Chapter X: Introduction

The following plan for regulating the municipal affairs of
this town has been drawn up in the form of a charter, as the
clearest and best method to express the extent of the proposed
improvements. The objects have been pointed out by a thorough
investigation into the various modes of conducting the public
business; which was entered into in consequence of a
presentment made by the Grand Jury to the Court of Quarter
Sessions in the December Term of 1812. The Court having
appointed six different investigating committees of the
Magistrates to meet the various objects contemplated by the
grand Jury, their several reports combined clearly prove the
necessity of some reform; but as it would now become an
invidious as well as a useless task, to point out the
_prevailing errors_ of the present practice, which are but too
evident to admit of a doubt, the gentlemen who have undertaken
the task of sketching out the _means of improvement_, have
left it to the Public to compare the one with the other.

It will be perceived by a perusal of the following sheets,
that the Charter has but two leading objects--to establish
regularity in business, and to define and extend the powers of
the Magistrates and Grand Jury (acting as a Common Council) to
the same limits as (and not a step beyond) the powers granted
to all corporations within the King's Dominions.

The only novelty introduced is that of preserving a gradual
change of the ruling members of the corporation, without
incurring the unpleasant duty of the electing system. This is
done by the appointment of ten magistrates to act as trustees,
two of whom will go out and two others come in annually, and
the appointment of the Grand Jury of the existing year, (or if
it is preferred that of the last year, or a draft from the
whole list until it is gone through), to act as a Common
Council.

By these means the whole of the leading members of the
community (likely to take an active part in the affairs of the
town) will, in turn, partake of the duties of a respectable
office, and become intimate, and thereby feel interested in
its affairs. The various articles of consumption and of
commerce will be better inspected than they are at present;
the revenues will be regularly attended to, and every
desirable improvement in possession of other similar
communities in His Majesty's Dominions will in time, no doubt
be adopted.

The provisions of the Charter have been selected and drawn up
with the utmost care to avoid objections by an attentive
reference to the London, Philadelphia, New York and New
Brunswick Charters, and the East Company's by-laws; and the
whole is arranged and worded agreeably to the most approved
forms, in order to obviate any difficulties on the part of
Government, or from local partialities.

In debating the merits of the following pages, these three
queries will naturally occur to and guide every reflecting
mind:

1st. Whether the present management requires any improvement?

2nd. If so--is this an effectual plan?

3rd. If not--what is better?

* * * * *

N. B. When the terms of the Charter are agreed on and assented
to by His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor, it is proposed
to apply to His Excellency to grant it for a term of three or
five years by way of trial; during which period such
amendments may be made to it as experience shall point out to
be necessary;--after which, if it proves acceptable to the
inhabitants, application may be made to renew it for another
term of a few years, for the purpose of improving it still
further, as its deficiencies may appear; then the Charter may
be made perpetual if the inhabitants approve of it. It will be
necessary to have an Act of the General Assembly to confirm
the Charter when first granted, and on every renewal of it.

Mr. Sabatier and a few others were principally concerned in endeavoring to forward the object, but the Governor and Council appear to have been still influenced the belief that their own supervision of local affairs was preferable and better suited to the circumstances of the town at that time.

It will be seen that in the plan proposed the idea of a popular election of members of the corporation was not even thought of either by the Government or the people of the town.