The 1805 charter was amended by act of the state legislature approved on March 14, 1816. Among the provisions of this act was the following, "in future the sittings or assemblies of the city Council of New-Orleans shall be public, except where, at the request of two thirds of the members present in said Council, the said Council shall deem it necessary to deliberate behind closed doors." The minutes of these closed door, or secret, sessions were recorded in separate books from the regular minutes and proceedings. This manuscript volume includes such minutes for the Conseil de Ville from November 13, 1823 through February 2, 1836. Following the division of the city in 1836, the volume was continued in use to record the secret sessions of the First Municipality Council.