, 1861-03-18

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AMENDMENTS TO THE CHARTER.
In IN afucle IN tle last issue OF the 1RI-
buNE, We pointed out some OF the valuable
textures IN the proposed amendments to
the city charter, and will now briefly notice
a few more:
Section rs provides that no person shall
vote at a municipal election, unless he
shall have resided 80 days in the ward in
which ne pliers LIS vote lh:s provision IS
intended to prevent 1he ee1on1zans o1 Vo-
tiers from one ward 10 another On 1he eve
ofan election, and thereby aid IN preserv-
Ing the purity Oh elecuons- Every honest
man ought 10 be IN favor Of this provision
and give 1t his support
Section rs 1i3es liquor licenses at flf'y
dollars, and removes from the Council the
power to get up another lager beer riot,
such IS disgraced this city six years ago,
when blood was shed, and battle fought
in the streets on the issue Of high and low
license. The present charge Of fifty dollars
is one Of the clauses Of the treaty Of peace
that was made. 1t has worked satisfactorily,
and had better not be broken. The people
de not want 10 witness another series Of
mobs, uproar and fighting about this liquor
question. Let it rest
Section II provides that the engines, horses
and apparatus OF the Fire Department
shall he exempt from sale, attachment or
execution for any debt the city may owe.
This is an important precaution. It is not
long since that q person who had u claim
against the city which he would not wait
a short time for, levied On the horses Of the
Fire Department The public interest
must not be subjected to the meanness Of
any Shylock which the city may happen
to owe. The property Of the Fire Depart
ment sg,ouJa 1,e niaced far herona the cu-
p;dity or malice of any inf1;v;dua] M
man knows what moment he may need the
steam engines to ouench the DESTROYING
element in his dvel1ine- or nIace of busi-
ness or to keen it from snreadinr from 3
neirhbor,s to his own PREMISES IT the
amendments arc voted down this imnor-
tant sect;on will h. last
Another section nrovi;1os that the Police
Gourt Clerk shaI1 nav ovcr In 1hc Civ
Treasurer once \ week. a]} constable.
witness. and other fees and MONEYS that
NAV come into l,is hands. from anv source
or FIR any nproose wbatercr
There are t1,ousands NJ ao1lars of witness
and othe, faos ,,,;cb ara norar called FIR
11nde7 the nresent ch,7to, roo,1at;on
4h;s roncv eocs ;nto +ho noc,at NJ IL.
Police f-1er,, .n5 ,,,oro Il rcr,,;,a n
sect;on "a of ,be Amendments ,hose
iterns will beresfter he mid ;nto the c;,v
Treasury What objection ta,-navcrs ran
havo n ,h;s nrovision IT il 3;ff;cu,t IN
conceive.
Section 81, if adopted, will be worth ten
Thousand dollars year to the City Treas
nry. It provides that the two per cent on
fire insurance premiums heretofore paid to
the 'sF;remen's Benevolent Association
shall hereafter be paid 10 the City Treas
ury. The money will then be applied to
the support Of the Steam Fire Department,
and Of course, will save that amount Of
taxes This two per cent fund was in
tended for tue benefit Of the. late
volunteer hand-encne fremcn, to help
those who were crippled in the discharge
Of duty, or to support the widows Of men,
bers who were killed at fires, and for other
benevolent pur poses connected with the
old department. There is an accumulated
fund at this time in the hands Of trustees
amounting to $4,000 or more. The in
come from this tax, if carefully col
1ccted, amounts to ten or twelve thousand
dollars per annum- ltis no longer needed
by the Fircmen's Benevolent Association,
as the volunteer system has been aban-
doncd, and the paid Steam Fire
Department substituted. 1t is right and
proper that The future two dollars per hun
drcd assessments on the insurance COM
panies, should Ga directly to the SUPPORT OF
the Steam Fire Department If folly SO
far rules the hour, that the proposed amend
,nents to the charter are voted down. this
Important section will be lost, aud the
taxpayers will be called on DO fork over
ten thousand dollars year, which otter
wise would remain in their pockets,
There are several other sections contain
ing valuable amendments to the charter
which we have not space in this article to
notice; among them may be mentioned
that which authorizes the council to regu-
~ ' ~ oaAel
D4e' w., eu ~ plo'ect 'ae
po" sn'l' "n'en sn'poNe.s ue eouhcl: 10
p'Ass au o'oi1'"nes ,os,.o' '11hs LUG arrest ol
sas' "osnu'' pe"ls aha loalers'
A' Nv 'ls'ots .n'anS u support
Ie.y nsssAty provision Ii ~ q Guy IKE cni-
10. 1u.'.t.A' .,'e eouilell 10 IL
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