Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-03-17
FOR THE vIRGINfAN.
Shall we have II Mayor with q
Snlnrv

The citizens of Lynchburg will observe,
that the Common Council has directed the
Sergeant to open poll for the election ofa
Mayor by the people, on the LIST Tuesday
in April next, without publishing the act Of
the Legislature, authorising and directing
such election, or even directing the Ser
geant to open poll, first to take the sense
of the voters, whether they are in favour
Of having Mayor with salury Of $500,
quartcred upon them or not; which we
think in courtesy, and right, is due to tho
Taxpayers of the Corporation, as they
will have to raise tie means, wherewitl,.
he, the contemplated NewMayor, is to DO
compensated fot his services.
But before the citizens Of Lynchburp
could possibly be prepared to say, whether
they wished Mayor with salary, it is
absolutely necessary that they should know
what duties he would be required to per-
iorm-whether simply to act in criminal
cases, and breaches Of the peace, and to SUI
permitted the police, &C., or is he to sitalso
in civil cases of debts, trcsspasses, &c, be-
tween idividuals alone, and without the as
slstancc of other Justices of the Peace
For il so, there would be q decided objcc,
ton to the last branch. of his duties. AS he
would un s.iousl y imbibc prcjudiccs, for.
and against parties, SO often perhaps be-
ioro hun; nor should the peace loving por-
ton Of the community be made to pay for
controversies between the more contcn-
nous, in matters Of debt, breaches Of tho
peace, &c.
Then the community will clearly sec,
from the above few hints, that the qucs-
ton of Mayoralty with salary of $500
should first be decided at the polls, before
1t should be called upon TO elect one--no-
lens, tolens--whcthcr they, the people
want him or not nor can they vote intel
hgIbly even on this question, until the du.
ties of the Ncw-Mayor are prescribed, and
the mode of paying him, published by the
Council
SO far VIC believe the old method Of O.
lccting Mayor from among the Magis-
tracy has worked well and given saiisfac-
ton, to all who are in favour Of d simple.
and economically administered, Municipal
form Of government. And which is tho
more especially necessary, at this particu-
lar juncture Of the financial condition of
the people Of Lynchburg, land their Treas
ury debts,) SO much burdcned as thew
are with Tax on half million dollars,
more or less-to meet the instruments on
their own, and corporate stock in the vir-
gina and Tennessee Railroad, &c.
Then, we are satisfied with the working
of the old method ofclecting Mayor, and
whose duties undcrit, has cost us nothing,
and that the Mayor and Justices of tho
Peace, are willing checrfully to continue
to perform the duties appcrtuining to their
offices, without Fee or Rcward-that it
would be most unjusti6ablc expenditure
OF public money--and at time too, when
IT'S so essentially necessary to husband our
resources, in order TO meet the debts al
ready incurred by the Corporate au,hoii-
ty. The population Of Lynchburg is not
sufficient to Justify it; the people did not
originally call for it, nor should Mayor
with salary Of $500 per annum be forced
upon them without their own consent
MANY TAXPAYERS.
Norr.-Should the Cplmon Council
fail to direct poll to be opened, either
before, or ut the election Of Councilmen,
&c.-to take the sense of the voters, wheth-
cr they wish a Mayor with a salary-thcn
the people viii see that it is done--and
poll will be held accordingly.
MANY TAXPAYERS.