New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-10-17

discharge of the duties devolvng upon it.
Partisan and prejudiced reflections have been made,
with view to bring discredit upon the department
and upon my efforts, instead Of that generous aid
which should flow from unprecedented public opinion
petty and partisan eaousies should yield to the con-
sderation Of the general good and until the depart
ment is thus supported, the efficiency of the police
cannot be such as the wants of the community de.
mand. 74..
/ have several times during the past year urged
upon the Common Council Che necessity which exists
for an increase in the number of men employed In
both the day and night police-and avail myself Of
the opportunity to say again. that not less than five
hundred men are required to perform with anything
like efficiency, the duties demanded Of this depart.
ment. The police of the city consists of '
/ Chief of Police
Lieutenants.
10 SergeantS.
800 Day and Night Policemen
who are distributed for duty as follows:
Day policemen, IS from which is to be deducted
those employed on special duty, as follows:
In the Recorders Courts, as officers for making out
and serving subpGnas, executing warrants, etc,
Day clerks in charge Of lock.nps 49,. II
Specials for duty under the Mayor and
Chief Of Police. ................. $40
leaving only the Insignificant number of 80 men for
duty during the day, for the ship and steamboat land
ings, the thoroughfares, public places the Lake end
of the Shell road, the Pontchartrain Railroad, ETC.
Night police, 227 men from which is to be de-
Quoted those employed on special duty, as follows:
Night clerks, ana IN charge OF the lock-ups, bell
On duty in the markets. ........... 16
Drivers of "Marias'. ..............2
Roundsmen. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 8
City Hall. Observation-Disclosures. l-43
leaving only 1874 men for night duty for the landings
and all the streets of the city, When we consider the
great amount of surface covered by the City of New
Orleans, being about seven miles in length by from
one to two miles in depth, it ceases to be reasonable
complaint that our citizens have not that amount of
protection they are entitled to.
Notwithstanding, however, the meagre and INSULT.
cient force at my command, the number Of arrests
made have very greatly exceeded those made by any
former administration, even with a much greater
force The arrests made during eleven months by
police OF nomnally $50 men, from 10th June to 18th
November 1856, and 800 men, from 18th November
1886, to 3lst May, 1851 amount to 81, 300, being
5,79S more than under the previous administration
during the same months of the previous year. 1t is
only necessary to state this fact to show that the de-
partment is not idle and do not hestote to say that
considering the number of men, their inadequate pay
and the arduous dutiesn consequence of their small
number-they are required to perform there is no
more efficient force to be found in any of the cities
The officers, Sergeants, and Specials deserve at my
hands particular notice. for the zeal and devotion to
their duties they have always manifested the labor
performed by them is very great and their desire to
give public satisfaction is marked.
The Common Council, by resolution No. 1852,
authorized the employment of such number of addi-
tonal policemen at such times and to be distributed
in such manner as | might deem advisable provided
that their number and the amount of their salaries
shall not exceed the amount fixed by the City
Budget, Sl2,T9l &c, approprating that amour for
additional or extra police force. have only ayailed
Of that resolution, to the extent of establishing
River Police; drawing from that fund the pay of the
men, the cost of purchase Of boats and other neces
sary expenses incidental to that establishment and
amounting to this date to s. prefering to reserve
the amount to be used in increasing the regular day
and night force during the approaching season. when
by reason of the anticipated great addition to our
permanent and transient population full police
force will be required.
The amount provided by the Budget for the sup
port OF this department is as follows:
Chief, Lieutenants, 10 sergeants, and 300 po-
licemen for one year, S200,3OO 90
Additional policemen authorized to be
employed under resolution 1852, 12,7Ol &C
$2l3, O9l 66
Which for the number of men authorized to be
employed by existing ordinances will be sufficient to
meet the requirements of the SERVICE so far as the
pay OF the officers and men is concerned.
Police JAILs.--. Under this head is property en-
braced the City Police JILL the several Lockups,"
and the City IVrk.house.
The City Police Jul is used only as a place of
detention and for the punishment of slaves and under
Ordinance No. 1921 is located in the Second District
and used for the entire city.
The total amount of receipts for Jail fees, adver-
Using, medicines and clothing from LIST June 1856,
to 3lst july 1857, is SS,077 81. The cost of main
tenance OF prisoners, and expenses of the Jail for
salaries, etc. for the period above named amounts to
81 0l3 05, showing balance beyond the expenses of
slOG4 80. Thus will be this Institution more
than supports itself
The Lockups, of which there are, in the LIST Dis
trict two; I'd District two Sd District one 4th
District one are used as places for the temporary
detention of persons arrested by the Police. They
are no expense to the City, the I,eutenants of the
Districts respectively, being allowed under Ordinance
No. 400 ten cents per day for each prisoner; which
with the Jail fees collected from prisoners more than
| pay all the expenses.
The City Forkhouse has been recently leased
under Ordinance 1921 and Res. $780, to Gardner
johnson, for period of ten years. The City, under
the adjudication OF that lease has contracted to pay
the lessee ST. 900 per annum, payable monthly. On
the LIST September, Mr.. Johnson was placed in posses
sion, in conformity with the provisions of the Ordi
nance The short period which has elapsed since the
lessee has had possession, does not afford opportu
NIFTY to CONNECT upon his management. The Ordi
nance under which the lease has been made contains
ample provisions to insure the interests of the CITY
and to carry out the objects aimed at in establishing
this institution Of reform and punishment 1t will
however, be necessary that all those whose duty it is
under the Ordinance, see that the contract be per
formed in letter and spirit and that the contractor be
required to comply strictly with every provision OIL
his agreement Upon this rigid course will greatly
depend the success of the Institution for the objects
required to be obtained.
On the sth January last, Brown, the lessee of the
City Work House, abandoned his lease to the City
and from that date to the lst September last tina,
was Tue ulreCtlOn or the CITY aQ
thortes. The cost of maintaining it for that neriol
has been $l5,3O7 Is; and the work done within its
walls for all departments of the city government and
Tor others, according to the statement made by the
Actlng warden, IS 1894 Ga, showing balance
against the Institution of sll,333 IL, and proving
conciasively the wisdom of the Council in again eas
ing i upon the terms they have finally accepted
which, although they may appear to be more thar
liberal TO The lessee, will, do not doubt, in the end
result to the advantage of the Corporation
| There were committed to the City Workhouse from
june 1856, to june 1857, inclusive, 4 400 persons
| OF whom 3,Ol6 were males and l ,453 females 1926
were committed from the lst District; GIG from tn
I'd District; 37S from the Sd District and ls4 from
the 4th District.
HOUSES OF REFUGE-These institutions were estab
lished by the passage of an Ordinance by the Com
mon Council, approved 10th April, 1858, under TIL
authority OF an Act OF the Legislature, approved l6
March, 1850 They are designed to be places for tn
confinement and reformation of juvenile delinquent
and Migrants of both sexes.
Under the able management of the present Boar
lafT a1,a