Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1847-09-30

they are ample Tor every purpose OF llbera
and well constituted municipal government
and that there is no necessity, at the presen
time, of an. application to the General AS
sembly for their enlargement. There is M
! one subject of municipal regulation, whicl
may not be effectively reached either by
town ordinance, or an ordinance of the town
council, under the provisions Of these acts.
| The difficulty is that the powers conferred
have been suffered to lie dormant for the want
OF a convenient medium for framing and enact
ing the ordinances, and especially for the en-.
tire want, under our town government, Of O
proper executive authority to carry them into
effect. In a few cases, authority is given to
the town council TO enact the ordinances
which the powers conferred require but the
mass Of these powers is left exclusively to the
action of the town. In a town Of the popu-
lation of Newport, where eleven hundred
electors have the privilege Of voting, the at
tempt to pass ordinances. in open town meet.
ing, upon the great variety Of topics which
these statutes embrace, is found to be abor-
hft, thtIt pc'uB uc-
liberation, nor proper organization to mature
the necessary enactments in the hurry and
excitement of large popular meeting
Hence, in towns ofthe size and circumstances
of Newport, has arisen the necessity ofa city
organization-of delegating to some represen-
tative body the preparation and enactment Of
the laws necessary to carry the municipal
powers into effect, which, at an earlier stage
of its existence, the citizens were competent
to perform by their own unaided and imme-
date act. But city organization, winch
would divcst the town meetings of all their
present appropriate powers, has been consld-
cred by our citizeHs on very recent occa-
sion, and, for reasons satisfactory to a MAORI
ty, decided to be inexpedent. Many, who
voted against the city charter, opposed IT from
the belief, that the town organization, if prop
crly amended, would afford all the protection
and benefit which city government could
confer; others, from the persuasion, that the
expenses attending city had been greatly,
though unintentonally, underrated by those
who recommended the charter ;-others, from
the conviction, that the power of taxation,
and of the appropriation of money could not
be placed upon the same safe footing as in the
charter to the city Of Providence, without a
previous amendment of the State Constitu-
ton and many, no doubt, from sincere re-
spect and veneration for our time -honored mu.
nicipal establishment, which, dating its origin
from the settlement of the Colony, had pro-
tccted so many generations, under the shadow
of its wings, in "the enjoyment of as great
liberty as any people under Heaven" A
city charter then having been rejected upon
whatever motives or reasons, the next best
ell the town form Of government, by new
provisions introduced, that the great purpose
of an effective and economical administration
ofts affairs can be attained. This is the view
taken by the Committee of the wishes and
feelings ofevery good citizen, and for the pur
pose Of accomplishing so desirable an object,
they recommend an application to the General
Assembly for the passage of the act herewith
submitted, which embraces all the modifica-
tions of our town government, which they
deem to be material,
As stated in previous part of>this report
the Committee consider the powers already
conferred by the General Assembly as ample
for all the purposes of municipal government,
if the requisite ordinances be enacted, and an
executive authority instituted to carry them
into effect To obviate the difficulty expert
enced in the enactment of laws in town meet
;ng, they propose, by the fourth section of the
act, to give the town council concurrent pow
er with the town, to make and ordan, with like
penalties all such laws, ordinances, votes orders
and by laws, as the town may make and ordain,
with certain exceptions, which are specifically
sci out in the provso to. said section. The
ing viz =" that no law, ordinance, vote, order, or
bylaw for the imposition ofany rate, tax, or for
assessing or collecting the same, or for the ap-
preparation of any money other than is herein
specifically provided, Ut for the sale or other
disposition of any land or other property be-
longing to said town, or for the creation ofany
office, or for establishing, increasing, or di-
minishing the salary or income thereof, or of
any Office already established, other than is
herein particularly provided, shall be deemed
or construed to be within the concurrent au-
thority hereby conferred on said town council" D."
The town council have now by law authori-
ty to pass ordinances on various subjects of
municipal regulation, and this section extends
it to all such subjects within the jurisdiction
of the town with the exceptions slated in the
foregoing proviso. In this manner, it is be-
lieved, that well digested body of ordinances
can be obtained for our government, without
divesting the town ofany Of the powers it now
possesses by law, and retaining to the town
meetings, exclusively, the right, as now ex-
ercised, to impose, assess, and collect taxes, to
appropriate money for any legitimate object,
and to control the property of the town, as
well as the compensation of all officers, with
one or two exceptions, which the town or