, 1861-03-16
Ct)iraqp Trihutte.
SATURDAY, MARCH 1G, 1851.


SATURDAY, MARCH 16, 1861.
The NEW CHARTER.
The election for the adoption Of certain
amendments to the city charter will take
place on next Tuesday. The act says:
The following amendments to the charter
of The CITY Of Chicago shall be submitted
to the legal voters Of said city on the third
Tuesday Of March, 1861, at which election
every person wiling in favor ofsaid amend
mcnts shall deposit balIotwith the words
"For the Amendments" and every person
voting against said amendments shall de-
post ballot with the words: Against
the Amendments
The whole act consists Of ninety -four
sections. The first sixty-six sections are
the law Of the city. The last twenty-cight
sections must be ratifed By the vote Of the
citizens before they become part Of the
charter. ''.-'
One Of the sheets Of this city has assailed
the new charter with enyenonled violence,
for no better reason tllan that it curtails the
onc-man power, simplifies public business,
reduces the number Of oflce-holders, and
saves large SUMS Of money 10 the tax
payers.
Most Of tllc provisions opposed by the
papcr in question, are those made parts Of
the Charter Of the Legislature, and
which arc not submitted for COLI
frmation next Tuesday. This was
done TO betray and mislead the pub
lie, and induce men to vote against
amendments which, il correctly under
stood, the great majority of the people
would warmly support.
One Of The main amendments to be voted
for is that dividing the city into twenty
three wards, which will give twenty-three
voting places at general and charter cleo
tons There are at present hut ten wards
and ten voting places, which is wholly
inadequate to the public wants. The new
law concerning challenging at elections,
renders ii impossible for the people Of Ibis
city to cast their votes in one day.
The amendment to the Charter Of which
we are speaking, divides the city into
twenty-tl4ree compact wards, containing
each about 500 voters. This is large
enough. Some Of the present wards con-
tain more than 5000 voters. Every man
who votes against the Amendments will
vote to retain those monster-sized Wards,
and to disfranchisc onc-half Of the voters
Of Chicago ut the next general election. It
is provided by the amendments to be voted
on that the people Of each ward shall elect
one Alderman This will make Board Of
twenty-three Aldermen. The present num-
ber is twenty-five from each ward When
the wards are reduced to the proposed size,
an Alderman will know personally nearly
the whole people whom he represents, and
they will know him. He can vote and act
more undcrstandin.Iy Us to tl,eir wants and
necessities, and lie will bc held to i strict
er accountability. Because where there
are two Aldermen representing the same
wards, the blame for wrong action is made
to fall between, and escapes both.
It is also provided that the Board Of AL
dernen shall elect one Of their number to
preside and preserve order at their meet
ings. This is IN improvement on the pre-
sent charter, which requires the Mayor Ia
preside, who is the Chief Executive officer,
and has the veto power besides. Itis as
improper for him to act as President Of the
Council as it would be for Mr. Lincoln 10
be Speaker Of the House Of Representa-.
tives, or Gov. Yates to preside over tAe
illinois Assembly Let the Mayor ane
Council act separately, and they vii
act more independently and properly
and will be more perfect check and coun
ter-check on each other.
Another great advantage to be derived
from dividing the city into twenty-tlret
wards is, that it will give The city con1ro
of the Board OF Supervisors. It will the1
have tEenty-ninc votes in the Board
twenty-thrcc ly wards and six by the three
Divisions. The county towns have nov
the majority, though the city pays
three-fourt}ls Of the county taxes It i;
only right and equitable that the people
Of the city should have control over tht
question Of county taxation. The adoption
OF the amendments will save the tax pay
era Of Chicago many thousand dollars
now 6lcl1ed out Of their pockets ant
disbursed in the rural districts Of tlll
county
In our next issue we will glance at thu
remaining amendments to be voted on mex
Thursday. After examining them care
fully, VIC unhesitatingly advise every Ia:
payer to vote the ticket on which is writ
ten " For the Amendments" We arc en-
sirely satisfied that their adoption vii
greatly improve the pres ent Charter.