The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-01-20
CITY POLICE.

Elsewhere will be found a synopsis of thu
bill introduced January IS in the House O
Representatives by the Hon. L. A. Wilt.
is now before the able Committee on City At
fairs, consisting of Wilt, chairman, Dupre,
Hahn, Booth, Jourdain, Bower and MaginDis.
Some change in details may be made, but il
is probable that the bill will pass the House
substantially as it is.
Its main features are restoration to the
Mayor and Council of the entire appointment,
control and management of the city police,
with full power to govern the same according
to such regulations as they may see fit TO
make, and a limitation Of the annual and
monthly cost Of the city police department.
The repeal of the present cum bersome. costly,
oppressive and abnormal system Of State po-
lice Is a necessary conse quence OF this resto-
ration.
The metropolitan police has been standing
insult to the people of New Orleans for
number of years. Other cities, whether
large or small, have had the privilege of be-
ing guarded by force of their own selection,
made up of their own citizens, limited accord
ing to their wants and means Of payment, and
controlled by officers Of their own choice
If there is any one thing which the corporate
authorities of city know better than an
other, it is the nature of the police force re-
CURED tor the protection of property, the
preservation Of order, and the personal secu-
rty Of citizens. II there is any one thing
about which strangers to city are not COM
petent judges, it is the nature of the police
which such city requires. Citizens of
New Orleans are not qualified to
judge of the kind of services which |
the citizens Of Claiborne, or Of Jack
son, or Of Calcasieu, or Of st. Tammauy may |
need at tbs hands Of their police juries, nor
Can members of the General Assembly from
those parishes properly judge Of the necessi-
ties OF New Orleans in the matter of police.
Our city pays for her police. II is, or
should be for the benefit. Ct her citizens.
They know what they want and how much
they can afford to pay for it. They have a
Mayor and Council of their own choice, taken
from their midst, familiar with their wants
and entirely cognizant Of their resources
There is no body 50 appropriate, ft and
capable of regulating and controlling city's
police as city own local council and magis-
racy. There is no body 80 inappropriate,
unfit and incapable of this duty as those who
10 not live in the city, and whose lives and
property are in no way dependent upon its
,olice
The House Police Bill commends itself to
ii those who respect home rule or desire the
Of economy. 1t seems to be Just
'hat is wanted at the present time. It does {
ot enter into the details Of police regulation !
or which there was no need. 1t merely re-
ewes State officers from a task which never
elonged to them, and again imposes that {
Ask upon those to whom it pertains especial {
and exclusively. I
What chance the restoration bill may have t
18th the Radical majority Of the Senate re-. t
lains to be seen. The friends of reform and
10 advocates of economy can find no valid '
ELECTIONS to it. The little amount of patron c
90 pertaining to the police is q matter of
tile weight in comparison with what they L
ropose to surrender in other things for the v
Ike of lessening the burdens Of the people. Ii
o are not willing to believe that Radical il
'nators will cling to the metropolitan stand y
g army because they need it as a body ii
lard for the officers holding usurped p
lthority.