Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1872-08-10
Judge Jetlords,
j. ) ~.Nlorphis,
Our Town Government.

- NAN Vi
Macon, approved August 8lh, 1870,
the Mayor and Aldermen have
"powSr to pass all necessary ordi-
nanees and bylaws for the good
government and order Of said town"
not contrary to law.
Have any such ordinances or by
laws been passed! lfso, where are
they! Have they been published?
If so, when and where? The "9ld,
est inhabitapl" kpows nothing of
such ordinances or bylaws. lfany
such we're ever passed and publish
cd, everybody has forgotten it
Citizens are daily carried hafore
His Honor and gravely charged
with violating some torn 0rdindhce!
Where is the ordinancc written I
Il it in the breast Of His Honor, or
IN tina breasts OF the Mayor aud
Aldermen? Now ii appears clear
that the laws Of the towr should be
70 lltsR EarS il can have no unWrlt-
ten lac : il has no Comm0H law.
Was it CaIlgulA that wrote his
laws in n fine character and hung
up the tables, on which they were
written 50 high that the people
could not read them, on purpose to
ontrap The ignorant? CaIlguIa WAS
merciful in comparison TO III town
authorities for be did ieyite his laws,
and amy cntcrprislng individual
might procure II saiior a0d read
chem. But oar laws are not even
written, as far as anybody ran find
out, to say nothing OF publication.
But the ordinances OF the town
must surely be written. 1t is not
supposabIc that His Honor you'd
gravcIy impose a tino tor the YioIa-
ton Of a bylaw that was still in the
breasts Of the Mayor 4 Aldermen.
The most i~2tolcrsble tyrrany in the
world can be exercised under n sys.
TEN OF Fulc, where the lawS arc re-
naming in the breast Of the Judge.
No bylaw can bind the citizen
until he has previously had, either
positive, or constructive, notice OF
IS existence. The r4les governing
cities and towns ago properly CALLED
0riinanceS-that is the proper tech
Mica name OF those rules. No OK
ample of an ordinance, or bylaw,
can he given that is not written.
Then the ordinances Of the town
of Macon must be written But if
they are written where are they
published for publication is as nee
essary as writing, unless the idea be
to entrap the citizen. The ordi.
~nances of the town are not posted
at the Mayors Offlce-they r not
put up at the Courthouse door
they + not periodically Published
in the Beacon. A citizen had a
valuable dog shot down on the
streets the other night, and it is said
there is an ordinance against letting
dogs run out on the streets. That
citizen asks, where is the ordinance!
1t is certain that Ills Honor can.
not punish Il citizen III the spmpary
mode usual in his court toF R4rsing
on the stFAets, or for disturbances
on the s4Yeots. or for being drunk
on the streets, unless so authorized
by q published ordipance Of the
Mayor and AIscEmen. These often.
SEES are punishable on affidavit anc
warrant before a justice of th'
peace, under the laws of the State
but the Mayor, as Mayor, canno'
take cognizancc of them wfthou
, the special enactmentby the Mayo
and Aldermen Of an ordinance max
tng them offenSes against the tow
against tho good government
and order Of said town." as th'
3. charter expresses. And whom TIL
| Mayor and his officers undertake t.
p, punish a citizen, without having tn
authority OF . published ordipapc'
5 of the Mayor end Aldermen, the!
arc reSpG$SorS.
Our town O&icers are good an
efficient, but the citizen has tn
right to demand that he shall b
. governed BY laws which are knowT
and he has the right to knorO Thd
= are the LdpS-so that no may tax
d "due notice of and govern himseI
accordingly" Then lot us have tn
f town laws codifed any good citiEe
= will lend his help 10 so desirable a
. object. The present state Of tn
laws ofthe town places both officer
and citizens in an awkward prcdi'
ament. Let US know what Rte you
ordinances and by.iawS Mr.. Mayo
and here gocS it. ore.