The Nevada Democrat., 1857-09-23
NEVADA, WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 20, 1857.
Tho Clty Government.

Considerable complaint has been made du-
ring the past week or two in consequence OF
the enforcement of an ordinance, passed nearly
three months ago, with the design of protecting
the city from fire, and providing means in case
of fire Of ready access to the roofs Of build
ings OF the propriety of such an ordinance
there may be difference Of opinion, though we
believe the most of the property holders OF the
city were in favor of it, The section in regard
to requiring people to have ladders was word
ed in bungling manner, and such construc-
tion might be given it as to entirely pervert its
meaning, and render il oppressive. We are
informed, however, that the Recorder has never
so construed 1t as to require more than one lad
der for one house. The water-barrel ordinance
has been in force ever since we had a town
government, and we have never yet heard Of
an instance where a person arrested for not
complying with its provisions, has been fined If
1t was shown he had the requisite quantity Of
water on hand without reference to the kind of
a vessel which contained it, The ordinance
probably might be improved, but as complaints
have never been made Of its being oppressive,
the present Board of Trustees have not consid.
cred it necessary to change it,
In O town like Nevada, IL is difficult to enact
general ordinances for protection against fire
that will not if strictly enforced, be oppressive
and unnecessary in some instances; and for
this reason the officers have usually exempted
miners cabins and other buildings in the out
skirts Of town from the operation of such ordi-
nances Where an ordinance or law has been
in force for years, and its provisions aud the
construction put upon 1t known to the commu
nifty, tits usually better to allow it to still re-
main in force, than to pass new one, with
which the people for time at least will be un-
acquainted. Innovations are not always an
improvement.
In regard to the Wholesale charges made by
the Journal against the Trustees, we shall not
attempt to answer them in detail, as IL would
be useless. While we were refuting one false
hood the editor of that sheet would be invent
ing another. The present Board may pass
bungling ordinance, as has frequently been
done by their predecessors. Faulty and imper-
feet legislation has been an evil peculiarly prev
alent in California. Even the Charter Of the
city, which was got up by the editor of the
Journal during his brilliant legislative career,
fixed an impossible, or rather travelling boun-
dary to the city. AS this bungling section Of
the Charter was amended by an act Of the sue
ceeding Legislature, so may an imperfect ordi-
uance be romedied by Its repeal or amendment
A word in relation to the business Of the Re-
corder's Court, and we have done. The amount
OF fines collected in this Court has been account
ed for up to August Sth-being the first quarter
Of the term of the present Recorder. The fees
of the Recorder are fixed by the Charter, and il
has been customary to allow the Marshal the
same fees as are allowed Constables in criminal
cases. For merely making an arrest he is al
lowed two dollars. In trials where witnesses
are summoned, of course his fees will amount
to more. The system of allowing the Marshal
fees we believe to be o bad one, but it was
adopted on the formation of the first town gov.
ernment and never has until recently been
changed.