The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1886-04-24
THE TOWN ELECTION.

The failure of the Common Council to
convene on the day fixed by the ordinances
for its regular April meeting which hap
pened to be the date OF the special election
for Representative; the subsequent failure
of attempts to have-a special session, and
the omission of the Mayor to issue proc
lamation giving notice Of the annual town
election within the time directed by law,
gave rise to the suspicion that a movement
was on foot to repeat tactics practiced two
| or thrse times previously in Donaldsonyille,
with the object of depriving the people of
the town Of the right of choosing their mu
nicipal officers through the agency of the
ballot box.
This suspicion was strengthened by the
appearance of an advertisement in the As
ceEsion Democrat of last week giving notice
that
Attic next session Of the General Assembly
OF the State Of Louisiana application will be
made by majority In value OF the property
tax payers OF the town OF Donaldsonvllle, Tor
the passage of an act repeating the charter CT
incorporation, for the appointment OF three
commissioners to iouidate the existing debts
and liabilities Of said corporation, and for the
proper expenditure of the amount OF revenues
derived from the franchises belonging thereto,
less the expense of collecting the sarne. for the
exclusive purpose Of paying for work per-
formed or material furnished for making or re-
pairing the roads, streets. bridges. market
house, wharf. within the limits OF said :nun1c1-
prohibiting the parish Of Ascension from
changing the boundary lines thereof before TAX
ing the sense Of the electors within the limits
to be affected thereby by q special election held
fnR hot ffN IC{t
and only in case the ordinance proposing said
change be adopted by q majority of the votes
cast at such election.
Being extremely 10th to believe that
Mayor Maurin-who has been repeatedly
honored by the people with election to the
most responsible town ofices-would be a
party to ~sn attempt to override the law
and obstrpct the exercise of a vested popu-
lar right, we addressed him letter of in
quiry on the subject, last Wednesday, and
were gratifed to receive prompt response
to the effect that his absence from town on
important business had prevented him
from converting the Council, but that
steps would be at once instituted to get
that body together and make arrangements
for the holding of the town election on the
first Saturday of May, as the law directs.
AS will be seen by the proceedings pub
lished il another column, the Council met
on Thursday and adopted resolutions call
ing the election, fixing the polling places,
and appointing Commissioners, Clerks,
and Constables to officiate at the several
polls.
The proposed abrogation of the town
charter is a question we relegate to future
discussion. Whatever may be the popular
wish on this point, there is no doubt that
decided majority of the people were not
disposed to countenance repetition of
former attempts to ignore their preroga-
tive of choosing municipal officers, and we
are glad TO know that the rumor which at
tributed conspiracy of this character to
our worthy Mayor and some of his col
leagues of the Council proved groundiess.
A mass meeting of citizens, irrespective
of political affiliations, is to be held at the
courthouse Wednesday evening for the pur-
pose of selecting a town ticket to be voted
for at the election Of Saturday next, and it
is quite probable that the candidates there
chosen will be elected without serions OPP
position.