, 1874-11-18
LOCAL MISCELLANY,


THE GENERAL o1TY 1NOoRPORA
T1ON ACT.
A TRIBUNE reporter Ind n conversation wit
the Hon. NJ. r. Tuloy yesterday relative to Il,
action Of The Common Council on tho petition d
$1,000 legal votcrs OF this city for the aubmssio
Of tho General Municipal law to tho poople
Tho reporter asked aIr. Tu!ey what ho propose
10 do, RS counsel Of tho C,tizens' Association, /
the Council persisted in p1ncing technical obsta
olos in the way OF tho petition.
Mr. Tuioy-Eyorybody can understand vh,
tho 1nombots OF tho Common Council ani al
city officials, from tho Mayor down, are oppo.ot
10 submitting tho question to tho people, The1
a,e afraid Of bcing boatcn at the polls BY th<
aitzens who dosire to try tho new law. In thai
sane every city official would hayo to 60 out nine
months ahead Of tho usual tl,ne, and try tue
chances Of new olocsion THIS, Of co,lrso. they
do not wish md have all their employees to back
thon1. I, however, incline to tho opinion thai
this Is
MERE TEMPORARY FLunny.
Tito Council must see very aoon that It is not
only absurd but suicidal on their part to oppose
the will Of tho citixens OF course they have q
perfect right, under the rulos, to rofer tho pc-
tition to q committee but, believe. thoro has
been standing rule recently adopted By tho
Common Council that reports Of committees must
not bo dolayod longer than one month from the
timo Of roforonco. Then they can, IT they ctooao
vote to lay over and publish, after which they
mst act.
nerortor-Thcy cannot voto down tho petition
Of 15,00o citlzers2
Mr.. 1uley-No. Thoy must grant tho prayer
Of tho pottionera,- they daro not rofnso !;
but have no doubt tlloy will do all thoy can to
prevent tho 1natter from coming to issue. After
all, tAoy might "a veil consent frst as last, for
We CAN COMPEL THEM
to that course In any ovent.
Reporter-How do you propose to compel
thonl?
Mr.. Tulcy-I shall, should tho Council provo
obstinate. adyise tho Cit,zons' Association to
apply to the Supreme Court, which will moot
noxt January, Tor = n,andamus. That will end
Tho controversy.
noporte1-What ground can the Common
con"c!l taao outside OF their present rnos to
III. ruley-1 understand that they pretend to
question tho validity Of tho l5 600 petitioners
clnins to tho titla Of loyal voters. This. Bup-.
pose. they can do; but tile Otizona' Association
call, it they wish,
ollEcKMArE THAT MOVEMENT.
Koporter-1n whit manner?
MIR. Tuloy-1 should advise them to appoint
apocial Judiciary Committee, aud have the petit
ton and signatures referred to ttem. Thcy can
compare tho signatures with the poll-liBts, and
thus decide the question az to Tho legal right Of
tho petitioners. It will be laboriouB procoss
enough, but still 1t ought to bo tried
1tepuft9r-1no new law would l11fb lilo hlQGT-
men elected by districts instead OF by warda
Mr. Tuley-Yes. Tho Common Council would
ho Obliged to divide the city into not loss tau two
nor moro than xix districts, each district to bo
represented by Six Aldermen. This would give
ns broader mou, and break up tho system OF pot
Aorao politics which nov prevails in Aldormanic
elections. Two districts would give uB twelve:
throo. eighteen; four. twcuty~folr; five, thirty
md six, thirty y-hix Aldermen, which would DO the
limit u1der tho nov law.
ELSEWHERE.
Reporter-This law Of Genoral Incorporation |
prevails in other States, doeH it not?
Mr. Tuloy-Yes, in every State where there ia |
constitutional provision ngainst special logisa-
tion for citios. 1t prcyai!s in our State,-IIyde
Park has adopted II, t,-iu Iowa, In Ohio, and In |
diana. Without 1t, we could novor anoud the |
old city charter, aud would DO compelled to run |
in the old rut until the day Of judgment, have !
no doubt that II tho question is put TO tho people
it will be- adopted. They will reason that things
cannot bo worse than they arc, and they may
easily bee improved. The adoption Of tho now
Law would do away with the curHe and fraud Of |
. many Boards. Wo should then have ono man
ut tho hcad Of each department, and
could hold him responsible for his acts.
What is everybodv'A business, rs tho old |
saying goes, IL nobody's. The Board OF Public
Works would be run By ono man, and tho differ
ent departnlonts now ca8Bcd in central affair,
would each be run and regulated ny irresponsible
head. It would be tho saine with the Police and
Fire Departments. In fact the change would
be in erery way beneficial to the public. hayc
no doubt that tho people will adopt tho now law,
when submitted to thum, and / think that It will
prove QUO Of tho heaviest votes ever polled in
Chicago.