, 1876-06-09
M'AilISTERtS 1PtNlf1N.

mote convenient time.
R'AtLISTER'S OPINION.
Tho doctrine announced In the opinion OF Judge
McAllistcr IN tho wasrant0 case, and delivered
last Monday morning., g,-that, wiers a vacancy cx.
Isis In the office Of Mayor oI tho City Of Chicago,
or In any other city oco for that matter II Ia dis
crctlonary with the Common Council 10 call
spccal election 10 ls It; and ttat ,nlcss called by
the Council. anu notice Of II published, such M
election cannot bo validly held by tho people
cmhodlca, as think, . vast amount OF bad policy,
and. be 1t said with oil due respect for tho learned
Judge, yas. amount Of bad law. Judge McA1lis.
Ter holds that there haa been sacancy In the o1co
of Mayor Of Chicago ever since tic Ord day Of May
1H7o l1o holdH that Mr Colva Is not Mayor; that ho
merely exercised tho duties Of Mayor, waiting for
lir Successor to ba elected aud qualified lie hnlda
too that Ills successor haa not been elected or ua
t6ed; and, By Implication, that Mr. Colvin may
hold over until April, 1877, uneRs the Council
chooses 10 exercise tho discretion rcposc Ia II by
the Law to call an election to iii the vacancy.
Nov, az nattcF Of policy, the Common Council
should have no such discretion: md, AZ matter
Of law, think It has not. Concedlng ihnt tho peo.
pic could nut lawfully have elected Mayor ut thu
lnstgencsa although do not believe that
such ia the law, II hold thAt IL IL not discretionary
with tbs Council To leave the otllco yucant,
OF In the possession Of moro ioc.rn
&eHfH*t ANa 1cH tlAl+eE, AEt. liz sec. =,
provides that, whenever vacancy hnppens In tic
otIlco OF Mayor, and tho unexpired tcrm shall he
one year or ovcr from the tlmu when tho vacancy
occnrtcd. ~ shall be 0lrl by an election" Tho
duty, and not discretion. II makes The provision
mandatory. mot directory merely. This IL lie mi.
form doctrinu Of the dtcisions: Now, Judge Me-
cnncy In thu Office uf Mayor Of morc thnn yoar
How; then, Gun b caeape tie conclusion that Ii
thonld he Oiled by On election; and that 1t ts not
Inn xph,
seit spon At iV ssc. j. ot tbe 'chafter Of 1s7s,
eei, spss!s1, Ia, ,s elsetoas" .si H. st. The
decided over an! oyer aEain: sush 4 nes its tn.
w. par"w a 'S4 Stas, "Es' e.s sassnhSs statts
tS9atss 9a M",a as sa aqnf p 6e Of k r
BALL." ri. Court saya: 'This cunstr,,etl &aaii
tor he + ,s;m ,fs;Smapssble to DO so'" i Mayosvs
York decided thnt. when the statute tiecnres .hnt
vh'sn % ay 1s caas ~ II saa
ad ~ o q s CITY = q Ssw iorn SSssft T.
snpals sswsr* & It nay be that the right to have
h1Mss hs, Fecarsa t, r. M sonscplation q the aw
Of tle people 10 say by whom they shall BIZ gov
u
construction; but let tllcko rfco. It is true Tint
JndEe MgAlhter has cited tho authorities Of two
eminent lesal ts.t .io"k writer's Judges couey mud
tho former is follows: III an election Ii onu
Which municipality snny 'lold Or not, at tta op.
holding II, u is evident that Individual citzcns
must scqulesee, and TINT any yotcs TINT may bu
ea y ,;h"r thsm N s asmRtion .t rEht
view. Mr. Cooley refers to the following cahrs:
psoplr vs, Porter, cA';, 20; MeKMns ": Weller,
y State ka,':as. $7i: atfs v, % LaacE coi
Nav, there ls nothing In any Of ttcsc cases, nor
election similar lm c!asactr 10 that held Tor MnyoE
II .s " Sc s.y 1 tS tsisa i!stsaSy Sf Ar as !.
option. ut We fa to Ice 1 tnt p e soy, o ra.ua m s
support Judge McAlIfrterA .ivw. The California
cAses holy c1pie*sly that no notice IL ncccssary
iaw; and Ji!dso ac.ils.sts Il ef oplnlsn tnt tha
Yaa Ss e ~ 1y9s anps . ysfstsd IT, on ,Is ar q
ssses wh!e jHSe eSIItsT rriies, % W . read cad
viii he very rtlucaat lnterirrS for tho parross
.! settina aAde III election t1r tho mers failmsa To
ss sor ss aSaS u To- SiSsy s @ II
nl tic people AAB been, IN ttIa wflDG. asceftIi11ut
lnt "As,' ,herY 'sas lccn .ntal failure thopaFt
requisite .tu t!u validity of special slse,los,.
s;y,s%sS;; !; r. sS;;:, +: i; ,esa. %
nnI material failure Of the eicctotsi franchise ~
cUItpelA III to regard tho ructEon III u nulIlty"
And continues tho Court III the Fntnu cust: .tIt
may bo Tint tc pnpnaE will llas not hrrr defeated
IN tho yf. .sent is!hAhcu but tfts wo calnut know;
and, II W GUILD kno~ tlis. GUILD npt luy tluwn
Il rule whic!, wOnld tMnL1c ministerial ullccrs In
The future 10 commit fraud arun the comnunty
at At their discretion u, lIsttancht1u tue rltciG,s
q ,nhtssiul nut substantial part Ut nn electoral
district"
Judge McAil!stcs md tho learned Judges who
agreed with lin have nut hrsi1aec4 To lay down
rule which may Al auy tnlu enable tltvir servants
10 uiht htfA!cAlsu whole ward Of tu right tu renre.
nenta!tnn III the cUu.l,un Council. Suppopu that
the aldcficn VI two or thrcu wards Wrse tu resign
fenr!hE that their sacccrxIIrs should nut ne Ut tho
political cuIHplcxiDn IADst favorable ID ttsctf
shuuIl Eefnse ~ call an election lo Ill! tue yaca.
tlcs occhsloncd BY tInir r.stgualinn would not
tue peorln " thrrc wards have tho right to turt
ull rn 1ausc aud asreE. thrlr right to pIcscuta.
t1n III the municipal legislative hulys thtnk
they would; hnI think tuu, that, II ltle maturity
uplnlon Of the cnnEt IT, tie Ut tsis People "
sci. Gotysn " lloyne b. Law. they would not.
philosophy n that opinion. 1t places turn al,oso
substoncc ssla ncclrnt above so material and es.
tentla1. 1t inakes tho nottre everything ulll the
clcctiun ttsclf nuthng. II puts thu servant abors
thy master, md alowh tho punplus servants, by
l9. to llsfranehier thcr eol!sti!ur SUCH doc
f!iM, !cprat, fs NIL policy. 1t il not Statesman.
nhp, aHL do unt lWllGtu that X IL luw. \.
Suit for u Chicken.
Tho Wheeling lW. Fn.l jatt!iIgtaftr giycs thu
ta'!nwlng !nslXht tnt0 snt Il, law In lhat city:
'Justlec Luul,lcr yesterday heard little civil
litigation. Tsiuuas llOsg bttMyht hntt .s'gatMst
ie1rsc eeA1ppa tu recover lusaesStUA Ut y Euu4tts