New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1856-02-04
CITY CHARTER.
AN ACT to provide iforlthc government of
the City OF New Orleans' and the ndlrnlnis-
| tratIoit of tho affairs thereof. r.

of Representatives Of the State of Louisiana, in
General Assembly conucned, That ali that portion of
the Parish of Oreans situated on the left bank Of
the River Mississippi shall be the City Of New Or
leans; and that all the free white inhabitants thereof
shall be body corporate by the name of the :" City
of New Orleans" and by that name they and their
successors shall be known in law, and shall be capa-
bic of suing and being sued, and of prosecuting and
defending i'll all courts and in all actions and matters
whatsoever; and may have a common SEAL and may
alter and change the same at pleasure, and by the
same name they shall be capable of holding and con-
veyng any estate real or personal for the use o. ;u
corporation, under the restrictions and WnlIauohs
hereafter set forth. Adopted.
SEQ. O. The City Of New Orleans shall be dlVlded
into three Districts, as follows, to-Sit: 1,
l. The First District to extend from the upper hlle
of said city 10 the middle of Julia street, until it
strikes tile New Orleans Canal thence down 'he ia'
die of said Canal to Lake Ponchartrall. ,
2, The Second District to extend from the lower
line Of said First District to the middle Of Toulouse
street until it strikes the Canal Carondeet thence
down tha middle of said Canal until it strikes the
BAYOU St. John, and thence down the middle of said
BAYOU to Lake Pontchartraln
I. The third district to extend from the lower line
of said Second District to the lower line OF the City
of New Orleans. Adopted
SEC. 81 The Legislative power Of the City Of New
Orleans shall be vested in Board Of Aldermen and
Board of Assistant Aldermen, who, together, shall
form the Common Council of the City. The Board
Of Aldermen shall consist of seven members, who shall
hold their Office for four years. and shall he elected as
foows two by the First District, two by the Second
District, two by the Third District, and one by the
City at large. The Board of Assistant Aldermen
shall consist of thirteen members, who shall hold
their office for two years, and shall be elected as fol
lows four by the First District, four by the Second
District four by the Third District, and by the
City at large. Adopted
SIC. 4. 1t the first sitting Of the Common Council
in 1856 the Aldermen shallbe divided byot into two
classes The seats of the first class shall be vacated
at the end of two years, and the seats OF the second
class shall be vacated at the end of four years; Pro
half Nft ba
shall constitute the first Glass; and at each biennial
election after that Of 1856, sufficient number of
Aldermen shall be elected to fill the places of those
going out. Adopted.
SIC s. At the first sitting of the Common Council
in 1885, the Assistant Aldermen shall lie divided by
lot into two classes The seats of the first class shall
be vacated at the end of year. and the seats OF
the second class shall be vacated at the end Of two
years; Provided that onehalf of the Assistant AL
dermen Of each District shall constitute the first class
and at each annual election after that Of 1856, sui
icient number of Assistant Aldermen shall be elected
to fill the places of those going ont. Adopted.
| Sec. g. The Executive power of the City of New
Orleans shall be vested in Mayor three Recorders,
one Treasurer one Comptroller, one Surveyor, one
Street Commissioner, Board of Assessors, and a
Board of Supervisors Of Assessments, together with
such other subordinate officers for preserving the
peace and good order of said city as the said Common
Council may deem necessary. Adopted.
SEC. T. The qualifications of the Mayor, Recorders,
Aldermen, and Assistant Aldermen shall be the same
as are required for members of the House Of Repre-
sentatives in the General Assembly of the State.
| Adopted.
SEC. s. The elections of Mayor, Recorders, and of
one class of the Aldermen, shall take place the
fourth Monday Of March, every two years; the Mayor
shall be elected by general ticket, the Recorders by
District ticket; and the Mayor, Recorders and Alder
men shall enter upon the duties of their Office the
second Monday of April following. The Recorders
Districts shall be the same provided by section
of this act. Adopted.
SEC 8. The election of one class of Assistant Alder
men shall take place the fourth Monday of March
of every year. and they shall enter upon the duties Of
their Office the second Monday OF April following
Adopted,
SEC. 10. The qualification of voters for Mayor, Re-
cordeTs, Aldermen, and Assistant Aldermen shall be
the same as are prescribed by the Constitution of the
State Tor the election of Representatives in the Gene
raj Assembly of the State. Adopted.
