, 1875-12-31
Is C0LvlN MAYOR Z
Judge Van II. Higgins Holds Stn
as Not.
The Mayoralty Is Vacant and the Leg.
islaturo Cannot Fill II.
Tint Must lle Hone nj Special Ilcctiof
Called by the Council.
Review Of Certain Points in Nr. Roots
Opinion.

Vl'ulbA'
-------
Cu1oaao, Dec. 30.--1o Ac Hon. GrorJe ".
Ioyue-s,a: III compliance with your rclutht,
s''nAs " w. n"s. s.O'e -, H..
"o ~, ''o ""n', 's"t ~. ~, ~ 'N -.
with reference 10 hof'8ht o' the leot'e o'ect"
Mayor tLereunlnrrrt TO Alf'I, y. -. ls''' nay"
not The tme now to write an oltniut. and ca'l
univ r,vo von ,,,c noin,r lhat l,a,a occurred to
~ ,s,,;n,, ,,,;,,,, n.vo ,ct hnon naJe, ba.wl
''et "'e'' si'n "N. ~ '. u....
uposs tho tons' section of nthelo '. OF our '''ase
Constitution, In rcRnrd 10 tho truc co1ntruct'on
of tho At, of 1872 {onr now Cisy Chatter.
TIC tenth section of Article y, Of our stato
,,ons,,,n,;n', roada ~ a. fs,,,ous. ~
constitution fea"s On .ollo"a ,,,, A..
Iho tnyernor ta nonatn @ enu n a'u ~ S'ai ~ ~" w.
sayiso nna y"se .! Tue snan H. g "n ~ ,s ,e
.nnt sIt vlrers wbose p5,srs S,r cst.G4cd Iy III.
tonuiii.,i,ou Or wh,en my lr crrase, by law. ur
wl,t,ar appointment Or tccinn +. nn utherwisr irn
tlie. fart md Ract oitcr shall be slrolnted Or
elected by the General Assembly.
Tho olllco of Mayor wns created by the nnw
4,halt ter, aud .ho Legislature had no mora
nowor 10 nroyI,lo ,l,nt tno old officers
.,,a 49,, .,,a,'Id ~, ;,,o ,,o.
'"o e"' 'o"A "
tAicos than they had TO provide
that II. u. Co!yn, by namc, eIlould DO tito frat
Major. n,,i] cocI, or tho Aldermen. naming thom.
.lnrhl hna t,,o frat tcrm oY of3iro To In tlllcl
nnou'u no'o s'.n .r,.a s.., ill., 49, ~a.,1
h',aor 'ne now cnastet' ~" 'eis ln,'b .1'' oua
stitution intended to pFo1ens "as tno hogm1a-
,rnr.sn taf,nn from ,oinu II djtret,y, aud tl,ey
..,o, L., H., t,,,rno,;,,, ,sIat ,,,ax .rs f,,,d11o,
Ianu' r. ~ .t;ron.I, 'A"''ss'''A "'e' SA'' "'o
WI'en In icriaat,ro IN nro,,;h;tc,, from pasa-
WIZ '..r ~ @ a otar ~ t,,;,,s thag r.n,
~ H. ~ no .a',.,n' ~ In .ar,, nr jha cav.
.;.1., ~ .r,., ~. ~ "o,'snt - ,o vhoo
rnn,,io ,nnrh iess n pmnl uart. Ihey caunoL
pn5 IL tans,t,,ta a., vsnnto i, ~ m,s,r'ts
sne ,,w ,ehini, rininioa Il tn lin tnon1o for
agsrnr" ns ~" ot, I. Ia W, anamcr "a Ink cnns,t,,.
ppI r.,,t; ~: - " ~ ~ ,ho nooni vn,oI t"r
Jsts hs ,,ric In oc,s .t,ro vinta,oI the f,nn
.,;tt,or ~ 'o 40 H. o1.i,nn,I liz Io.,slntu,,
st1n ia ., n,Hnn. H.. .nn,nti,,r tho ci1
s;tw nf}c,,u IN III fhcm tIen ro hoId
ny, ~, W. -. x.,J .td tLn of,1.na i,n.o mt hcc,,
s.I s ~ aJ ta ta IN n'ses t,ra hnn,, cra.
