The records are manuscript volumes, in French, which have been grouped into subseries as indicated below:

Sub-Series 1 -- Individual ordinances and resolutions apparently extracted from the journals or other record books of the Conseil de Ville. Each is signed by the Recorder and by the Mayor. They apparently were originally stored folded, with manuscript endorsements on the top of the folded sheet for filing purposes. At some later point they were bound into thick volumes. These records date 1805-1821.

Sub-Series 2 -- These volumes appear to be made up of the bound acts (ordinances, resolutions, etc.) passed at each session of the Conseil de Ville. Each act is signed by the Recorder and some are also signed by the Mayor.

Sub-Series 3 -- English copy of the ordinances and resolutions (for March 5, 1831 - April 23, 1836 only). Signed by the Recorder, with some also signed by the Mayor.

Sub-Series 4-- Copies, unsigned (for August 20 - November 17, 1825 only). This volume also contains the proceedings of the Board of Inspectors of the Workhouse, House of Refuge, and Prison, First Municipality, March 26, 1842 - July 11, 1843.

A comparison of the overlapping portions of subseries 1 and 2 supports the interpretation of group I as being extracts from other records of the Conseil de Ville since there are many acts recorded in 2 that are not represented in 1. Since there are no pre-1816 records in subseries 2, it would appear that the acts for that period (as represented in subseries I) are incomplete. Information about such earlier acts, if not the complete text thereof, can be found by reference to the proceedings of the Conseil de Ville and the messages of the Mayor to that body.

In addition to the ordinances and resolutions themselves these volumes also contain lists of individuals for whom relief benefits were authorized by the Conseil de Ville as well as numerous letters and other documents. This is especially true in the volumes for the earlier years. Among the correspondents represented in these letters are Rev. Patrick Walsh, Vicar General of Louisiana; Jacques Villere; Sister de Ste. Michel Gensoul, Superioress of the Ursuline Nuns in New Orleans; Louis Moreau-Lislet; Benjamin Henry Latrobe. There are also letters from various local institutions and/or their representatives, including the Library Society, the Medical Society, the Church Wardens of the Church of St. Louis, and the Trustees of the Presbyterian Church.

The English language volume (subseries 3) is the only one that is indexed, for 1832-1836 only (see AB309 in inventory listing). The indexes prepared for the WPA translations (see below), however, should also be useful finding aids for these records.