, 1876-08-13
Separation Of City and county---
A Municipal Area Of So
Square Miles.
The Municipal Assembly: A Council
and House Of Delegates.
Property Qualification of the
Mayor and Councilmen.
Powers Of the City Legislature and Of the
Executive Department.
Provisions in Regard to Elections, Taxa.
ton, and the Various Officials.
sues4al Correspondence c) The Tribune.

Spe<4al Correspondence cf The Tribune
St. LOUIS, Aug. 11-Thcre is some reason to
s1pect that there will soon be an improvement
In the system Of municipal government in this
,ountry. In the first place, all the large cities
h the United States have reached that point
xhere improvement is & necessity, aud, second
,r. in different cities there in progress meas
,,res Of reformation which have been inauguratcd
nnder excellent auspices, having in view the es-
tah,ishment Of the public administration on
husiucss principles instead of political cxpc-
dency. Chicago and Philadelphia have suffer.
ID so severely through municipal nlismanage:
ncnt and corruption that it is scarcely possible
tbat their present troubles will give rise to no
measures Of Improvement; while in New York
,cnmmission has been at work year devising
,rhe1ne for the economical government of the
Ety. .......
81. Louis takes the lead OF all in one respect
urr improycd charter has been prepared and
published, and is now under general discussion
in the newspapers and at public meetings. The
neope will accept or reject it at the election to
be held on the ed Of this mouth.
The new Constitution Of Missouri authorized
tbe election Of Board OF Thirteen Freeholders
of property, who should prepare scheme for
scparatins the City and County ot St. Louis,
and charter for the city, bothschcmc and char
fer to be submitted to the people as indicated
ahoye, The scheme was intended to rid the city
of . curse which Chicago has likewise expert
enced-the existence OF
BURDESsoME DUAL GOVERNMENT,
city and county The charter was intended to
relieve the city from an eNtravagant system OF
government by irresponsible Boards, aud in
other WAYS to simplify and cheaper the admin
tstration Of city affairs l assume that the re-
suit Of systematic attempt in this direction
will command the interest of tho people Of
Chicago at this time I will, therefore, give
you a digest Of the new charter, together with
some account of the discussion upon those con-
tested points which hare general application.
The Board Of Freeho1dcrs chosen to prepare
the scheme Of separation and the charter was
composed of irst-class representative men.
Five of tlemembers were distinguished lawyers,
and all the others were men Of high re-
mute. ability and experience. The timeallotted
for the work was only three months, when six
would have been TOO little The New York
Commission has been at work for year, and
hiss applied for another year. This curtailment
of time was serious, it not a fatal mistake. as
The discussion OF the charter has already shown.
TIE SCHEME FOE TIE SEPARATION,
after fixing boundaries, gives to the city all the
county buildings within its limits, the city as
euming the debt Of the county. TIC present
city bonded Indebtedness is about Sl7,OU,uoU:
the bonded debt Of tie county is S1.ot0,0l0; SO
that, after the adoption OF the schc1nc and CHAR
ter, the city will owe about sa 000, ,0c0, but Will
be relieved from the county tax, aud the county
nothing. The city limits are extended SO Us to
add about 81 square miles to its area, making q
total area Of So square miles. This feature OF
the scheme exctes great hostility, but, as it Is
Of only local applications there Is no call Tor fur-
ther remark upon it here. -.
The legislative power OF the city is vested III 2
Municipal Assembly, consisting OF Council
and House Of Delegates. The Council is COM
posed Of twelve members ana President, all
Of whom shall be chosen on general ticket to
serve for four years, except THAT at the first
election the President and the six members
RECEIVING the highest number OF votes
Ehall hold their offices for four years, and the
pthers for two years. III case Of u tie, the sen
tor in arc will take the long term In addition
TO ordinary qualifications, each member OF tnr
Council must be frccholler OF property in the
rity for one year before the day Of election
TLis property qualification, which applies also
to the Mayor, The Recorder of Votes, the Pres
Ident Of the Board OF Assessors, and Tie Judges
aud clerks OF election,
Exc1TEs BITTER HOSTILITY
In certain quarters. L is urged that the pro-
vision cuts of one vi the most valued rights OF
citizenship, and creates class distinction III
favor oi the wealthy citizen. 1t is further sug-.
cestcd that all the de1aulters Of the city and
county have been propcrt y-owners, and, further.
that; Is there must b. 80 Judges and clerks OF
election, it will be almost mpracticable for the
Mayor to select propcrty-owncrs IL every case,
while his failure in any case might lead to con-
tested election. The other arguments pro and
con arc those that are generally urged when the
question Of property qualification is under
debate.
Tnc House OF Delegates, the lower House of
the Municipal Assembly, consists Of one me IN
years BY the voters Of the several wards. The
property qualification does not apply to this
edice. No person who is indebted to the State
or city on account Of any tax can be member
OF the Assembly. ..-
Each House shall appoint its own officers, e1-
cept in the case Of the President of the Council,
who is elected by the people. Each House may
arrest and punish BIZ fine, not to exceed $<U0
Or imprisonment not exceed ten days, any per-
son, not member, who shall be guilty OF dis
respect or disorderly behavior i'll its presence It
may also punish its own members for disorderly
= condnrt, and with-thc consent Of two-th1rds OF
II Its members elect, may cxpel member, but
It cannot e1pe1 member second time Tor tue
same otlense. Tht presiding officer OF the
House Of Delegates acquires the d1gnlfled t1tie
majority Of the whole number OF members OF
each House shall constitute quorum, but
smaller number may adjourn from day
to day, and may compel the attendance
OF absent members under penalties, Neither
House shall, without tine consent Of the other,
adjourn for more than seven days at any one
time, nor to any other place than that III which
The Two Houses may be sitting. Each House
shall hold its sessions With open doors and IN
the City-Hal1;. but whether the different
branches are to sit together or separately does
not appear from the charter. Each member OF
The Assembly shall be entitled to receive for his
official services during his term Of office the sum
Of $500 annually, and no more, but he may alst,
be paid his reasonable expenses authorized anu
Incurred in such service, to he approved by the
House Of which he is member. Whenever
member is absent without leave from bis House
for an entire sitting OF any meeting, he shall
forfeit 81 OF his Official compensation and for
his purpose the roll is to be called at each
meeting, and the names Of the absentees re-
eordcd.
LEGISLATIVE PROCEDURE AND POWERS.
The provisions in the charter relating to the
proceedings III the Assembly, With few ex-
septions, follow the ordinary legislative pro-
eedure. No bill can become IN ordinance un-
less majority Of both Houses vote in its tavoF'
md ordinances, except for the purposes OF gen
eral appropriations aud in cases OF emergency,
s shall not go into effect until ten days after