, 1875-12-16
THE MAYORS TENURE,
The Citizens Association Gail OH
MIR. lslInm for nu Opinion.
He Gives Ono Which viii Hardly Sat-
isly II. D. Colvin.
II II shown 1tov lie Cannot Constl tlaution-
ally Hang On.
Tho Council Can Be Forced to Call an
Election.

The Cltlzoua' Association hold yeste4day nfter-
noon, tho following opnlon of Edward y. fnlianl
apcp Tue claim set up by Mayer Colvin TO hold
osor until April, 1871, wn8 submitted and roalt
~ the Rzsc.1re Cbnn,tits gf tAt Cis.Itn 1sat,u-
bR Q cLtsoao: TIN beeretafy has transmitted 10 ms
tsus Association asking Of u,s oiniou in wrtl,ng
ppea Inc fght Of thu SiA5or elected Under ulo old
q M 81 moa ID oss e
rpdsr tie nsw charter adopted IN A!ril last, mill hs
4st regular etst4inn Vi Mayor provided iu lha chat
W. Inat resslAr election viii hus eur 1hsil Ap1lf,
islf and my htsaton Is specsily called IL thu opinion
Counsel to ITO Gornntaion Oh that .uujs.r, fur
nuhed 10 thu Common Council.
TIE QUESTION Il aDMElrnAT MonE INVOLVED
from tie fact tlnt tho old law Ia htt ru-
Iesled ou the roEtr1fy, tue r..l sv tpn of tbs gem
ttsd dstl.s tlat from thu tine Gf kueh organ!kA
Hcu CT angc Of organization, ha rjxluIous Of s
X sasl pe applicable to slsh cities tul villages sa1
ii Law coAHi4t thercwitA shA4l utI1or Lo Ypt liE
hs. hut Nil lava or pah Of laws not in n'uuastnus
vh provisions Of this act anuiI lnue In furrs
suol chspgs Of orH.n,z4titn had not taLs. plsos"
Thts makes did TERENCE III tue ffe Of toassr.etion.
sad la!h tbs old md the new law. to I, construed
together, hu} hArnoui1sl II pa sbs. All the grovs-
Ipa. Of tie old Law 10 to upheld Which no e1-
Irtss'y or by Implication broken down In tue new.
ths general law of Iva, but that, xd Of of
ta4 old CHARTER a. ~ not inconsatantvin H. Ths ef
fee must b, therefore, In doubtful Gasas, evo hv
au<son Of rsreal Atoysthur with The courts aues
bpus Of cuns,Fuo Ion.
Ths cid sh4rssr provided that tho Mayor should 10
aet.uL Ut the municipal 60 tons in November; and
,bouh uuler ulon his oHr. ou tho Arst Mo,iay Of
ths ssnbcr succeouHR his aec,ion: RnL should cl
hh once for two years. auh Until The olsction aud
qualification Of biz Successor. Tna last eleGlon OF
Mayor Vas iu !s7s. II, therefore, t4a nav Inv wsa
disltsue ot lrp aiuns uIou shta subject, the 1ayor,
uaas 10 10 Msyur. mi would hold tue o,aeo oi Mayor
mill tho election mud 4nslin .alion Of Ills successor.
ka1 no vacancy In tns o tics would occur.
Tbs nsat aftico nf the general Inv treats Of The
uurganixalion of o!.ita' Ihs third hocion Of that
r.5cls ID "A folows: "rhs b4osa 10 ba used st such
rpikak!ou under the geuarat lsws' or 'Agaknat
ttJ organization under general law Tho
sssasof issssif 70 sLa city 0ouni i. whoss dut5 i
sha " to Ganyaas such returns sid tho result
X such csnyass 70 bs entered nton tLs recoras of
secon aas1l 10 tor city organ A4tion under general
", tnch lily hail til \ ciorth TO tsefnsd to DO or
soo shall tueranpon exercise the powers conferred
mon nfe of,cera tn ths = !, unll their suotessota
ihaN to olsctol and qualiAest+'
tpstiluttou, whlah y ~ foilows: No Law ahA4
b psSsed which shall operate 10 s1!aid ths torm of
nLphelt: ot,esr sfte1 h, election q appuin.asns1
kvnsy ho,
1HE TIME At WHICH THAT rrrEor ra OPERATED
tat X msjpnIy Of tho votes shall bs for city or
nnlatIun undrr general INV, anch city ahau thence.
orb 10 dsenad y 10 org 'n1e1 ui!ier thla act sna
To powers conferred " on tue city officers tlGn In
sace to take effect from tnnt silno.
stemnlns. therefore. ty cona'ruIng the statuses to-
- she .ern Of ot.ea u Tie Mayor elected unjer tho
ID charter. Turning to the oliuion VI ,Lo CnryorA-
aon Counsel, to Will you ~ havs expressly ssksd my
nopcradng An extension Of tho term Of lila otca to
xssh the Mayer WY elected. lie say that he was
hscei to conditional terH, which might 69 either
luzer Shorter than that na1aI 10 the ul charter,
md that the eect Of Tho nsw law hss been to extsnd
". torn, uIt M As s .nd snns sAs ~ ~ otsats' L. nc, no.
iatssin ho continues 10 10 the Mayer, holtin9 tbs
saass of Mayor.
suton shove quocd and IL aeeus Inc that tho su1
falon Of he counsa % tho Corporation th4t ths l4w
NJ pa.asd tnfore tho election Of the Muyor under tho
Old charter furns1cx from tha fatal effect Of
Ah provision upon any const. t.uattun that would eI-
<nl The es1u Of oitcs: md nhany sussons for Tits
might ~ seslgnsd.
