New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1853-02-03

The present session of the Legislature will
scarcely do credit to the members or~be useful
) 10 the State. The labors it should perform are
Of q unusually responsible character, and in
Z volve the entire public prosperity and progress
for the next ten years. The new Constitution is
to be put into operation, facilities for internal
Improvements are to be granted credit is TO be
properly guarded but literally based, and new
syxtsm Of the Judiciary is to be organized.
Up 70 fhisday what has the Legislature done;
How has it indicated its sense Of grave respon-
6bilitiesi How has it come up to face them,
and give promise of embodying them in acts
Let facts answer. q
In neither branch has any member shown
himself competent to the position Of leader.
The wings are in a minority, so hopeless that
not one Of them could pretend to occupy such a
place. But, theories aside, a leader is an abso.
Int and practical necessity of every legislative
body and the failure of the party in power to
furnish one not only shows the poverty of ability
in their selected Representatives, but seriously
retards and embarrasses public business The
action of either branch is now shapeless mass
Of issueless contradictions, and its future action
mystery to its own friends As matters now
stand, though we have justly expected much,
We can reasonably hope but little.
We have had something for Buncombe; we
have had movements for partisan purposes, We
have had nothing done for the benefit of that
large and controlling mass of citizens, who con
slider every subject practically and claim that
Legislation shall be something more than verbose
defamation or partisan resolutions
We bav va ~. 4
moralize the police of New Orleans. to place the
appointment Of its members in the hands of four
different and independent authorities; depend
ing upon and responsible to a mere district vote,
and who would unquestionably appoint those
Who might be useful in securing their re-elee-
ton For partisan ends, this might answer to
the interests of the community, it would eer-
ainly be adverse. In the discharge ofhis duties,
the Recorder must closely scrutinize the CON
duct Of the policeman, and should, therefore, be
free from all connection with or responsibility
fUr him. If the policeman should be his own
appointee If he looked to him to secure certain
votes for the next election--how could he freely
censure him. As it now stands, the policeman
IL the Mayors appointee, and the Recorder is
more than perfectly free to censure and thereby
check the appointing power.
The greatest of all embarrassmentsis the pro-
position to remove the Legislature to some other
point The Legislature has matters of more
Importance to attend to, and however desirable
such removal may be, the time of the present
Legislature is too valuable for the wasteful dis
cussion proposed to be commenced Mt its very
opening. Such discussion would seriously
delay public business of the most pressing Mo-
ment To order the holding of the SESSIONS of
the Legislature at Baton Rouge, was a great
blunder but when every thing stands still,
waiting the organization Of Free Banking and
system Of Internal Improvements, it is costly |
waste Of time to open lengthy debate upon |
question of convenience. 1t would amount to |
nothing in the end.
In reference to the question of United States
Senator, the Legislature promises to make the
majority (democratie) odious ridiculous. 1t
threatens gross and Jacobinioal violation Of
regular presidents; and, with the exception of
Gen. Downs, brings forward the name of no
candidate to give the color of respectabiliry to
the proceeding The election of Downs would
be the disorganization of the democratic pqrty
Of Louisiana, and would create dissensions
which would divide and distract the majority in
the Legislature, and make the Senate Chamber
and the Hall Of the House of Representatives
mere gladiatorial arenas.
This is the not very agreeable prospect before
the people of Louisiana. That the outory of
few, clamorng nosily in the papers, or speak
ing or acquiescing carelessly in insignificant
public meetings, should be entertained as. public
sentiment, shows the loose, fragmentary and in.
decisive opinion, which has ordered n United
States Senatorial election, and placarded Loui-
siana as the leading actor in the next national
comedy.