New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1853-11-01
THE POLICE BOARD.

| IHE POLICE
The Act of the Legislature, at its last session,
constituting the Mayor and four Recorders OF
the City Of New Orleans Police Board, with |
certain defined powers, is one of the most odlous,
tyrannical and anti-republican measures that
was ever forced upon community.
The circumstances under which it was con-
ceiyed, the time at which it was passed, and
the motives which prompted it, command our
consideration. That the design of it was, by
concentrating patronage in four democratic Re
corders, to give an undue influence to the rohce'
so as to control our city elections, and to take
that power out of the hands of the people at
large we will endeavor to show 10 secure
democratic ascendency in this city throughout
al, time was doubtless, the design Of the demo-
cratic LEGISLATORS who framed this odious law.
more perfect adaptation of unfair means to
an anti-republican and oppressive end, could
not have been conceived by the most determined
absolutists.
We will give some of the provisions of the law
creating this Police Board, and our readers may
Judge from its features what the effects are 1t
will be likely to produce, and in what manner
it will influence the right Of the people to elect
their own public servants and their own rules.
! And first, in order to prove it to have been a
locofoeo measure, designed for forwarding po'
litical objects, we need only to show at what
time the law was passed
A draft of somewhat similar law was drawn
up in the early part of the session, embracing
certain liberal provisions, which were to be re-
tanned or expunged, according as the then ap-
preaching city election should result in the sue
cess of the wings or of the democrats. If the
wings should be successful, the liberal provisions
were to be retained if otherwise, they were to
be expunged and replaced by the odious features
, which now characterize it. At any rate it was
: determined that the net should not become q law
: until the city election over, and it was not
n passed until after the occurrence of that event
e The city elections came on, and the result
: was that whig Mayor was elected and four
locofoco Recorders The concern now of the
e trainers of the law, was how to take all power
= out of the hands of the wing Mayor, and to
e place it in the four democratic Recorders. The
!. thing was well conceived and admirably ex-
d ecuted. The law was passed and its chief fca-
lures are as follows
> The Mayor, s. together with the Recorders of
:. the city of New Orleans, shall be, and compose
:. Police Board, majority of whom shall act,
- and who shall make and confirm all Police ap-
- pointments, to wit the Chief of Police; the
Wardens, Underwardens and employees of the
'. Work house the Superintendent Wardens or
:, Keepers and employees of the City. Prison,
= House of Refuge, and Keepers or Commissaries
W of the Markets, and all other officers now nomi-
=, mated and appointed by the Mayor, and con.
y firmed or appointed by the Common Council p
10 By the act of the Legislature, all the power
=, and patronage which had heretofore been lodged
, in the Mayor was taken from him, and by on,
~ sweeping clause transferred to the Recorders, t.
y be by them used for base and selfish ends, ant
y for the purpose of controlling all succeeding
: : elections. 1t will be seen that majority o
= this Board are empowered to act Independently
~ and that the four Recorders, being all demo
81 Gratis, can outvote the Mayor thus being in
=, vested with absolute power, and the Chief Magis
= trate of the city being thereby converted into
~ mere pupput without eitherinfuence or weigh
" :, in the management Of municipal affairs
:. By this law it will be seen that the Polio
;. force and other city subordinates, numbering
~ in all about six hundred men, are made abso
lutely dependant on the Recorders for the place
which they hold. The Recorders may suspen,
e or remove them for cause !" and it is not to b
~ supposed that any cause, however frivolous
- urged against q policeman by Recorder, viii
y. be strictly scanned by his colleagues, who ar
w. equally interested in sustaining each other, tn
y better to carry out their individual purposes.
us Formerly the Common Council, fresh from th
, people, and representing the public wish, ha
" the power to reject or confirm these appointee
v of the Police, and under this state of the la,
ar there was some probability that men would b
rs selected as public servants who would be &C
y ceptable to the people. This odious law too
e. the power of confirming them from the people
representatives, and placed it in the hands of
Iv select few, to be used for private or politics
9. ends. The Mayor, who now by a strained fc
:" ton of the law is the head of the Police, ha
e no voice in the appointment of the men compos
It ing it nor can he even dismiss refractory o
l., unfaithful officer for cause. In order to do S
g he must have the concurrent votes of at leas
n two of the Recorders, who, being of opnost
: politics, will not be likely to aid him in Kidding
:, the city of an unworthy officer, whose yot
t may be made available by that party to which
a the majority of the Board of Police may belong
: There is another feature in the law suficien
$ to condemn it in the estimation of every lovel
n of fair play, Should it become necessary for .
:, citizen to prosecute member of the Police fol
d malfeasance, he. may ask in vain for justice
G The Police Board has the power to decide on all
grievances, of and against the Police, finally
and without appeal The Police being the crea-
Of lures of the Recorders, and the Recorders de-
L pending on the Police for the perpetuation Of
&c their power, it is not probable that Citizen
e. can obtain justice before body having such a
great interest in rendering to their supporters
is aid and comfort
Us Such law, concentrating such gigantic
1t power in the hands of a small body of men
G. who may and doubtless do use it for