This construction leta iu Al the mischief designed To
fso.ns's4 " tue provision. Mon clothed with power
sfhtsa for the proiong1tion Of their teru Of Office
sDd ls law should be 10 construed - u o1ytae this
mischief. tsedasick on 0onsirnetion q Statutory
md Constitutional Law, 0i coosyb Constitutional
Itultstana, G5s}
REcoap:
ap .as sss ps.. ns v. % ass M
g. ss 1GSs s ssaaas 'as e.. ''tss ssns
s Of ist.ruaing Widths! S ssn Sssssss s sas xs IT,
CONS oiesat.7e. aud The tmo when il shall
sU1 a sas ass ssa
Ii saurte Aud II ths Leefsl4ture a. II ud4listeI,
saauot ltaef after tho e!,o:ton Of public otteer.
e1knt ha term. cannat. under color OF contingent
Lealuon. deley1te to aE.athvr tho power to o1sanl
u tsrna. TAs Lsesalaturs might haze nAs's tho
conamon Coaac; and il i. "a sn,sh power to s1taud
tastsm of puotic oltccr By I.~ patsea af,et hts
election, a. u deleglts power to Conmuu Council to
% 70. And has n tunch power to authorize th8
Common Council 10 extend 10 tvs years tho ter1n
~ z n o1ees ssstea fnF two ye.r. ~ e. declare M
r. " :aaaass ssSs ssstIs for q ~' s sesa. . @
nats thst CONTINGENCY vote Ia that eest Of tho Com
mon coun. Al. II the Legislature CAN d@l.aats sush
power, 1t can reserve that pow4r To do, aud thero
Ia. Il rom! s.ut for the Legislature y smart
neat 70 ,isF Ills tsrm " buldu alnrtr4 thus cop
ssts at eiliss ors.nl,od und.r ths 1T, .hail 10
IN the tsrrns therein ISovded but sub5oet to thA
Rosss qf re LEGISLATURE to ssseua thsr terms, .tsr
ther election. Such law. nroa t. Wow OF tbs C0uu
" 70 te co!porsaon would Us v.ha ~ TO o!ucsr
sacIsd after s passage aud le would ~ eostsd tor
Isstoa q Tia cous,itulionai provision iur thessr
" lS!sstnEs would " " ibarsy to cstsul the tcsn
ass Iss. ss ee Fa' " *
eSaa!'tuti0p, whlah Il sbausd.
" Tuinu: ..-
To bolt that tbs 2d0 tou VI thu general Law OF 1871
saratel 70 s1tsnd u,a tcrm Of Stnrs Of the Mayor
sasll Al n!. ls77. involves insvt4tly tho uaconssn-
aeo;t!ty Of ths general wv in many r. *assn 4
~ kv wss p4sael IN April, lsl1. md wrut Into a.
IT. & ~ Nv oR Suly !. ls!A Thts sity I'D thsn
,os whoss Ms oa einss esd DteGn ~ ma5n psSe
~. T.rhaps mlny ot1es e!.leatlulncI: Peorla anl
6pF1nghelp-Hers tu gimltar situation. H. theo thiu
sty hsd ia April ls7s. inssa ot IN April la1s, voted
ess?sg4nlas undsf tie lsT law 4 v9u:a bats tol-
oospor toa thai tho term Of otcs ct tho then Mayvr
would bare .besu s1ssnasd from Dscsmbsr, ISIS. 70
Apn 1915. aud until the coming IN of h!s succa.soE.
..., Sys T. ,neh es.s Tho ;aT you'd h.,s % essa
3ss4y. upon such cauatr..etou. have btea uacollat
tut!oniL fhs lAN w4a passed with tho Intention thas
should spply in ptsoaely such oasss. Thers Is no
pS9r,1loa Or nsantipa laat elites should daisy rt-
Equalization under tha law Until the expiration of ths
ss1as ot their the s1tsttnR occEs On The oontt.sy,
stsF tny 1s73. ths law was " 30 n forse, Apd al
e eislss OF tho Slate Wtrs u uLetty 70 FeofHAnlte
Vndtt this law and !, II not 1mpoaAlbie thst tn every
sasM uaen aGch ssorsAulxstion, during tho years
!.7 va la!1, iaYarsd Inevitably ~ a,cunsu!ut!oa,
my Of the Law upon thn construction OF Ito Counsel
~. Cooperation. Whsss'tx meaning w gi'o th!.
wnst w Tia same ln ons year ~ " anolhsT: II
saaasW bare ope ms'n,pg tu is7l ard 1874 aaa sn-
osaer Ia lsf4 sud Afterwards.
eonatituHop y not TO " mAdo 70 mean ons thing
e9s un: sn4 another at so1ns sulAsluent tlna
sAeh We rifcumstsurta may have 10 chanKad - PER
~; 70 u = dHsrsat rus IN tho c.ss sssn det'ra.
ksnolrya Cpust Au., 81 ueed ~. Evans y H..
a. o1ia T., 1543 We must not Aaaume, u No can sx-
apstt thla ths Legislature tntsndsd 70 pa. Al un'
ff~rInk l. ~ IN