, 1873-11-14

1.-THE MAYORS BILL"
Tho net OF tho Legislature passed March 8,
1879, and popularity known aa "The Mayors BILL"
conferred four now and diatlnot functions upon
tho Mayor Of Chicago, to wit:
/. To nppoiht all city officers and members Of
Boards (excopt thoBo whoao election Is provided
for by law and those appointed by tho aoyornor)
subject to confirmation by majority OF all tho
mombcrs Of tho Common Council also to re-
move any city officer Or mombor Of any OF tho
Boards, md appoint successor.
2. The eamo powors arc conferred upon the
Mayor to suppress disorder and keep tho poaoo
IA arc vostod in tho Sheriff, and to this ond ho
is giyon the direction and control Of all the
mcmbors Of tho Police and Fire Departments Of
tho city,
8. Tho Mayor is voatod with tho power to veto,
not only any ordinance as a whole that may DO
passed. by tho Common Council but any items
OF appropriations contained In such ordinance,
which enables him to roviow In detail any appro-
priation bill and eliminate ita Objectionable foa
tares without affecting its mertorioua parts.
4. Tho Mayor is made e1-o0loio President Of
tho Common Council, may preside at all moot
ingH when present, and sppoint the Standing
CommitteeB.
Tho act provided that this law should remain
In forco for tho term Of two yoars from and aftor
its passage. It expires by Limitation on tho 9th
Of March noxt, unless 1t shhll DO made porma-
nent by another act Of tho Legislature. Tho
Legislature meets in January, and ono Of its
worry first acta should be to make the pro-
Visions Of tho Mayors bill tho law for tho
permanent government Of all cities In ILL.,
nois. Chicago should never bo permitted
to revert to tho old stats Of confusion
which existed before tho passage Of this .act.
There should not even bo An hiatus, aud to avoid
this tho Legislature should not Immediately
upon oonvoning. The principles upon which
the law is based commended themselves to all
Intelligent and fair-mindod citizens, and tho
experience OF nearly two years has confirmed
Law assures concentration Of responsibility
In place Of di1usion Of It, and tho result Is .
permanent safeguard against tho aarelossnoss
and corruption that nre inevitable whom no one
Is directly responsible to tho people. The prin-
oiploB thus condensed into brief and Intelligent
law have boon sought by all municipal rotormora
throughout tho country, and 1t would bs almost
criminal to abandon them in q full consciousness
Of their worth aud with q certainty Of tho chaos
| to which no would bo forced to return when the
| lar expires.
Upon tho expiration Of tho Mayors law, the
opportunity Of tho corrupt Nineteen" will TO-
turn. The Mayor will then be more fgire-
hoad. Chicago will DO pnder tho dominion Of q
Doqrd Of Aldormen, a Board Of Police and Fire
Commissioners. Board Of Public Works, q
Board Of Hoalth, and full corps Of city OIL
cials who will be responsible tono one but them"
selyes. Each nnd oycry Bo&rd will make ita osti-
matoB according to its individual wants, without
consulting the interests of any other department
Of the City Government, and, each Board having
its partisans in tho Council, systom OF trading
will be renewed By which tho Taxpayers will be
ble1 on all sidos. The right Of veto can thon be
exercised only in bulk and tho result DO either
adead-looki in tho public machinery or oxtravagant
appropriations which no man nor set Of mon
hayo tho power to regulate. Tho Executive Do
partment Of tbs City Government will be at loose
onds,--the Common Council pulling o4e way.
the Board Of Polioo another, and the Chief al
Polico third, while the Mayor may ait and suok
his thumb, powerless to interfere for tho public
| good. Tho Fire Department. will be reduced to
the game demoralizod condition as It was Of the
timo Of tho great conaagration, and tho police
force will degenerate Into mere Heliticl ma
chine, There will then he not one kovernment
but lalt-a-dozen governments, IN Chicago, each
with an Irresponsible head, seoh acting inde'
ponlontly Of all tho others for personal ends,
and not ono for tho public good. Tho oaso ia
to the condition Of things which existed prior to
tue pausago Of the Mayors bill, with the croato
danger Of degonorating to state o. corruption
that prevailed for 40 many yoars in New Yorl
City, and which VAS brought about by tho same
irresponsible syste1p,
Under the present law, tho Mayor js held 70
sponsible for tho good order aud government O.
tho city, and has authority commensurate witl
his responsibility. This ia to tho public adyan
tago whether tho Mayor be absolutely honest AMI
efficient, or whether ho DO inclined to be diahon
est and inefficient. In the former case, he ha
tho power to seryo tho city with hla ability AM
good motives; in the latter onso, hia indiyldua
responsibility, which wh4e!h1 thore Is no meena tor hin
to shrk, is constant check upoa fhits bad inten t
tlons, and, II ho fails to restrain: them under th
pressure OF public sentiment, he may be eimpeacl'
ed and brought to account. He is always re
sponsble to the people, because ho has the po"
or to correct abuses IN every Department. to re
moye inefficient officers, to yeto johe. to roduo
and regulsts appropriations, and to personaslll
inspect tho conduct olnad!uleett apd accounts Of a
tho branches Of tho City Government