New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-01-16
Condition 81 Neworlsa,,s

Tn the formation Of the city charter there will
perhaps be no branch Of government more diff
cult Of adjustment than the Executive 10 fix
on That just medium, that while it gives to the
head Of tile Executive sufficient power to make
him an efficient officer to preserve his RESPONSE
bility yet at the same time 50 guards and re
stricts the power intrusted to him, that it can
MT be used for selfish or tyrannical purposes
to distribute among the subaltern officers so
much Of power as will enable them to properly
and efficiently discharge their duties; yet al
the same time to preserve their strict accounta
bility and to point out the mode and manner in
which that power should be delegated, is prob
lem of difficult solution
Recognizing the broad republican doctrine
that all power emanatcs from the people, holp
that the principal officers should receive their
authority directly from the people. As the
rights and prosperity Of the city and the liber-
ties and happiness of the people are in their
keeping, they should beheld as near rs possible
under tile control of the people. so as to be re-
sponsible to them for the high trust imposed
on them In the distribution, therefore. Of
the Executive authority among the several.
nal principle Of accountability to the delegat-
ing power am aware that many able and
experienced men doubt the correctness of sub
hitting the selection Of purely ministerial off
GERS to the people. 1t is contended that as the
fitness for particular offices require qualifca-
tions of a particular kind, the canvassing of
these qualifications cannot be as well performed
Jx-lo j, r
number Of men selected for their intelligence
from the body Of that constituency.
We're men actuated alone by the high and
ennobling attributes of our nature, then, per-
haps, the practical application of this theory
might justify such a conclusion; but the expe-
rience Of each day is constantly illustrating that
theprejudices and selfsllpassions of man have an
oyerw eening influence on his actions. While it
may be true that the people are sometimes led
astray, Yet, actuated alone by a wish for the
prosperity ofthe country, their g sober second
thought, will soon correct any rnomentary en-
rors they may have committed but when the
bestowaI Of important offices is left to small and
delegated bodies, those bodies too often become
the arena of conflicts where the reward of the
victor is not the glory and happiness Of the
country, but the promotion of individual schemes
and private ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. The experience of
the past has taught that there are men in every
community whose yaulting ambition seeks its
own qualification, even at the sacrifice of the
best interests of that community; prudence,
then, counsels that the controlling influence
should be held by the people, for they are the
most deeply interested. This controlling in
fuence can only be preserved by letting the more
important offices be filled by selections made
by the people themselves.
Believing this to be the safest mode by which
the principal officers should be selected and the
one most in accordance with the genius of our
institutions, / now proceed to suggest the man.
ner of distributing Of the Executive power.
e First--A Mayor, who should be elected by the
qualified voters of the whole city, and who
should hold his office for two years but who,
after having served two years, should not be
eligible tore election until after the intervention
Of one term He should have general super
vision over the affairs Of the city have limit
ed veto on the legislative department exercise
controlling influence over the police, and dc
and perform those things under the ordinance:
Of the Council that they may point out and di.
rect 10 secure the responsibility of this officer
for the good order and police regulations of the
city, sufficient power and independence must be
given him to effect this object As the posses
sion of power generally engenders a thirst for
its retention, care should be taken, in clothing
the Mayor with the necessary power for the pro-
per discharge Of his duties, to check the deyel-
opment of this feeling: and thus it is thought
by limiting the eligibility to this Office to two
terms, the motive to make it subservent to self
ish purposes, rather than public good, is taken
away
dly--There should be u Recorder for
each section, elected by the qualified voters of
the respective sections; they should perform
| and discharge all those duties which properly
belong to committing magistrates, and should
hold office for two years. They should appoint
their own clerks should have power to impose
limited fines for petty offences enforce the va
grant laws, by commitments to the Work house
and House of Refuge; and should have power
| to punish petty crimes, by the intiction of such
| adequate penalties as the law shall prescribe
/ Thirdly--A Comptroller, a Treasurer, a Sur
yeyor and Chief Of Police should be elected by
the qualified voters of the city, and hold theii
Office for two years. The Comptroller should BIZ
the chief accounting officer of the city, keep 4
set of books, under such regulations as thu
Common Council may prescribe, and in which
shall appear the whole fiscal transactions of the
city, and should once a year, aud that just pre-
! vious to the fixing the annual tax, make out
and publish in pamphlet form, a full and de.
tailed statement Of the fiscal transactions of the
past year, He should appoint his own Clerks
subject to the approval of the Upper House OF
/ Board of Aldermen, and lie should be liable tt
j removal from Office by two thirds vote of the
two Houses but previous to such action, he
should be furnished with the written and speciti,
charges upon which such action is to be based
! The Treasurer should be the custodian of til,
public funds, under such rules and regulation.
as the Common council may prescribe Hi
should have general supervision of the collec
i ton of the revenue, should have attached to hi.
1 department revenue bureau for collecting the
dues Of the city, SO guarded by system o
checks, established by ordinance, that the strict
4 est accountability shall be preserved-shoult
make daily returns to the Comptroller of the re
! ceipts and disbursements, showing the daily
| balances, and also make returns to the Council