The Portland daily press., 1877-03-13
THE INAUGURAL ADDRESS.
Mayor Buffers Message 10 the City
Council.


| The following is Mayor Buffers inaugural
address, delivered at the organization of the
City Council yesterday morning.
Standing on the threshold of the new mu-
nicipal year, it is most beftting, in the spirit
of the prayer just uttered, to commend our
beloved city to the care of that good Provi-
| dence which has watched over its fortunes
| during the vicissitudes of so many years--in
| the perils or war and the distresses of con-
| flagration, in the shadow of adversely and
the sunshine of prosperity-and to ask that
| wisdom which cometh from above to direct
us Alright in the administration of its affairs
Never having had the honor of beng q
member of either of the boards of the City
Council, and not till very lately having given
| special attention to the details of the manage
ment of our city's concerns, 1 feel sincere
distrust of my ability to perform the duties
of the position to which I am called, with
satisfaction to myself or profit to the city,
and l shall have, doubtless, occasion often to
throw myself upon your kind indulgence.
Yet, involved in no entangling alliances, and
looking to the well-being of the city alone, l
| shall endeavor, with your aid and co-opera-
ton, gentlemen, to perform the duties apper-
| tanning to the office with faithfulness and i'm
| partiality.
| 1t is a source of regret to us all that rea-
| sons of an imperative nature have prevented
the continuance of the most valuable SER
vices of my immediate predecessor-"the
| honored son of noble sire''-services to his
native city, which, added to those already
| rendered to his country serve to increase the
| debt of gratitude owed to him by all his fell
| low citizens.
| POWERS AND DUTIES OF MUNICIPALITIES.
| 1t may not be inappropriate, in the COM
i &c 1ol1
| ton to some general considerations relating
| to the powers, duties and functions of mll-
nicipality like our own. In these remarks
do not wish to include the great, overgrown
| cities of the land, whose government is yet
| problem to our civilization. Reference is had
| more particularly to the towns of New Eng
land and to its smaller cities, like our own,
which, in respect to our towns, are but chill
| dren of larger growth. The difference be-
tween such city and town is, that the for
mer manages its affairs by representatives
| chosen by the citizens, the latter by the
whole body of citizens in town meeting as
sembled.
| A municipality of the kind above spoken
of is an organization coeval with the settle
| ment of the country, constituted to admins
| ter the local and domestic affairs of COM
munity which can be better understood and
more economically managed by those most di-
| rectly interested in them. 1t is little
body polite, containing within itself
to use the immortal words of
Lincoln, 'a government of the people, by the
| people and for the people" l would not
magnify our office, neither would underrate
or undervalue it. In the time of our Puritan
fathers the position of municipal magis-
trate was one of dignity and respect. To be
| a selectman of the town was an honor to be
/ Of he 10 od
| in the letter John Robinson wrote to the Pill
| grims when they sailed from Holland: "You
know the image of the Lords dignity and
authority which the magistracy beareth is
honorable in how mean person soever." And
| n these modern times upon reflection, it will
be found that the subjects which fall within
| the cognizance of municipal rule are far
| more numerous and not less important than
those which engage the attention of the State
and general governments. The promotion of
the public health, the support of the public
| schools for the education of our children, the
relief of the poor who are always with us,
the erection and care of public buildings, the
| maintenance of safe and convenient streets,
the security against the ever present danger
of fire by means of fire department, the
| supervision of the election of State and fed
| eral officers and the selection of numerous
| local officials the exercise of the very deli
cate and important power of taxation, the
control over the purse strings of the city, and
the authority to determine how much money
shall be spent and for what purposes, the
preservation of peace and good order, and the
protection Of person and property through
the police,-all these, and in fact all the local
and domestic interests which most intimately
concern the public security, convenience,
comfort, and morals. are objects of our Off
cial care and supervision, and indicate that
| the sphere of our action is not limited one
and that our powers and functions are by no
means small or unimportant.
But the chief pride and glory of our New
England municipal institutions is their infu-
ence in the education of citizens to their po-
litical duties, and inspiring them with public
spirit. In the conduct of local affairs they
are brought into connection with their fellow
citizens; they exchange opinions; they de-
express their thoughts; they become accus-
toned to public business and to the practice
of the art of government, and are taught to
feel that there are other and higher things
than those that pertain to self and mere per-
sonal gain. Withoat municipal institutions
there can be no real constitutional liberty.
They are the fountains from which our
political prosperity must flow. You are
familiar with the estimate put
upon these institutions by the
early founder of our government. JET
ferson, not in the ardor and enthusiasm of
youth, but late in life, in the calm shades of
Monticello, pronounces them "the most per-
feet specimens of government in the world |;
the small republics that constitute the main
strength of the great one" You will recall
the oft repeated quotation from the works of
the most accurate and acute foreign OBJ
server of our political system, that "Munici-
pal institutions are to liberty what primary
schools are to science. They bring it within
the peoples reach they teach men how to
use it and how to enjoy it. A nation may
establish system of government, but without
the spirit of municipal institutions it cannot
have the spirit of liberty"
And if anything were wanting to teach us
the value of our municipal institutions, even
as l now write, comes the recognition of the
principle contained in them in the inaugural
of our chief magistrate, commencing to the
country "the inestimable blessings of wise,
honest and peaceful local self government" "
as remedy for the disorders, corruptions,
abuses, crimes even, which have prevailed in
the distracted southern States of the Union
evils enforced upon our attention these many
weary months by the sad revelations made
by the zeal of both political parties, sitting
business, clogging the wheels of industry,
| uISnOuoIluS lne WHOLE country, anu bringing
it to the verge of that abyss where one step
more would have plunged it into anarchy
and rum.
To Major Langbourne, Virginian, lament
ing the difference in character between his
State and New England, John Adams gave
the receipt for making a New England in
Virginia, "the town, the militia, the common
school, and the meeting house." Would tha,
this panacea, in its spirit and principle at
least, might be applied to other parts of oui
country than Virginia, to calm, to pacify, tc
purify, and regenerate; to infuse into theii
life-blood the virtues of justice, moderation
industry, and temperance!
Let us not, then, belittle or undervalue oul
duties and responsibilities. We serve oul
State and our whole country by serving oui
city well and faithfully.
Let US cling to, with all tenacity of grasp
and cherish with all warmth of affection, the
municipal institutions handed down to us
from our'fathers. If any one speaks slight
ingly or contemptuously of them in ouI
presence, let him be rebuked; if any one dare
lay unhallowed hands upon them to destroy
| let him bear the eXecrations of all pood and