lcRhI,J Hlleu. - tuu olces nare 80 IL
ltod BY tho now Chartcr. mud hnvo not boeh To-
gsily filled, they arc cortalniy vacant; CO .,,u l.
office within tho m Gaming OF tho Constitution III
too clcar to admit OF dlHcueBio'!. Therefore All
appointment to tl!tt oflce by the Legislature II
certainly void, and II void, there iB vnoancy !;
md II 4 vacancy tlio new Chhttee expressly pro.
sitles that tlloro shall bo special election to I'LL
the vacancy, IL fot more than ono year~-side Sec
It, Az, II. new Chatter.
II tho Legislature N nc nc" Charter hau Il; n
fact appointed t,s old ofcors Of tho city to I
Tho oiceB Bcrcated BY the how Charter their act In
His regard would bo unconstitutional! aud void.
but think far construction Of that law alb
solvoB thom from any lntent'on to appoint
tho old oEticers OF tie CITY to tho new
ntliccs created by tho now Charter. 1t
IL Just to tho Legislature tn gtyU
fair construction to their acls, and to inter-
pret them as to mako Them constitutional. ifit
san 10 douo without violating their expressed tn
sentlon. II no hold That by this law tho leg!s.
iasnro created these offices and filled thom for
never 30 atloft q tinao, We 1n,1Ht hold that ahey
aid an unconstitutional act: hut IL they merely
provided shat certain lntiea might bo per-
tolned until Vacancy could bo Tiled by an
etprtlnn. tfeY fli1 legal hEt.
Il haa been claimed that tho third section Of
iices uuflcr tbe now Charter ,iutl the ncxt rp,,-
sral election :: but that act 1cads nB follows:
nu majority Of thu VOLTS caAt Al sucl, election
hail be- for rily organization under general law rui,
lily shall theucetorth be deemed to ts orsall&rd
thsrsnron exercise tue rowern sonter'sa al'on aa;
nm f,n,n. II z w. a''' 'e''
.,.a .,.,,,,,x. ,,,a ,rto.,,;, tho, H.,
tuo LeB's'"sso a,n iast i 1I'.n,wu .. ~. LUZ
form TIE aaa dntes, esc until a sS neat regular a Of
general e!ect,on. tnGy wou1a ttaFe shla Ely ~,
e. tnoy nafo uonn ~ see c, = M ats ,s -, o. l9 ne%
Ghaf.er, mhoh speasng OF Mo olccfa ~ e,outsa s. u
tne epeeta' eltet9u pfusisu lur ~ ssta ,'c ~. ~
now H. ~ gonsa sa.o .. 'na' te y,
expfcsa!@nh a. ~ one easo ~ m d1eu1'on H. "a sne
other ahe IT, ~ ~ tn ;na ras 'no eEtsa!a,s H.
a.. inseu ~ III a 's to, t'a III I1% ser
should exercise ee1tai IT. necessary 5 powoss n.
IN elcctloa could po e. hGld. Ma! untl M aneeessors
eou!a 10 eiec.ea TO- nas tnono % o'''ceS' LUCY nave
'aa ~ ~ H. pi11s H., .e,' ,n ,c ,ra,
thlhK u III piain tllaI too laW "ent i'to oAecl
!uly !. le!3 aud tbat u WAS adoltcu ~ Inns ".
April 70. 1872, % soon NJ y Nab Fotca upon p5
pnr peops; thy new act nelhE rosa,o', o. tas
nho!o Rnbject OF city ehsrtors, anu . hanstltutt
lot existing chartels' was, pY tne aestlea tnloa q
!aw, upon sts aa9ptlon " any c,ty' fepeal OF NJ
7ther laws consaihea to tho o!a Charter st, e1eep
Illch ~ Tefe sa'so ~ seims ps tno 10" Quarter
11tn n nNF rff1