New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1853-03-10

:. MEMORIAL OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF NEW ORLEANS
TO the Honorable Senate and House of Re
presentatices Of the State of Louisiana.
The memorial of the Common Council of the
city of New Orleans respectfully sets forth
That they have been informed that certain
bills have been introduced into the House of
Representatives of the State of Louisiana hay
ing for their object q radical chance IN the
present charter of the city as consolidated at
the last session of the Legislature That yollr
memorialists have ascertained that among the
amendments proposed, it is contemplated to
make complete alteration in the organization
OF the Police Depar tment, and to SO far abolish
the provisions of the twenty-ffth section Of the
Act to Consolidate the city of New Orleans
and provide for the government and administra-
ton of its affairs, approved February %, 1862,
rs to vest the appointment of Police officers
Policemen, and Watchmen, in a SO called Police
Board, to be composed of the Mayor and the four
recorders oil the city, who may suspend, remove
or discharge such Police-ofiicers, Policemen or
Watehmen, and decide on all Police matters
finally and without appeal.
Your memorialists would beg TO pCint out to
the honorable Senate and House of heprensen-
tatives Of the State Of Louisiana, that the pre-
sent clty charter has not been in operation one
year,but that notwithstanding the brior pcriod
OF its existence, and the difficulties inseparable
n
chinery OF eur city government, the Colsoda-
Ieu system has worked we'll, and bids fair to ac
compiish all that its most ardent friends desired
The restoration Of our city credit has been Of
iected, as your memorialists believe, on a sure
and durable basis; and not the least gratitv
ing result OF Constellation has been the gradual
ais appearance OF tnat sectional feeling which
mad Its origin in Earring interests, rival corpo-
fatlons, ani dipided potcers and Responsible
ties.
Amongst the most important changes effected
by the act of consolidation. was that which
made the Chief Magistrate of the citv the re.
sponslble head of the police, and which, as sneb.
conferred upon the Mayor the appointment of
the police under the or iinapcas of the Comn,a,,
Council, restricting his power so far, however,
as to make the nominations of police officers do.
pendent on the confirmation of the Board of
Aldermen, and rendering it imperative on him.
IN case Of the discharge of any police officer 10
communicate the fact of such discharge to the
Common Council, together with his reasons for
me same Under this system of accountability
.he police Of the city has been organized and IS
1t is not within the province of vo,r
memoralists TO dwell on the manner in
Whieh these enlarged powers have been used
nor Is 1t a matter of much concern 10 tho Conl
erai Assembly Of the State of Louisiana N Know
mat, IN the opinion Of your memorialists tbo
PohDs HVN - more elnclent more actiYe anl
more energetic, than it was before. But vonr
memorialists conceive it to be their duty 10 mn.
prise the Legislature that the system under
which the police is now appointed, is vast i'm.
proyement on the old mode, by which the police
was made accountable to sundry Councils and
Recorders, and the Mayor was deprived of ali
but a nominal control or authority over the
members of the department The result of such
system was complete disorganization, SO that
on occasions of great emergency, requiring the
undivided energy of the police, they could
scarcely be brought to act in concert 4 similar
system, as your memorialsts conceive is sought
10 De forced on the city by the bills which con.
template the re-enactment of the twenty fifth
section OF the act of consolidation. and the ere
anon Oh Police Board possessing that most
dangerous and deprecatory privilege of diridAI
Potcers and dicided respons ibihties. A police
appointed IN this way would, in the opinion of |
your memorialists, lack efficiency and unity.
lnasmuch as the inevitable effect would he 10 |
Rarslnon the appointment of police men into
Uastflcts under separate heads, and to make
them accountable in a great measure To that
mead, the Police Board being used as a nominal
contriyance to impart an apparent unity "a n
system that to the minds of your memorialists,