The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-03-07
THE PROPOSED CHANGE IN THE CITY
GOVERNMENT.

= City Charter. We shall await its official pro-
mulgaton before entering upon a discussion
;, Of It's merits; but in a general way we know
: that it provides for an Admins traitor of Fl
nance an Administrator of Public Accounts,
: a City Attorney, a City Engineer, together
= with Board OF Seven Aldermen, and d Board
> Of Seventeen Assistant Aldermen, all to be
!, elected by the people within sixty days after
/ the bill is signed BY the Governor Enacted
at proper time this new charter might
probably have met the wishes Of large ma
jority Of our citizens, but coming from a hos
tile body, and Just upon the heels Of a signal
defeat Of their political aspirations last fall, it
bears upon its face the stamp of petty spite,
,and will scarcely be accepted by an intelli-
gent community as a measure Of genuine re-
form. Following the current of thought,
forced upon US by the unvarying selfish
ness Of our rulers, we ask ourselves
what do Kellogg and his followers
hope to gain by this change in the form OF
the city government? The present system of
bureauX and administration, irresponsible,
cumbersome and costly is their own work,
and Was forced upon an unwilling people By
the Radical party. When that same party
suddenly reverses its engines and takes the |
back track, destroying at blow its own pet |
system, and adopting another more Demo-
cratic in form, we may be excused if knowing
the characters of our rulers as we do we de-
cline to accept the movement in the light of
reform, and seek to look below the surface for
the hidden springs Of action. At the time
this new city charter was before the House,
another bill suddenly appeared for the con-
sderation of the intelligent, incorruptble
patriots, introduced by the dazzling yeloci-
pede performer from Avoyelles, Mr. Souer
this bill provided for the summary vacating
by the present incumbents of the Offices of
City Attorney and City Surveyor, their places
to be filled by 0ppontnen at the hands of
his Excelency the Governor. For good
and sufficient reason to themselves.
1t is very desirable to the Radical officials
that the legal adviser of the city should be
on terms of fraternal and accordant relation :
ship to themselves Hence the evident pur
pose they had IN view in seeking to remove :
the present incumbent, and to replace him
with some one Of their own kidney. More
over, under the provisions of the new CITY I,
Charter all the municipal patronage now en-
loyed by the Department Of improvements Is
to be transferred to the hands Of the City :
Lngineer who Is to supersede the present
City Surveyor. Small wonder then that BIZ.
kellogg should have been anxious to secure
la ma If fIic 49,
$ reported, OF being on the floor of the
House in person and lending the aid Of his
magnetic gubernatorial presence to procure
IS swift enactment.
With a City Attorney Of his own selection,
here would be )i:tle opposition in that quar-.
er to further encroachments upon municipal
ights and prerogatives ; and with the vast Z
patronage of the City Engineers office at the
disposal OF the Radical administration, if thev
ould not by that means make certain their
ew scheme TO control the city government at
ne next election, they conld at least hope TO =
e able to greatly weaken the present Demo
ratio strength. But this bill, nominallv the
ork OF the saponaceous Souer, though really
repaired by far ADLER and more designing
ZEN who were lurking in fancied secrecy in on
le back ground, passing the House without -,
1posltlon, met sudden and unexpected FL
mise IN the bosom of the Senate and with the
e destruction Of this bill expired about all da,
E interest We imagine that Kellogg feels in
e new city charter With his own City IL
torney and City Engineer to start on, he t,.n
light so into new election with some Ia I
nal idea Of success, particularly as the re- cep
rms Of the same would pass under the ma =
pulations Of Anderson, Wells & Co. -
But without foothold Of any kind in the The
y Hall, the game is hardly worth the can the
:. hatever effect election might -
t OA' - 'AA0 Pio''i' loca
ty Administration, certain defelt would be ~.
} Radical portion It is quite likely, in 7,
w OF the discourag ing condition OF NUM- A.
al affairs, some OF our Administrators 'hah
uid scarcely regret the opportunity af- ,a+.
~ 'eii ''oa'"Po HUH lhe sore VeAalonS Orle
lll-requlted laDOrS CT their positions Erie
len they accepted office it was well under
cd that they did SO in the expectation that
Conservative Legislature would assemble in
luary, and that among the first acts of that mi
5lslature would be the repeal of all the
oressye laws now sutfocating the city
he Administrators would then have been
e to enter on the work of regeneration and w.
'rm with freedom and zeal, and in all Com,
liability would by this time have put Jaeo
niclpal matters on manageable basis. As to NJ
i, they have been bampcred by 0 iious I" Nj IL
$ at every turn, and they have been more ~,
n once harshly criticised 10y the more Npvc
ughtless of those in whose interest they this I
9 been laborine The BIITr7-1v bae a. niyeI
; judged these gentlemen with candor ''I@'
fairness. knowing the distractions that
lroned them, We have made every allow