Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1855-04-17
MAYOR RANSES'S SPEECH.

Unsolicited and unwished for, as was the posi-
ton now find myself placed in, vet recognize
the Obligations Of public duty resting upon every
member of society IL Il free commun tv, t. serve
the public III what ever capacity the people may
require his aid, and therefore accept the Office
imposet! upon Inc by the Partially of my fellow cit
liens, and shall be most happy, gentlemen. within
the limited sphere OF my legal powers. to coop
crate with you in laboring diligently for the
growth, prosperity, and reputation of ST. Paul
city in which | might b: expected to feel some
peculiar interest, if from no other than having
its growth day by day, and year by year, from
a settlement OF dozc n or two houses, to be the
capital of enterprise, wealth and refinement the
happy lumc Of six thousand people that we see
around US.
And, G2ntlem.n, when consider the circum-
stances un-er which it has grown up suddenly
in Il few years. frontier place, The resort Of a
Extraordinarily large number Of strangers, ana
men, for II season out of regular employment and
business many of them without the restraints of
families. | think We ought to congratulate our
selves on the general quiet and orc: which are GER
tainiy the charac cristics Of ST. Paul. an, which to
J. rs0ns coming from abraad'to >o;oarn or settle
among Us, have been principal recommendation
and iuducemcnt. Not that we are quite perfect:
not that ire -ular;ieS do no. exist; requ ring the
hand Of authority to correct and regulate, and in
far us this may b. found be thu case. gladly
cooperate with you, Gentlemen, and the other
officials of til. city. in promptly enforcing the law
for the protection of public morals, ana the dis
couragement of vice in any S ape.
Aud in TX ne til, san |, ntlcmcn, it is not
81 much because 1t is more especially III the pow
of the Mayor to regulate these matters, than
that of any other officer. even citizen, for III
truth according to our CITY Charte", the Mayor
of St. Paul is an officer Of very Limited powes--
being without regular police Or magis rial au
thority--but because | know st. Paul already to
be CITY of some moral reputc before the world,
and it should be the ambition of US all, whether
in office out of it, to contribute our mite to
keep that reputation unimparcd, and rather in
it from day to day, than suffer it to be one
iota diminished.
Under this view OF the matter, | trust that
every citizen, when he observes infractions of the
liwS, VIC atoms Of the public order and Of pub
lie morals, will remember that while complaining
without efficient action. is The reverse of his duty
that there is Polio. Justice for the City, whose
ofhc, is always open to hear Legitimate complaints,
and who Will promptly summon any offender to
to the laws, for any offence against them !;
that tn re is City Marsl,.l who will not shrink
from performing the duties of his Office whenever
opportunity is present d; and that the Mayor of
the City, besides rres ling at the meetings Of tn,
Council. h Is ro power TO interfere except to see
that tn, Charter Officers perform their respective
duties, in the unusual case Of riot r resistance
TO the laws, to employ special police, levied froa,
the mass of the citizens for the occasion.
| make thcsc remarks because there seems to
lie a misunderstanding Of what is the real pos.
ton of Mayor of St. Paul, and a disposition is
shown to run false parallel between his duties
and those of Mayor of larger cities and more ex-
tended powers, and cons 'qucntly to expect from
him the exercise of more authority than the laws
have conferred upon him.
1t is with pleasure, Gentlemen, that | observe
by the stat mcnts of the City Comptroller and
Treasurer, that the finance of It. Paul are in Il
hourishing condition.
The large debt that we labored under Il year
ago, when the Old town government sup
planted by tl3 pr; sent organization, has been
nearl liquIdated; while at the same time various
works or public improvements have b2en carried
on and paid Tor as they were executed.
The amount OF revenue Tor city purposes alone,
raiScl in st. Paul the past year for taxes and
other sources. amounts to $4,000, and when we
ad to this, SD ,O0l, the total amount levied up
the city for county and school purposes, we
have an aggregate of sil 800, no small revenue
to be raised in city Of six thousand inhabitants,
and Of barely six Years growth.
OF the amount have mentioned rs levied for
county, tcrft oral and school purposes, the large
sum Of S5. 80 has gone exclusively to the county
it is to be regretted that il locality, requiring
ut this time SO many improvements, it should be
necessary for the county take from our citizens,
a
tudc. Could this cXactlon be reduced, say one
half, 1t woald increase to that extent our ability
TO improve and beautfy our city, and 1t is trust
ed, the county authUrit Is, under new and
stringent administration OF its affairs, viii find it
unnecessary to draw the coming year 50 heavy
amount from c;tiZ ms in the shape of taxes
tor county purposes.
And while on the subject Of taxes, and finan-
ccs, it is appropriate to observe, that the time han
probably come when the Improvements demanded
for the next three years i'll the opening Of streets,
the erection of town-hall AMI lock up, for drain
age, culve!ts, the Introduction Of water for do
nestle uses, the lighting and Watching of the
city, etc, etc., will be too onerous for the present
taxpayer at once to meet, and suggest the en-
qury whether justice AMI sound economy would
not dictate that should rather raise an I'M
rroycment fund by u loan on the credit of the
city, for Il term say of twenty years, which could
easily be INUNDATED by the increased population
and means, IL few years later will inevitably bring
Us.
Among the Improvements that occur to M re-
curing The early attention of the Council, is the
draining Of that portion of the city north wcstcr-
IL towards the foot of the bluffs, where innumer-
able springs discharge their waters, which satura-
ting the soil and sinking into cre,ices of the rocks
prevents the digging of cellars and presents not
only serious obstacle towards the progress of the
city in that direction, but injuries the health of the
the lower plateau running into Trout Brook, and
the other cut through the FINEST me rock Of the
upper plateau, to The Mississippi river, seems to
me the most economical and citcctua means of
omlishing the work.
supply Of water for domestic purposes is one
great want of our city, and would suggest that
men OF science and experience be employed to
report upon the most practicable and economical
plan Of furnishing abundant and invarable
supply of this necessary element.
The adoption at an carly day of some plan for
n continuous lcvec along the whole front of our
city, and connecting tn. upper and lower land
lnSs. is among the measures greatly demanded
by the growing interests of the people. | trust
before many years to witness the completion of 50
beneficial an enterprise.
Gentlemen, this branch of public duty is new
TO me, AMI it will take time to acquaint myself
with the more minute details Of city affairs. and
therefore reserve some other considerations
that have suggested themselves to my mind for
future consideration. | have no doubt all the
members of the city government will move on
tremendously together, and | hope that at the
enl OF our term of Office, the people will be rs
well satisfied with our laborS as they have been
unquestionably gratfed with the manner in which
the affairs of ST. Paul have been administered du-
ring the political year that has just terminated
Tcx MooRr.- Abiding to Tom Moore, Mr.. Irving
said he took extraordinary pains with all he wrote
He used to COMPOSE his poetry while WALKING nm