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

A REvoLuTIoNARys BILL. s.
Bill has been introduced in the House Of Repre-
sentztves, and made the special order for to-day af
ter the Baton Rouge Railroad bill is disposed Of to
regulate elections in New Orleans The bill came up
on Tuesday and according to yesterday dispatches
produced considerable excitement. When we read
the dispatches knew not what was intended 70 %
conveyed; the information was vague and lndennHe
and although the subject was one OF vast
to the people that pay into the State treasury mo,e
than one-third Of the taxes Of the commonwealth
nothing certain was deducible save that movement
was on foot affecting their dearest rghts' WHICH ei
ated feelings of uneasiness and alarm.
Laterin the day we received cepy OF the DILL iof
warded to us by some unknown frleno, VINO mas our
thanks for his attention. We have read II careiuy,
from beginning to end and publish 1t elsewhere IN
erteuso this morning. When we finished 1t, the words
that constitute the heading of this article nvouna
rily feHsfrom our lps-''A Revolutionary Bill ~ And
is revolutionary bill just sure as wild misguided
tyrannical legislation ever superindueed revolutions
Charles the First, Of England, lost his crown and
head for less oppression than this bill contemplates
Charles the TENTH Of France, was forced to abdcate
and Louis Philippe lost the oftest throne in Europe
and died wretched exile in foreign land, because
he sought to play the yrant the people of Paris
not to onea the extent this bill proposes to tyran
ize over the people of New Orleans n
We are well aware this is strong language. We in
tend it to be just as strong as truthful-neither
more nor less And, in entering upon the discussion
of this bill we wish it to be distinctly understood,
once for all, that we speak citizens of New Or
leans not partsans, as members of any politi
cal organization. As citizens and tax payers enjoy
ing equal privileges with our peers under the const
tuition and laws, we have right to be heard, and we
claim that right at the hands Of the members of our
Legislature.
With these remarks we will proceed to glance at
some of the principal features of the BILL leaving our
readers to inform themselves in regard to the details
by reference to the document ITSELF ~ ~
The sixth seetion-there are thirtysix in al-pro-
ydes for the creation of Board Of Commissioners to
be styled the Central Board,' composed of the
Mayor Of the city the Register Of votes the Attorney
General and two citizens Of the city, to be appointed
by the Governor and to serve two years The At
torney General issto be erobicio President of the
Board and the Board is to appoint all Commissioners
Of Election to conduct elections for State, Federal
and municipal Offices. These Commissioners, thus
appointed are to preside at each voting place, and
the Board of Commissioners is empowered to Gesig-
nate the voting places, and so on down to section
sixteen.
From the above it will be that the bill proposes
to ostracse the voters Of the parish of Orleans in
many essential particulars fact, in every essential
particular It deprives them Of every right prvi-
lege and franchise SO far as exercising control over
their own elections is concerned. The Governor ap-
points the Register the people of the State elect the
Attorney General the Governor appoints the two citi
zens Who with the Mayor, alone chosen by the voters
of the corporation, are to constitute this famous
"Centlal Board" Here, at glance, is shown a
Capitalization Of power entirely inconsistent with the
genius of republican nstitutionsbut, far worse than
that stands forth in revolving relief the tremendous
fact that the dominant party in the Legislature Of
louisiana Cat least some of them) while protesting
and preaching unbounded beefin the largest liber
ty'and in the capacity of the people for sefgovern
ment, propose deliberately to stamp the lie on then
own professions and practices to repudiate all theil
boosted principles from time immemorial, and to de
clare that their Wanted experiment OF selfgovern
ment is faurefor it is so practically in this State
if onethrd Of the entire voting population are inca
pable of conducting their elections and requir
the supervisory care of Board, the majority of til
members Of which are to be appointed by singl
mantle Executive! When one.third, or ther
abouts of the body polite is incompetent, we woul
: not give straw for the remaining two-thrds.
The sixteenth and seventeenth sections provide f
the punishment of infractions of the law, now amp
provided for by existing statutes, and are thereto
unnecessary. The laws in existence, if enforced, a
quite sufficient for any contingency that may arts
The laws are not to blame The fault lies at the doc
of the administrators of the laws. @f'
) The two following sections create "Superinteudel
of Elections how republican and Democratic!-w
not call him an orersee' at once, and be done whit
to be appointed by the Governor, who is empowere
to appoint four Chief Deputies, the salaries of whc
officers are to be paid half by the city and half
the State. 4s --
The twentieth section is remarkable section, ar
g will be read with astonishment by those confdin
persons who have foolishly supposed that this was
land of liberty. 1t is suited for the meridian of
Petersburg, and is about the language the Gar of
the Russias usually employs in his imperial ukase
The :. Superintendent of Elections" is to take :" e
cl,sire' charge of sall elections held In the paris
of Orleans . to the exclusion Of all other persons
to prescribe, arrange, suppress, and do all and sngV
lar, such other things as his hgh-mightiness ma
deem proper, whether necessary Or unnecessar
whether called for or uncaled for This at one
ereets him into despot, clothed with unlimited a
!, thority, and would enable him. tcere such thin
possible in the nineteenth century, to place his he
. upon the neck of every free born American citize
just as his prejudice interest private malice mig
dictate. The twentyiirst section contains ample pr
vision to enable the Superintendent to carry
the despotic powers before mentioned. He is to u
the language of the section, authorized and empo
ered tn enonlov any number of perSons the Govern