The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-04-05

live and prosper. No, Mr.. Editor. IL CANNOT
be done. In our great mlsfortunes me pnD4 4e
creditors must share 1t Is cruel for them TO
think otherwise. Ii the convention Is only To
consider the claims of the bondhOlderS they
had better elect Pinchbaek president, let Mr..
Semmes pronounce an encomlum on me *
cellence Of Radical rule, and then adjourn ID
q blaze OF glory. PELICAN.
BACK TAXES AND DRAINAGE TAXES.
TO the Editor Of the Democrat
The annual exhibit Of my poverty by the
city authorities In the publication OF unpaid
taxes under the new dodge of division is now
before the public. As hold that all citizens
when able should pay their just taxes let 1t
be seen In my Instance who is to blame tor
this accumulation Of past due tax bills and
how far the city authorities are authorized ID
proceedings that bid fair to end In total
conflscation OF property rightfully acquired.
Ny residence Is In the lower part OF the Third
District, where l have lived for the past
twenty years. The property Is forty arpents
deep and undivided, with o right to the second
reservation, forty arpents more. or this large
body OF land only fifteen or twenty acres
are susceptible Of cultivation; the rest Is
swamp. The dwelling ID In very bad order,
and ut the highest rate OF assessment, IN
q more favorable locality, would not be
fixed at over two thousand dollars, so
that the larger portion Of the ASSESS
mept falls on the land. AS the State and city
taxes from 1871 to 1876 averaged $525 per
annum the tax on the arabic land was $26 %
per annum on each Of the twenty acres. The
swamp portion I will speak OF hereafter.
When It is considered that the Legisla-
ture, by act No. %, year 1866, passed In
good faith law separating the rural
from the urban portion which the
city by ordinance accepted the following
year thereby recognizing the justice OF the law.
and when 1t is we'll known that nothing has
ever been done by the authorities towards the
improvement Of the lower part OF the Third
protected as it might De, 1t occurs to
me that both the city and the State might
abate their pretensions little IN the high a.
easements and enormous rates 81 taxation;
but bad as the taxes are they might be over
come were it not for a fraudulent drainage
tax now covering up the property OF nearly
the entire owners In the ninth ward, go that
not q dollars worth can be sold unless the
drainage tax be paid. In the month OF Feb
ruary last tho sheriff sent me notice OF seiz-
ure and sale headed as follows:
'In the matter OF the Board OF Administra-
tors, praying Tor decree Of mortgage. privi-
lege, etc, upon the property Of y Howell,
Fourth Drainage District
Principals installments. ........$ 493 10
years interest 6 per cent. .... 1257 65
10 per cent attorneys fees ............. 476 10
TO become due
PrincipHl-4 installments- .....-..--. 232s 95
10 years interests per cent -----..-- l. s97 40
10 per cent attorneys fees. 372 10
Costs (estimated)- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS QUO w
Total, .ss.sa5 IS
When the costs iii d suit begin there Is no
telling the end and the above figures may be
below the reality, but considering that no
work towards drainage has been done Id the
fourth drainage district, and the project long
since abandoned, the claim ut best 1s q cheeky
one and the like occurrence in any other coun-
try would start the people TO raising hemp
for their mutual protection.
John Marie Saradet about three years ago
bought Mr. Tiblier's swamp property In the
rear OF the Louisiana Cotton Factory, nearly
$4,000 feet deep, running back from Goodchil-
dren street, for 500. The drainage bill is
$4,000 and more bills yet to come in.
Mr.. j. Anglade one year ago bought at the
succession sale Of Lacroix fifty three squares
OF swamp property In the rear Of Mr.. Caffin's
for $40 for all, and twenty-eight squares
back OF the Poland street station for $50 for
all. The drainage on each square Is $780, and
considering the water privileges connected
with the property the city has assessed the
whole at $4,000. Why the city assesses swamp
property / cannot understand; the owpers
get no benefit from it, Within the past twenty
years I have been robbed OF 5000 cords of
wood or its equivalent, and only four years
ago four acre picket fence fronting on the
railroad was stolen. l made frequent COM
plants to all In authority, and was finally
told that McCarty, the Administrator OF
Police, was not able to enforce the ordinances
connected with his department.
The Mississippi and Mexican Gulf Ship
Canal Company, under the provisions OF act
No. Nc OF 1869. received from the State S4So000
in seven-thirty State bonds, pledglng the en-
tire property Of the company for the payment
Of the bonds and interest. Up to September !,
1879 the State had paid $4,000 interest ana
only received 1902 from the company on ac-
count The company was therefore put in
default by the State, and properly speaking,
ceased to exist. The State funded S22o.Ooo OF
the bonds, the remaining S26O,OO0 rejected
and pronounced by the Supreme Court, NO.
$3.50, as not valid obligations of the State.
Out of this law sprang whatois known as the
NoyeS' act No. 80 of 1871, to drain the city OF
New. Orleans and the pockets OF the in-
habitants thereof. The City Council took vio-
lent proceedings against the act, and declared
It, by resolution, to be unconstitutional. MIR.
Lacey, the City Attorney, in a long opinion,
took the same view of it. and SO did Mr..
NAPLES, the assistant. The Council. how
ever, by ordinance No. Sli, April q, 1871, pro-
yided for the drainage of the first, second and
tnlrd drainage districts, AT the same time
stipulating the terms and conditions of pay
ment Tor work actually done. Act No 80 re-
ReaiS all the drainage laws at the time in
t thlee, and also contained provision that
a Sie Sounell could make another drainage
n nH, thereby delegating an unprecedented
Mer 70 municipal corporation to create an
~ tha ~ sum by taxation In direct violation
"a ny NJ slate constitution, but as there seemed
lao 20 "a necessity for plunier, ordinance No.
dranag sof'm lsty 1871 creating the fourth
triet fsan, ap tr1et was adopted. In this dis
sWo and half miles, the water rnns ~ n
HILL canals ns Y Bayou Benyenue two IN niles b
IS nasn s stssr into Lake There
ihe country to equal it, and had the n i, Il.
looked around little they would have i seen