, 1875-04-02


back to tho House for concurrence In the
amendments matlo by tho former body. We
llavo already explained tho nnturo and clfoct
Of these amendments. Some Of thom have
been positive benefit to tho bill, such as
the limitation Of general city taxes to tiftoon
mills, tho definition of tic duties Of the FL
nance Committee of tic Common Council,
mud tho separate submission Of tho Minority
Representation clause, which will better snt-
isfy some Of tho opponents of that doctrine.
Concerning other amendments thoro mny bo
difference Of opinion ~ to their elect, but
not ono Of them nltcrs tho spirit Of tho plan
sought inter- As tho main principles OF tho
bill remaill intact, 1t Ii q MGttcr Of surprise
tint it should have encountered opposition in
tho House, and, finally OIL tho vote, have
failed to receive tho necessary votes for its
rassagc. It has now gone to Conference
Committee.
The writer in the Chicago Ttmes WHO has
taken upon himself tho task Of defeating
mnuicipal reform III tLis city has made n
Inst effort to kill the bill, aud, If not
prompted by deliberate purpose to falsify
mud deceive, lo has surpassed himself In
asi,inity. lie says:
0ne rather startling eject which viii result cone
sequence of enac!ny tho ch!c1go l1Eslsa-1Hg ehar-
Ter will 10 tile lsncorpnsntlon Of t}ftyye elites Iii
I1olA which avo SURRENDERED their special cllattcra
nnd become organized under the Goneral Law Of l372
1t H simply prrpoaterous to say nt there can bs two
general lAws tho subject Ia forc0 1t tho hano
timc. Mo acl abslry rx|R. in TeaRon or In Inv.
II Ito uEs1s0 charter Ia general Law. RI ita rr1at-
eat. and i.s uo and terms Imply, then tho In
eyftabe effect Of iB euArt1nent will 10 to repcal
much Of tho General Municipal Incorporation law Of
ls1l u Is incompatible With ita provisions. And this
Notwithstanding that tho 1TEs1Sa bill contains sec-
tou declaring Tue impossible Absurdlty that this md
that ne G'la each he In forco a. general law" Two
statutes n conflict With EACH other on tho aauo ant-
ject cannot be each In fogce law at the stuo
no matter what tho Legislative declaration may bc
Ouo NJ tho other mul cease to 10 IN force, and the
universal ruo Of judicial constructing In a sttci
cases Of conflicting stauos Is that The satuto os tho
latest date rereai, by necessary implication, MI co1
hlctiny statutes Of MI earlier data.
This sort Of stuI il only worthy Of rilioulo.
If it is propostcrous to say that there can bo
two general lnws OIL tile Same subject in force
Mt tho same timc," then 1t is prepoBtorous
that tho Illinois Legislature should hRye
passed ono law permitting persons to ns-
sociato Themselves in busncss under q part-
nership, and another permitting them to be-
come Incorporated rs company. Ono is not
more prapostospus than tho other. Tho
Times man purposely concesls tho fact that
both nets, that OF 1915 as well NJ TINT Of 1872,
are OPTIONAL, aad neither obligatory. Docs tho
Times pretend to say that, tho Legislature,
having passed tho Inv Of 1877, thereby for
fcitcd tho right ever again 10 amend or modi-
fy that act7 But 1t hns not been proposed to
do oven this much. It has simply prepared
an act enabling those cities Of tho State tI,,t
do not desire to organize uudcr the provisions
Of tho former net, or that have tried
1t md become dissatisfied, to acquire another
systom of organization, in tho same way that
persons associated in business may abandon
partnership anl organize in stock company.
The provision tin. " this and that net shall
each be in force as general law (cnch Inv
being optional with every city), Is not only
not absurd, but perfectly intolligiblo, practi-
cable, antl reasonable. THUS tho passage of
tho proposed law in no wiss affects tie citizen
already organized under the act Of 1872, it
they take no note Of 1t ono way or the other,
Neither does 1t infect those cities governed by
Bpecia1 charter unless they sec ft to nban.
don that charter; in that case, they may or
ganizo under either the Inv of 1879
or TINT Of 1s75. II the Times writer can.
not understand this, he III probably the
only man in tho Stato Of Illinois too stupid
to, comprehend so plain proposition.
Tic ridiculous declaration that tho passage
OF tho new law will DO the ilisincorporation
Of tlfty-five cities in Illinois was intended
to intinidate (tho Times is in tho intimidating
business lately) tho representatives from
those districts IN which small towns have
organized under tho General net Of 1879.
This Justification seems to layo Ind its effect.
II tho Times position wcro correct, it might
properly Induce many Of tho members to op-
poso tho bill who hayo heretofore sustained
it. 4 lnrge number Of the towns organized
under tho net OF 1879 aro small communities
to which tho "yillago provisions Of that
act aro we'll alap.od. 1t would DO special
hardship to force upon them tho adoption Of
tho new net, which would not 10 suited 10
their aze any moro than tho not Of 1879
would be suited to city OF tho slzs of Chi
cago. hut tho fact is that tho passage Of
thia act 1eavcs them undist,rbcl in their
present form Of government, and thero is 10
reason In the world why they should refuse
to other and largcr cities form Of govern
1nent better adapted to them.
So far aA Chicago Is concerned, tho passage
OF this net may or may not Affect our A1unic-
ipal Government, as the people Of Chicago
,nay elect. An election is already ordered
for the third Tuesday in April, in contor-
nance with tho reqniremontsotth the law, when
tho people will decide whether or not tho city
shall bo roorganizel under tho low Of 1879.
II 1t bo voted not to zeorganixe under tl.at
law, tho now law provides that IN election
shall bo held in August To tlocido whether or
uotthe city shall 10 rcorganizel under the
law Of 1876. That reorganization may also
te rejected. II 70, We remain under our
pscsent hybrid, Irresponsible systen, and tho
question cannot be again agitate<l for two
years. Tho whole plan Ia simple, clear, and