New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-02-14
TILE CRESCENT Is PUBLISHED
VOLUME XIV.

all. we are simply trying to get pach VII
right to elect our own officers, and there is no an
constitutonality in that, for even the CONSTITUTE Of
of 1864 says, in article 1873, The citizens of New
Orleans shall have the right of appointing TIL
several public officers necessary for the admins
tration of the police Of said city, pursuant to TIL
mode of elections which shall be prescribed by
the legislature" The Senator had told us tina
there was no necessity for haste, and that WI
could very well wait till June, the regular election
period, by which time we could give guarantees
Now, he would ask Senators, where we should
find guarantees that if we waited till June his Elk
cellency would accord us his assent to the priyl
ege then? 1sGit in the, fact that his E3cellency
would then be a civil Governor? Why, he was
civil Governor in June last, when he was called on
by the Legislature Of 1864 to order an election,
and he put the bill in his pocket He will put the
bill in his pocket again next June if he be allowed
the opportunity He was satisfied that his Excel
| lency Governor Wells would never order an cleo:
ton till he was compelled And "why this
haste, y asks the Senator from New Orleans (Mr.
Duyigneaud), as the Governor had asked in his
message. He had explained when the bill first
came up, one reason why there should be no delay
in dealing with the bill The reason was, that, on
the first Monday in April, an important election OF
directors of the Jackson railroad was to take
place. The Mayor of the city will then have to
cast the votes for two millions of dollars worth OF
the shares in that road, and to appoint three
directors of the road in the interest of the
city. And everybody knows with what sort of an
eye the present military holder ofthe office of Mayor
looks towards that railroad No exposition was
necessary. Everybody knows it. The present
military incumbent Of the Mayoralty may mean
well and he may not but that is not the question.
1t was reported that he once had what was styled
a mission to Mecca on the subject. He wonld
do more than that if he could And If there were
election under this bill, he would do that more
But in doing anything, he does not represent the
people! Still less does he represent the feeling of
the military as shown in Gen. Canby's order issued
day two since. Andn at all does he represent
the wishes of the President as illustrated in a letter
to the Hon. Senator from Orleans (Nr. Purcell. J
He would not read the message of the Governor
on the subject, because it had been laid before
members; butt he must say that he had read as
carefully as any member could; he had been able
to find no logic init, nothing in it. And he asked
others to say what they had found in it except an
objection to the election Of city officers! If there
was any logic, or sympathy, or patriotism in it, he
would sueeumb to it, But there was nothing OF
the kind. If there was any argument at all in it,
it went to show that there ought to be an election
as soon as possible for, as the argument was that
as the population of the city increased, SO the fit
ness of it decreased for election purposes so the
sooner the election was held so much the
greater must be the fitness of the people for
an election. He really hoped that Senators
would consider all these things, and mot think
of refusing to the people ofNew Orleans the little
priyilege-the small boon-of self government;
small in the sense of the grant as it was now
asked, and yet one Of the most inestimable be-
longing to man. ID, ~.
Mr.. Davigneaud, in res ponse to the call of the
Senator from New Orleans, in reference to the
question about the proclamation for the city cleo.
ton being issued by the Governor instead of the
Mayor, referred to the thirteenth section of the
city charteras supporting his views; and he added
there WAS another material objection to the bill to
an election under the charter, in that it provided
that the Mayor, Aldermen ands forth should have
a property qualification which the Constitution ex-
pressly pr ohibits. "-'-t
Mr. Mohan commended that the thirteenth sec.
ton Of the city charter had no reference what
ever to the election of anybody but inspectors and
clerks, and in proof read it as follows: 7UL.
Sec. Is. Be ii further enacted etc., That
the election at each OF said precincts shall be con-
Quoted by three inspectors of election, one
Of whom shall be appointed by the Mayor of the
city Of New Orleans, for the time being, one by
the Board Of Aldermen, and one by the Board of
Assistant Alderman Two clerks shall also be
appointed at each of said precincts one by the
Board of Aldermen, the other by the Board of
Assistant Aldermen, and they shall possess the
same qualifications required for the officers named in
section seven, withoutthe qualification as to proper
ty The said inspectors ana clerks shall be legally
qualified voters of the pre- cincts in which they act,
and shall be seyerally sworn by the Mayor two
days previous to the election. according to the
provisions of the Goth article of the Constitution of
the State; and they shall take the further, oath
that they possess the qualifications prescribed by
this act Said inspectors and clerks shall be ap.
pointed atieast ten days before the election, and
the Mayor shall cause to be published in the off
cia journal. at least five days before the election,
a proclamation setting forth the day on which
the election is to take place. the precincts and
polls established, The names of the inspectors and
clerks at each, and the hour at which the
polls will be opened and closed; Pgopided,
That in case of vacancy in the Office of in
spector or clerk of any precinct, arising from the
neglect or refusal of either board to appoint, or
the neglect or refusal of the person appointed to
attend, or the sickness or death Of the person APP
pointed, 1t shall be the duty of the Mayor to sup
ply the place Of the absent inspector, and of the
to supply the place of the absent
clerk.
Mr. Gordon followed in exposition of the falla-
cies raised against the bill. He urged that the
property qualification in the clause was mere
dead letter, not at all invalidating the whole law.
AS chairman of the joint committee on amend
ments to the city charter, he would state that it
had been felt desirable to amend it in many re-
spects but that after full reflection it had been
ernrniir,nd that the nrpsnrt WAS M fine fo rnda