH INTER-
EsTING TOPICS.

The proceedings of the meeting of the City
Council, which are published officially in the
DEMOCRAT this morning. are more than ordin-
arily important, and comprise the adoption of
the new license ordinance. measures for the
prompt
COLLECTION OF CITY TAXES
and licenses, the repeal of the coal landing
permits provisions for cleaning the streets, the
question Of the sale Of the public markets. and
other subjects of no less importance.
The resolution introduced by Administrator
lsaacson repeating the ordinance of the pre-
vious administration requiring the City Attor-
ney to Withdraw all opposition of the city in the
bankruptcy case Of the Fair Grounds Associa-
ton, was explained by Mr.. Isaacson who sal d
hat the ordinance, as II stood might involve
the city in u responsibility for the drainage tax
whilst the resolution supply meant to relieve
tho institution in distress Of It's obligation for
municipal taxes
For the first time since the organization of the
present city government the meeting was
On the question of authorizing the use of
certain portion OF the levae for
A COAL YARD,
Administrator Cheyalley took the floor and
announced his determination to oppose the
adoption of the resolution b cause 1t gave val
liable privileges for no consideration, and that
ut all events it was u bad precedent. He wished
the matter settled right now.
Administrator Behan, In answer to Admins
TRAITOR Marks said that no had offered the reso-
luton with the understanding tn the appi-
cants had tho assurance of all the Administra-
tors that they would favor it, that he he'd pre-
viously. himself introduced an ordinance re-
peaug oil ordinances authorizing the estab-
lshment Of coal yards on the levee, which he
thought was not too adequate for the Of
commerce.. His action in Offering the ordi
nance was based simply upon the representa-
tons made to him by the applicants In that par
tcuar case.
Administrator Marks now took occasion TO
0ri leo fnrf nj q vi Ing la 81
portions OF the leyee required by commerce. to
individuals, who paid nothing for'the privilege,
whilst other dealers in coal had to provide
themselves with other storing places. for which
they had to pay.
The discussion ended by tho adoption of y
motion, made by Administrator Glynn, to refer
the matter 10 the committee of the whole.
Administrator HoustOn's ordinance relative
to tho cleaning and repairing Of the streets. the
keeping Of tho b idge crossings in order and
the dispos ition OF garbage. made necessary by
the abandonment Of the work by the contract
ors. was adopted unanimously and without dis
cuSsion.
In this connection. at the opening of the
meeting Administrator Behan took tho occa-
sion to make some remarks referring particu-
larlv 10 the report of The special committee ap-
pointed to inquire whether the contractors had
compiled with their obligations. These re-,
was impossible for these contractors to do the
work they had agreed to do for the amount of
money to b. paid. and that no could not believe
that they had ever intended to carry out strictly
the provisions Of their contracts. II was In JUS
tce to the contractors that he said they could
not do tho work required OF them for the
Administrator Houston now ndulged in
severe criticism OF the acts of the contractors.
They had seen and examined the specifications
before max ing their bids, and must have known
exactly what they were obliesitng themselves
to do They never pretended to do the work
he asserted. They left the streets. the cutters
and the bridges In q entabls condition. On
Dryades street. from Julia to Common. the gut
ters were not cleaned for three months ut one
mn n ri 4 nj ia
tenn: they had placed Themselves In eompeti
ton with he Department OF improvements, and
offered to do the work better than the city could
do it itself and for less money they had done
nothing and got paid tor the work supposed to
have been done
Administrator Behan took the floor again to
say that he had heard on the streets that this
administration was charged with the deter
mination to break up the contract system; No
such determination ever entertained but
there was q determination that the contractors
should do their duty and that the streets should
be kept in order. This determination had re
suited thanks to the efforts of Administrator
Houston In discovering many delinquences
and an earlier abandonment of deficient sys
tenn than was anticipated. through the investi-
CATION of the special committee. which was not
Il whitewashing body.
The remarks of both administrators were re-
ceived with applause by the lobby
Mayor Patton took the opportunity to call tho
attention Of the attendance to the fact that such
applause was out OF place and must not be re-
peated.
THE MARKETS.
Administrator Marks opposed the PROPOSE
ton to sell the markets for one year whom the
resolution relating thereto came no. His argu-
ment was that some Legislation might be OBJ
tanned from the next Legislature which would
render the revenues Of thepubie markets moro
valuable than they are now
Administrator Behan called the attention Of
the Administrator to tho fact that the law al
ready required that the private markets should
not be- established nearer than six blocks from
the public markets. and that the enforcement Of
the law would secure good prices for the reve.
8 . 10 I,ttn pnrtJI tb1 Int, ;.,I
that these revenues should be farmed ont before
the twenty NTH of ea"h month.
Mr.. Marks reJoiued by saying that the method
Of selling the markets partly on credit, and for
notes If hand. might not be legal because no
valuable consideration could be implied before
the farmers had been in possession Of the reve-
before occurred the signers of these notes
might come forward and offer to, pay the city
with scrip and other paper and the result
would b. lawsuits and litigation.
The law could be complied with by selling the
market revenues for January before the twenty,
have had another full month to make itself
acquainted with the city business, aud then the
markets, If it was thought proper might be
Administrators Houston and Glynn coin
Gliding In tn, the main PROPOSITION OF Mr. Marks.
matter TO the committee of the whole.
THE OPERATORS RESIGNATION.
Yesterday several telegraph operators were
being instructed in the management of the
Police Fire Alarm Telegraph Department.. a key
to the signals having be- n secured by Chief
Engineer OConnOr.
The resignation Of the operators because Of
the appointment of an outsider" to a position
in the department is ascfibed Mt the City Hall
to the b-lief on the part of the then incumbents
that their services could not be dispensed with.
because they were alone the possessors of the
signal key, and that, by resigning all together.
the telegraph could not be operated, and in
order to retain them the city administration
would have to revoke Its appointment of the
| Objectionable person.
The course of the late operators Is severely
| criticised and now that the key" Is in the hand
| of the authorities. there is no danger that the
| public service will suffer from their action.
| committee from the Board of Underwriters
| held an interview with the Mayor yester day on
| the subject The result will probably be the
adoption of the automatic system Of fire alarm
| telegraphing which does not require the knowl-
edge OF telegraphy to operate.