New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-02-26

could . and extend unlimited license to oil the wis
lains in the city who might thereby be induced 70
favor his partisan views The modus operandi would
be this He could see all his opponents did, and more
too but would wholly blind as to the doingsof his
supporters.
The twenty.ffth section adds to the arbitrary
power Of the Superintendent and his deputies ct a
fearful rate. Any person in any manner Interior
ing with the authority of said superintendent etc.
is to be fined 81 900 and imprisoned not less than
year in the Penitentiary Would it not be difficult to
obtain jurors to carry out sach measure Of awful
harshness? We are sure we don't know, and only |
throw out the suggestion by way of incident
The twenty-sixth section bestows upon the superin
tendent powers unknown to the despotc capital
in the Old World. He is authorized in ddrance Of
any election, to any number of citizens ETC.,
to appear at his Office and be sworn in as extraordi
nary deputieso to be under the control of himself
and deputies, to carry concealed weapons if they
see proper to go where they are told to go and do
what they are told to do, under the penalty of fine
OF $780, ,citho,t the intervention Of aury" If this
is not pilng up despotsm rather loftly, we are no
Judge irresponsible and constituencies tyranny The
succeeding section relates to Details the collection of
fines evidence etc. ETC.. and is almost as extraord
nary as its predecessor.
But the twenty-eghth section caps the climax of
intoerable oppression 1t provides that citizens who
have failed to act as " extraordinary deputies in
obedience to summons shall not only be liable for the
default according to +" the ordinary writs OF eSecu-
ton but also by the writ of capias ad tacendum,
by virtue of which the said judgment debtors may be
arrested and imprisoned in the Parish jail until full
satisfaction is made of the said judgment, interest
and costs And Judgment debtors, SO confined, shall
not be ao,ced the benefit of the nsolrent ia,cs OF the
State \" Great Con! Are we living in an enlight-
ened age and in the State of Louisiana? The right
of trial by jury abrogated and imprisonment for debt
enacted until the last dollar and cent of judgment,
interest and cost is wrung from poor insovent,
who by neglect delay, orgetfulness, the nsdlous
vikings Of secret enemy may have placed himself in
the power of prosecuting, cruel Superintendent!
IF that section isn't nefarious grinding and cruel In
all its scope and bearing, then never was section Of
law so chargeabe, no matter whether 1t eInanated
from Paris, Vienna, Milan or Naples.
The twenty ninth section tells how suits for fines
shall be brought etc. and gives the Attorney General
20 per cent of the fines collected. The thirtieth sec
ton deprives the citizens Of New Orleans of any sec
rity or liberty on election days, for matter who is
arrested by the Superintendent his Deputies, THE
CAUSE of his arrest SHALL NOT be enquired into, nor
shall he be released from imprisonment, except by
writ of habens corpus sued out in compliance with
existing laws. .t...
Under this section the Superintendent could arrest
on the day of election and cause to be kept in Gus
tody from day and half to three days, the Pres-
dent of the Bank of Louisiana, for it would require
one or two or more days to out, have tried and
determined, a writ of habeas corpus
We have now pointed out several of the more re-
voting features of this BILL and would have much more
to say but for the length to which this article has
grown The concluding sections to which we have not
referred contain illegal and unconstitutional stpula-
tons which if put in force would violate contracts
entered into by the corporation with its citizens, that
might induce those citizens to repndiae their portion
of the contract with the city or throw open bound
less sea Of litigation either of which would befraught
with expense and disaster if not financial disgrace
| In conclusion, we will tell the members of the
Legislature what we have told them before, if they
are honestly DESTROYS to bring reign OF repose upon
this city-this much malgIed. this fouliy slandered
I this causelessy abused city-that they can do il
easily. Gentlemen we will tell you how LET US
ALONE! In those three words ev erything is said
The tale is told and every addition is superhuity
if not q falsehood.
But, gentlemen of the Legislature, if you choose t.
pour oil upon the fire with the idea of suppressing
moral conlagration you are wrctchedly, or wiltully
;, or wickedy mistaken. If you think by abolishin
the right of trial by jury by institating Imprisonment
for debt caused by that adjustment because our free
born citizens will not go out at the behests OF 81
" perntendent of Elections and shoot down. in col
: blood their own brethren, you can bring quiet upo
. the commercial metropolis of the Southwest, 70
are as much at fault as ever men were. All you ca
do will be to make matters worse. .
Therefore, we appeal to you as legislators, as mer
as citizens as brethren-to let us alone. We ask 20
to bear in mind the Divine precept: " soft answe
turneth away wrath, but grievous words stir u
anger" The bill proposed will not be submitted
as a law in our opinion, because none but slaves
towards and serfs would submit to it, and the const
uuences of the alternative we need not hint at or a
i tempt to recapitulate. ...
n. 4l.oJ Stf tbn Aiccic fn1l O