Year: 1871

eudt AncnuS any blAuS d1 Oh, ~ AAo"A' 49, -
jority must vote for it. Certainly those


who vote against it don't pass 1t.


Those who are absent don't pass it.


defy any one to give any other interpreta-


ton to the act of the Legislature, except


that majority of the Council must vote


for all appropriations over five hundred


dollars. If this reconsideration is not taken;


I propose to take a proceeding which will


make this fact pretty evident to the world.


am willing to have this question reopened


and argued. 1 do not know but what it is


thing which, some time, may properly pass.


1 only ask a reasonable time for examinar


ton. As far as concerns the assertion OF the


Administrator of Finance, that no ordinance


can pass unless am for it, and that every


thing am for passes, think he very mucn


magnifes my influence in this Councn. Inc


majority of this Council have taken the


prerogative of differing from me at various


times. and the Mayor, besides, holds me TO


tighter Interpretation of the rules OF order


than any other member on this hoor. L do


not complain Of that. only claim as one


single member the right to one single vote,


and if I have spoken warmly on this


or any other ordinance, it is because


| have regarded it as serious question.


I look upon what we shall do with our


Waterworks as a very important matter.


I am willing to take up this ordinance and


pass it piece by piece. l am willing to pass


any ordinance that will save these works


from the ineorporators under the act of the


Legislature, if it can be done; but in trying


to avoid Scylla 1 don't want to get into Cha


rybdis. In trying to get out OF the clutches


of the Legislature, don't want to pass an


ordinance which is twice as dangerous.


The Administrator of Finance talks about


being approached. 1 have not been ap-


preached on this subject in an improper


manner by anybody.


Mr.. Bonzano: What do you call impropers
Mr.. Shaw: Nobody has ever offered me


any interest in the matter OF the Water


works. Think am as approachable in my


manner by all classes of citizens as the Ad-
ministrator of Finance. 1 am exceedingly
curious on this subject Of approaches. l
recollect a quotation-I can not exactly
place it


he comes too soon who comes to be denied"
Nobody has come to see me on this mat
ter; to that 1 could take oath. l repeat
that in courtesy, and according to parlia-


mentary usage, it is the duty of the Ad-
| ministrator of Police, in accordance with


the notice of motion he has given, to place
this ordinance back in the hands Of the
majority of the Council for reconsideration.
The Mayor, having called Administrators
Lewis to the chair, took the floor aud said:
As this is matter of courtesy and not a


matter of right, 1 would like to say word
or two with the permission of the Council.
This ordinance was passed according to the


rules. 1t had been before the Council for


months, and not suggestion of any objec-
ton was made to tit was simply delay.
Previously another proposition had been
| made to US which was in itself atrocious-


not so bad perhaps as the act of the Legis-
lature which gives the works away in per-


petuity to the Crescent City Waterworks
Company, but it was a proposition which
had all the elements of outrage and insult
to the Council. Whether the rumors pro-
ceed from those that made the proposition
or not, l don't know; but have had it stated
to me all the time since that propo-
sition was made that it would
be carried through the Council, and declare
here. in confirmation of the Administrator


who tells US that he has been approached


on this subject. that 1 have heard it
stated that every member of this COunci


has been approached, and have seen an
offer of hundred thousand dollars of the
stock of this company for one vote in favor
| of the proposition, which it is the object OF
| the present ordinance to defeat, by SO tying
| up the Waterworks with mortgages as to


prevent their being stolen by persons who


would have to mortgage them again In
| order to get the money to run them. If the
Administrator of Accounts wishes to make
any amendments to surround this ordinance
| with greater safeguards and guarantees, let


him offer them. believe every member


will vote for them, but want to secure the
Waterworks from robbers.


Mr. Delassize That is it.


| The Mayor: This, believe, is the Admin
| istrator of Waterworks' object, and there
is not a word, not lisp, against this
ordinance, on the ground of the incom-
pleteness of this ordinance, in this re-
gard. declare again that have heard of
offers made to other members of the Council,
| besides the Administrator of Finance. l
| have seen the offer OF hundred thousand
dollars of stock, with the names of the incor,
porators affixed with their own signatures.
l would like to have this ordinance so COM
plete, and believe it is so now, that nobody
who has not abundant resources OF his own
to carry on and extend these works, can ever
| take them away from the control of the city.
We are short lived, all of us. The members
| of this Council may die, or they may leave
| the Council, and the Legislature, under the
spur which induced them to pass the
Crescent City Waterworks bill, may pass


another bill like it, or the same bill, over the
| Governors veto; but this ordinance, l be-
| lieve, will be sufficient security for the
city's interests. None OF this two millions
and a half can ever be expended with.
out the vote of this Council, and
| the Administrator of Finance knows it
full well; and if there are four Administra'
tors here SO jealous of this ordinance, these
same four Administrators will surely be
equally jealous hereafter of the way in


which the money is expended. Three Ad
ministrators can not vote it away. The
Administrator of Accounts can throw as