SEC. H. At the first election to be held under this
act polls shall be held i'll the several precincts which
have been established by proper authority for the
election of Representatives in the General Assembly
of the State, next Immediately preceding; and sucl
elections shall be held in conformity with existing
laws and ordinances. Adopted.
SEC II. On or before the first Monday in July
1856, the Common Council shall lay out and establish
a sufficient number, not less than eight, of electio
precincts in each of the Districts established by Sec
ton of this act each of which precincts shall
tain, as nearly as practicable, an equal number {
qualified voters. And the Common Council sha
make an accurate description of said precincts, an
cause the to be published in the official Journs
! ll,u
. thereafter more than six hundred votes be pole
in any of said precincts than at PERIOD at leas
forty days previous to the next succeeding election
the Common Council shall rearrange the divisions
the precinct precincts, wherein such vote has bee
polled and increase the number thereof if necessar
q Adopted.
+; SEC. Is. The election at each of said Precinct
j shall be conducted by three Inspectors of Election
: one of whom shall be appointed by the Mayor of til
f City of New Orleans for the time being one by I'll
= Board of Aldermen, and one by the Board of Assis
y ant Aldermen. Two Clerks shall also he appointe
at each of said Precincts; one by the Board OF Aide
men, the other by the Board of Assistant Alderne
y The said Inspectors and Clerks shall be legally quail
: fed voters of the Precincts in which they act,
shall be severally sworn by the Mayor, according
y the provisions OF the Goth article of the Constitute
of the State. Said Inspectors and Clerks shall be a.
II pointed at least ten days before the election and tt
e Mayor shall cause to be pubishedsn the official ou
;, nal at least five days before the election proclaim
ii ton, setting forth the day which the election is
t. take place. the Precincts and Polls established tt
names of the Inspectors and Clerks at cach and tt
y hours at which the Polls will be opened and closed
o Provided, That in case of vacancy in the office
Inspector or Clerk at any precinct arising from IL
neglect refusal of either Board to appoint, Il
neglect or refusal of the person appointed to atten
e the sickness death of the person appointed,
" shall be the duty of the Mayor to supply the place
" the absent Inspector, and of the Inspectors to supp
Of the place Of the absent Clerk. Adopted.
I'd Sec. Ia. The returns of said Elections shall
1e made by said Inspectors to the Mayor; or, in ca
said Mayor be candidate for reelection, to the Sher
'e of the Parish Of Orleans who SHALL in the presen
Er of the Recorders of said City specially notified by Il
al Mayor Sheriff. the may be, for that purpos
within three days after said returns have been receive
and with the aid of said Recorders open and exam
rs said returns and proclaim the result of said Election
- which they shall cause to be published under their
fetal signatures in the official Journal of said Co
H. mon Council: Prorided that in the event of the ia
10 IRE to attend of the Mayor, or Recorder, any
- them at the time and place appointed gthc absentee
ne duties may be fulfilled by any Justice of the Peac
W and provided further, That any Justice of the Pea
r. may take the place of any Mayor Recorder int
We ested in said returns. Adopted.
lat Sec. 15 Whenever vacancy shall occur, by dea
he Or otherwise, in the office of Mayor Recorder
e, shall be the duty of the Boards of Aldermen and
he sistant Aldermen, in joint meeting to elect
slr person qualified to serve in the office so vacat
ne who shall continue in Office till the Monday succeed
d. the next City election, and until his successor s
~, have been duly elected and qualified and in case
on the sickness temporary absence Of the Mayor
Nv President of the Board Of Aldermen shall act duri
ill said sickness Or temporary absence, as Mayor I
ost tempore. Adopted.
N SEC. 16. Whenever o vacancy shall occur,
, death or otherwise, in the office of Alderman or
The sstant Alderman the Board of Aldermen or Assist
ai Aldermen as the may be, SHALL as soon pr
o tcabe order new election to fill the Vacancyto for
i'm IN remainder of the term. Adopted.
NON SEC. II. The Mayor and all other officers cleo
III; or appointed, by virtue of this act SHALL before Il
nd enter on the duties of their said offices, resectv
for take and subscribe the oath prescribed by Article
ons of the Constitution of the State which oath shall
our taken by the Mayor before Judge or Justice of