New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-05-20
THE DAILY CRESCENT.
SATURDAY MORNING. MAY 20. 1864
SHALL THE People GoVERMa


Colonel W s Campbell. in his frank and re-
publican speech in the House Of Representatives
on the occasion Of presenting the bill IN favor OF
the Pontchartrain Railroad, declared that
though opposed TO the measure as it then was,
there was a principle involved in the matter
which he was bound 60 recognize. That princi,
Die was that the city Of New Orleans had the
right I'd 1egislste for herself on measures purely
local. This is sound, good doctrine, and we
should rejoice that it had secured so able q
champion, if we could be satisfied that the Colo.
mel had not, by his subsequent course, acted il
direct contradiction with the just principle her,
avowed. The bill which drew from the Colone
this political axiom provides 'sthat asubscriptioI
shall be made by the city Of New Orleans to tn,
Pontchartrain Railroad Company Of 81 800 .0O'
in bonds of the citys that it shall be lawful fol
the Council to pass an ordinance to that effect
which ordinance shall not be valid or take eff
feet until it shall have been approved or ratified
at an election to be held for that purpose BY Or,
der of the Coumon Council, by majority of the
qualified voters of said CITY,
Now whatever bubble may be tortured out
Of the expression in Colonel Campbells speech
which refers z to the city Of New Orleans,
the decisions Of local questions: there can be
no doubt that the Legislature, in passing
this act, intended that the voters of, New
Orleans should ultimately decide the question Of
subscribing to the Road, and hence the repre-
sentative principle avowed by Col. G. is directly
involved. In this matter the voters are consti-
tuted the local authority to decide this local
question. Unlike other matters of City Govern
Deiat, which are assigned to the Mayor and
Council without any direct or indirect appeal to
the people, this subject is taken by the Legisla
ture out.of the ordinary functions of the Cor
poration, and directly referred to the voters
Now, can Colonel Campbell refuse to vote n
submit this question to the very power, which
the Legislature in the bill reported by him
recognized as the local authority, to decide the
matter Does not his representative principle
apply here7 Is not athe city Of New Orleans
the people Of New Orleans, SO far as the decision
of this local question is concerned? Would the
Colonel con6ne this question entirely to the
Council Let US bring the question home
When the Colonel 50 earnestly supported in and
out Of the Council, the proposition to submit
to the people the question of converting the tas
imposed for the benefit of the people of the Great
Northern into bonds suppose any member O
Che Conncil had risen in his seat and opposed th,
passage Of the ordinance, would not the Colone
have delivered himself thus wise:
Mr.. President am amazed at the propo
Eition Of the gentleman What, deny the peoplt
the right Of taxing themselves, of deciding q
question which the Legislature says they shall
have the right to decide Assume to ourselves
the power Of taking from our own constituents
whose servants we are, the very prerogatives te
which we owe our official existence, the right 81
voting on questions which the creator of this
corporation has given. them the right to vote
upon and determine. Sir, there is no Republi-
canism in this il is at war with the represent
ative principle; it is audacious assumption and
arrogance on our part and virtually declares
thatwe cannot trust those from whom we derive
all our powers, whose will we are bound to carry
out, whose behests we are bound to execute. z
Such il the speech with which everybody knows
the worthy Assistant Alderman from the First
District would have demolished any Individual
who might have suggested that the Council
should undertake to decide against submitting
to the people the question whether the tax foi
the Great Northern Road SHOULD be converted
into bonds, including even the 100000 alread,
paid in the shape of taxes Is not every wor,
Of il apnlicable TO the present position Of TIL
Colonel, Hho, himself, the President of a Com
pany which has already obtained by vote o
the people an enormous amount from the city
now turns around and says the people, who havs
been SO generous to his Company, shall not have
the right to be equally generous to another Com.
pany not, in fact, exercise the right which
the Legislature expressly gives thems Certainly
it cannot be necessary to elaborate propositions
30 clear as these. 1t is evident that the inten
Of these laws, submitting to the people directl.
the question of certain taxations, was that tn
Council should merely discharge a ministeria
or executive function; that it should provid
for the manner and mode of taking the popala
vete; and for it to assume to exclude the PEG
pie from voting on the subject is NANTES
usurpation.
Similar in its nature, but even more pal
pable in its violation of the representative prin
ciple, and its opposition to the intent and will
the Legislature, is the doctrine laid down in tn
majority report of the Finance Committee of th
Beard Of Assistant Aldermen This report OBJ
jects to the clause in the act Of the Legislature
which refers the question to the qualified voter
of New Orleans. TIE report says: "We d
not recognize the justice of allowing the righ
to vote for the imposition of a burden on prop
erty to men who have no abiding interest in til
city-men who Today may aid in our ruin, AM
tomorrow laugh at our folly, and who have mel
Their pecuniary or social interest at stake
And who are these dangerous characters, VIII
have no pecuniary or social interests at stake
The qualified voters of New Orleans the sam
persons who elected Messrs Place, Levy ant
Howell, little thinking that almost the first nc
Of their representatives would be to ostraciz
them from all "peeuniary or social interests il
the community.
Was ever such doctrine heard of before, tn
Representative stamping his own constituents
as unworthy to vote on question Of taxation
and declaring that they have no interest in th
community. They have sufficient interest l.
vote for him, but not to vote for measure whiel
he may vote for. These individuals may vot
for Mr.. Place, who is to be entrusted with tn
power of regulating the taxation and admins
tering the revenues of the city, but they csnno
be trusted to vote on proposition to impose a ia.
Of 81 800 900 on themselves Why becsuseit i