Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1870-03-05
HOLDING An ELECTION FOH
nuNICIPAL OFFICERS.

MUNICIPAL
The City Ordinances provide that
an election shall be held for City
Officers on the third Monday in
As thot time Is rapidly
approaching, and as the Stale has
been restored to the Union, and as
the City should now be re-estab.
in all her chartered rights,
we hold it to be the duty Of Mayor
to at once issue q prOclama-
ton ordering an election to ill the
various City Offices. The law re.
quiPes that the books Of registry
Snail be open for o certain specified
time before the election, for the
reception Of the names Of voters ;
but circumstances which could not
be obviated nor controlled. have
prevented the re-Openment Of the
books of registry since just preced.
ing the election of 1886; conse-
quently, In our opinion, none will
be permitted to vote save those
whose names already appear on 1t
and such as may be added between
this and the time prescribed for
the closing Of the registry. The
Mayor should therefore at once
issue his proclamation ordering the
election, and at once cause tho
books of registration to be Opended
for the reception Of new names, and
the removal of such as 1t shall be
declared are not entitled to the
right of voting.
1t may be urged that the Mayor
has no such authority. We claim
that he has. The municipal laws
have never been impaired, abrO-
gated, or annulled by the laws Of
reconstruction. The charter of the
City is just the same now as 1t was
before reconstruction wasmade OPP
erative. No change Of the munich
pal law was made . c0ndi-
ton precedent to the admission
Of the State, or was re-
quired in the adoption Of a new
Constitution. There are, legally
no officers in control of affairs IN
this City, but since their offices have
been filled temporarily by the &C.
ton of reconstruction, and theil
acts have been deemed valid, and
have been acquiesced in, we deem
it to be their duty to continue in thu
exercise of the duties ofthe Offices
to which they have succeeded, ant
honesty TO carry out the law
which govern. One of the mos
important of which is to provide
for an election Oh the third Mon
day In this month.
1t strikes MS that there can be NJ
question but that the city succeed.
to all her original rights and priv.
ilegcs Immediately upon the resto
ration OF the State. The onl.
question then would be to decidl
as 10 whether the State is restored
or not. or this we have ofIicia
|; information in the fact that tn,
Legislature of the State has beeI
ordered 20 convene on the S,h inst
More than this the members 0
: Congress from this State have al
!, ready been admitted to their seat
In Congress. 1t may be said tina
the State is not fully restored unit
the Governor is qualified and tax
his seat, The State already has
Governor qualified In the persoI
| of Col. r.. &. Powers, Lieutenan
Governor and President of th
, Senate. He was sworn in at tn
recent session of the Legislator
aud occupied the seat as Presideu
Of the Senate by virtue Of his cleo
ton as Lieutenant Governor. Ii
is Governor By virtue of the sam,
, election until his successor is qua
iicd. So there is here then no of
cial mterTegnuns. The LegislG
| ture, even did not adjourn, it sim
! ply took q Teoess and is now OF
1 dersd to re-assemble.olA v.ea
: There are no Constitutional pre-
visions covering the questions (
municipal authority. The Const
| tuition does provide, however, viii
reference to county, township an.
: precinct Offices, in the sixth SCI
. ton Of General Provisions whic
reads as follows; a.l s.l ...iU
a sRo. G. "The term-of once Of a
/ county, township and presinct o
Ulcers shall expire within thirl
: days after this Constitution sha
have been ratified and the Coz
ernor by and with the advice an
! consent Of the Senate thereaftt
: appoint such officers, whose teri
. Of Office shall continue until q
! Legislature shall provide BY la'
for an election Of said officers.
I'll Provided, The present incun
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