Mobile daily commercial register and patriot., 1841-10-25
PUBLIC MEETING.-cITY CHARTER.

At an adjourned meeting of the democratic party
 of the city of Mobile, held on Saturday evening the
 23rd inst at the Alhambra, Thaddeus Sanford in the
 Chair and B. Tardy, Secretary.
 John A. Campbell, as chairman of the committee
 appointed to suggest and propose alterations and
 amendments of the City Charter, submitted the fol-
 lowing report;
 The committee to which was referred the subject of the city charter and the amendments necessary therefor have had the under consideration and
 have instructed me to report
 That so much of the city charter as provides
 for the mode of assessing and collecting the
 city taxess and for checks upon the power of the may
 or, aldermen and common council to appropriate mo-
 ney, and for the appointment of the fl, cal officers of
 the corporations meets with it's entire appreciation and it has no amendment to propose.
 The committee has also instructed me to report
 that it Is expedent to attempt any change in the
 number of the boards which compose the corporation
 The committee considers the separate organization
 of the boards of aldermen and council as of
 very great impoIt the we'll being and good 20, ernnent of the city. They afford check upon each others action. They mutually hinder the adoption
 of inconsderate and hasty resolutions; and they ob- struct the growth of spirit of accommodation and II
 the sacrifice of public ends which the vice of sin
 gle body composed of small number of persons The committee considers it matter of great importance to obtain far practicable, deiberation and fore
 thought the action of the corpOration-and for this purpose have instructed report that the meas ures adopted by board should not be adopted by
 the other at the same meeting, but that three ur four
 days should elapse, unless the unanimous vote of the members of the board whose consent is required
 should testify the necessity of immediate action. II z. r .I.z.
 boards m the mean tune would inform the conmuni- ty of the measures in progress, and would afford an opportunity to any person interested, awaken pub
 lie attention to express to the corporation the evil or inustise of measure while yet in progress
 In many cases inconvenience and mischief would
 thus be prevented and the consequences of niudcious and hasty legislation, averted from the community.
 For the purpose, the committee has instructed to recommend that the mayor should be deprived of any voice in the deliberations of the board of al dermen, and should be exempted from the duty of pre- siding over it; but that all ordinances and joint resol- tons should be submitted for his approval before they shall become operative, and in the of his dsap- prova that il shall require the of two thirds of the members of each board, before the shall be adopted.
 The committee find, on a consideration of the in- fuence of the veto power in the executive upon the interests of the people, that il has frequently been m alliance with the popular will and productive of public good; That executive officer elected by the people and responsible to them for the perform ance of his duties, will seldom, ifever, come in con fiji, with other departments of the government, com posed of members chosen by the people, by the else of this power, unless he exhibit the evidence of patriotic motive and for public ends in his con duct. They find that the that have bsen ar rested by this power have commonly indicated an in- pure origin the influence of sinister and personal objects either in the precipitation with which they have been adopted, the sacrifice of public interests and of great principles, to views of individual avan tage, and that the of the executive has rarely failed to meet with the approbation of the people.
 The committee therefore feels no hesitation in re commenting this enlargement of the powers of the mayor and the separation of his office and duties from those of the boards of aldermen and of the common council
 The committee have had under consideration the clause prescribing property qualification for voters and for members oi the common counc The Ame- constitutions founded upon the principle that all the members of the social compact free and equal. No distinctions conferred by birth or rank allowed and privileges are granted except in consideration fpubic services. The committee con siders privilege afforded to property -holders less exceptonabe than those which have been uni sersaly repudiated If the rights of property are dangered by public authority, limitation upon the of that authority should be imposed Full and ample protection should be granted against the i'm pending danger by guarding the property from it's in huence. The committee do not consider that this protection should ever be aordedb by the grant spc- cal privilege in favor of men ofpropery The acts of the common council operate on all the cItzens in Mobile. The committee consider it improper that that body should be chosen by portion of those cit izens only.
 Checks upon the power of taxation have been imposed in favor of property holders checks upon the power of appropriation have likewise been lm- posed for the same purpose.
 If oppressive taxation wastefu expenditure is still complained of, further limitations upon the pow CT of raising the ways and means of expenditure, and further guards upon the power of disbursements of the sums allowed, should be adopted. The com mittee prefer that the protection of property holders from injustice should be afforded in this direct way, than by the indirect, and, they believe, inadequate of the present system
 The committee, therefore, recommend the repeal of the clause prescribing property qualification for voters for the council and of the registry acts. The committee have had under consideration the propriety of abolishng the office of recorder and of vesting his criminal jurisdiction in the mayor. The office of mayer is at this time nearly sinecure. The salary, though not large, is still sum for which the public should have equal return of public service. The existence of two offices, when one would sulice | is evil which demands a corrective. The com | Inttee have concluded that if proper salary were | attached to the office of mayor, the services of man of capacity, moral worth and influence in the whose whole time would be devoted to the service of the city, might reasonably he expected. That unless the duties that contded to he recorder were attached io his niee t,, aeauafe ein ploymslt for such man would be afforded in the bu- 'iness of the city. That the duties of the recorder Ire of paramount importance to the rity, upon which es security greatly dspends and that the city should ndcaysr te secure thoir fathfs performance by all