The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-03-03
The New Wards.


The new division Of the city into
Wards renders the present Council
an obsolete body. With a blind ia
tally that stamps the council a set Of
fools. or otherwise show that they be-
lieve the people to be fools, they have
re-distrieted the city, making the pew
ordinance TO have force and effect at
once. AS a consequence, the present
board has legislated itself out OF Of
fee. Each Ward is entitled, under
the charter, to one Councilman. The
new ordinance places CouncIlmen
Hopkins and Semonin In the Second
Ward, and leaves the Fourth Ward
without any Councilman at all. The
acts of the present Council from this
time forth will be null and void
Courier.
The present Council neglected to
call on the Courier for its opinion of
the law regulating the re-districting of
the city. It they had done so that
paper would, no doubt, have informed
them that it was highly improper to
do it. True, last year the Demo
cratic Council re-districted the city
for party purposes. and had the Wards
strung across the city like strings on
violin, but what was very proper
and highly meritorious In a Demo
cratic Council, is very unnecessary
and highly improper in Republican
Council. The Council, we say, neg
lected to call on the Courier for the
law governing the re-districling of the
city. 1t evidently thought that all
authority was conferred on them By
the amendment to the city charter,
approved February 4, 1913. Perhaps
the Courier has not read that amend
ment. We copy two sections thereof
for its benefit:
SEB. 1. Be Il enacted by The General
Assembly of the State of Indiana, That
the Common Council of the city of
Evansville shall have full power and
authority FROM time to time, and as
often as they MY deem it expedient,
to altar the size, form, and boundaries
of the present wards of said city, and
to subdlvide the same or any OF them,
and make additional wards thereof,
and at all times hereafter to subdlvide
the territory which may be within
said city, and constitute thereof as
many wards as said Council may deem
proper, and Of such sizes and forms
as said Council may think necessary
for the convenience and well-being of
said city, and from time to time to
alter the number and boundaries
thereof: Provided, That the size or
boundaries of no ward once estab-
lished shall be altered without the
concurrence of two-thirds of all the
Councilmen of the city.
SEC. 2. TIE Common Council of
said city shall have full power and
authority, at their discretion, by ordi-
nance. to require all votes to be given
at any city election to be given in any
one or more wards of said city, and at
such place or places as the Common
Council may from time to time APP
point, and to pass and adopt all such
ordinances, regulations, and orders in
relation to the times and places OF
holding elections in said city for city
officers, as said Common Council shall
deem expedient.
The " Common Council shall have
full authority, from time to time, and
as often as they may deem eapsdte1at, to
alter the SAFE. form and boundaries Of
the present Wards of said city, and TO
subdivide the same or any of them"
We can't find the provision of the
charter that renders all their acts
void because they have passed an
ordinance in conformity with the pro
visions of this amendment to the
charter. Perhaps the Courier can
cite US the page and the paragraph.
Each member Of the present Coun-
Gil was elected, and will hold his Of
fee, for the term of one year-or un-
til his successor is elected and quail
ied-in the various Wards of the city,
whose boundaries were defined by
~rdinanee, at the time of their cleo
=, aud within whose respective
they had to be residents in or
eligible. But this fact in
reeludes them from re-
he city, in accordance
lions Of the charter
the next election,
new Council will,
idents of the
" the ordi-
Getting Of
by in
aV