The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-03-11
NUM-. IrAI. RIGHTS.


bill very properly presoribes the man
ner In which the Board Of Police Gem
missioners shall be organised: limit
he cost of the police force, and leave
the control of It to the city authorities
We differ with those who think that th'
State government should have an!
power over the organization and direc
ton OF the police OF this city. But at thu
same time we think the police system
should be fixed by an act OF the Legis
lature, that it may not be subject t.
changes In the interest OF factions, pol
iticians and rings, by city ordinances.
II this bill shall pass the House, sub
sta ntially as 1t passed the Senate, Q
real measure OF reform will have been
enacted by the Legislature. and a steE
taken in return toward those sound
principles OF government and Law
which have been so completely de.
stroyed in this State by the Radical
party, that oppressive, infamous and
plundering institutions, such rs the
Metropolitan police system, might be
reared upon their ruins.
Some of the remarks OF Mr.. Zacharie
on this bill were sound in principle and
we'll put. BY an examination Of the
various constitutions we have had In
this State he found that all Of them.
with the exception Of tho present one,
contains o section providing that the
LegislatuP shall not interfere with the
police government OF New Orleans. He
considers this prohibition OF the State
of the city as based upon a principle
running though the English and Ameri-
can law. The gentleman Is entirely
correct in this statement. but he might
have carried his proposition much fur.
ther, and based his opposition to State
interference with municipal affairs upon
q still broader basis.
The emancipation of the great bedy
Of the people OF Europe from the gall
ing and degrading servitude to which
the feudal system In tho tenth CEN
fury had reduced them, began with the
granting Of municipal Jurisdiction to
cities. This great reform in the feudal
system, or rather this great revulsion
against feudal servitude, began in Italy
when the German emperors possessed
a feeble and imperfect jurisdiction
there. Previously, cities found it
necessary to depend for protection
upon some great lord, and became sub
ject to his arbitrary and tyrannical
power. The perpetual quarrels OF the
e mperors with their own vassals direct
ed their attention from the interior OF
Italy, and some of the cities there,
taking advantage of this fact.
formed themselves into bodies polite
under the government Of their ewn
laws. Other cities followed their exam
pie, and some by bold usurpations, and
others by purchase from the emperors
and lords, obtained large immunities.
This great movement soon spread from
Italy to France, and Louis lie Gros wisely
adopted q system of comforting munich
pal privileges upon cities and towas
within his domain, forming them into
corporations, to be governed by coun-
Gil and magistrates OF their own nomi-
nation. The revolution spread to Ger
many; and the great cities there began
TO acquire those immunities which con-
stitute the basis OF their present free
dom. The movement rapidly extended
over Europe, and was adopted in Eng
land, Scotland and Spain.
En- boldened by this acquisition Of
power to protect themselves, and en-
by the spirit Of independence.
;hese cities aroused themselves from the
in which they had been
sunk, The spirit OF industry revived;
commerce began to flourish; population
increased. and, as the historians OF that
period tell us, wealth flowed into cities
which had long been the seat Of power
~ and oppression"
The dawn Of municipal independence
vas In truth the dawn Of liberty. Its
light and power were feeble at first, but
hey grew in brightness and strength,
Until the impenetrable darkness of feu-
lal despotism was broken and dis
,elled. No more instructive lesson
n politics can be learned than ls taught
n the history of the beginning and
progress Of this great movement; or
ather. we should say, in the history Of
he origin and development Of the great
- - IL ~
he bedrock principles of civil liberty.
This fact to which go many legisla-
ors are either blind or Indifferent, the
instinct Of the tyrant and the robber
eadily discovers. Whenever the lib
rites of a people are to be destroyed,
r whenever the commerce and proper
les of people are to be made the spoil
( oppressors, the strong and lawless
rm instinctively strikes at the rig hts |