Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-02-28
THE NEW CHARTER.
SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING LAST
EVENING.

SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING LAST
| EVENING.
The Pro7'oscd Darz; L0,,te,7. Cha,fe
ara" lt0ughly IInndtett---i General Con.
aentnatio,t Of the 1Io.emeut-lluch Feel
ing Manifcstcd.
! special meeting Of the city council wa
neld last evening to take action and express it,
OPINION upon the city charter amendment
which has been secretly prepared in the inter
ests Of a few individuals and politicians, an6
which it was proposed to quietly shove through
the Legislature, without giving the peo.le
voice or opinion in the matter. The T,i6uu
had been silenced, and the schem.
would probably have gone through
! had The GLOBE not showr
| it up. Now we shall see what we shall see A
quorum and large number Of outsiders being
present, the meeting was called to order and
| business proceeded with as follows:
Aid. Stevens called for the reading of the
outlines of the proposed charter amendment
changes, and the same was read from the
1l1b47~ report, it being all the information
TelaClVe TO the Dill at hand.
AID Glenn who was about to leave the coun-
Gil, his time having expired, offered the follow
| ing resolutions:
WHEREAS, 1t has been brought to the knowl-
edge OF this body that a portion Of the legisla-
tive delegation from Hennepin county have
caused to be prepared and presented to the
State Legislature, bill which practically wipes
opt OF existence the present charter Of the city
OF Minneapolis and puts in its place an instru-
ment with changes SO numerous as to make it
an entirely new organic municipal act; and
WHEREAS, This instrument has been pre-
pared by a small circle of interested persons in
an unlighted closet by the faint glimmer of a
dark-lantern, and without permitting the peo-
pie whose interests are most vitality affected to
learn any OF it's provisions; and,
WHEREAS, This proposed organic law proposes
adding largely to the bonded indebtedness of
this city, whose taxpayers are already loaded to
the guards with financial obligations, largely
past due, and which they are unable to meet;
and,
WHEREAS We consider the alphabet Of
republican government to first consult the
people Of a community before imposing law
on them which will deprive them of their sub
stance and may deprive them of their liberty;
therefore,
Reso1,ed, As the sense of the city council of
the city of Minneapolis, that we regard the
rushing through of this proposed amendment
to the charter Of this city, without full, COM
plete and thorough discussion Of it's numerous
provisions by the people whose interests are SO
vitality affected, undemocratic, unfair,
and tyrannous, and savors largely Of
middle ages. That we respectfully ask
the members Of the Legislature from Hennepin
county to retreat their steps and withdraw this
bill from further consideration by the honor
able Legislature.
FURTHER that we ask all members of the
Legislature should members from Hennepin
press. to aid with their votes and influence to
attach an amendment providing that it shall
not become law until it shall have first been
submitted to Il vote and accepted by ma iority
OF the legal voters of each division of the city.
MOVED FURTHER, that the city clerk be and is
hereby instructed to forward this action of the
city council to each member of the House of
Representatives and every Senator.
Aid. Bassett believed the move outrageous. It
was a dark lantern scheme and he was sur
prlsed that the honorable members Of the Hen
nepin county delegation would support it. He
spoke of honorablei in a Pickwickean sense. It
was taking the peoples money and putting it
in the hands of two or three to spend, without
bonds or guarantee that they would not put it
IN their own pockets.
Aid. Glenn hoped the resolution would pass,
and believed the scheme originated with East
siders, who, by their selfish policy, had already
Killed the once bright prospects of the East side
.d''el Unese Lew scueHeTs more power Than
40, 600 West siders?
Alderman Griswold didn't approve
the dark lantern clause. He believed it had
not been wholly kept from the people. They
knew the main facts and did not wish to charge
the legislative delegation with secret moves and
motives.
Aid. Bassett didn't lay all blame to the
delegation, but to a teav schemers in the city,
who originated the bill.
Aid. Griswold thought the legislative delega-
ton should meet with the council first before
the resolutions were adopted or the bill passed,
and moved a resolution to that effect.
Aid. Glenn stated the bill would be attempt
ed to be put through to-day.
Aid. Griswold thought the delegation not 40
low as to ignore a hearing of the council if
asked
Aid. Conkey moved to amend by pro-
vldng that the council express to
the delegation in the Legislature wish
to the pending bill to tho effect that
it do not become law until it shall
first have been submitted to the people and re-
ceived a majority vote of both divisions of the
city.
Aid. Stevens believed that $50, 900 was only
the first installment of half a million. It was
a relic of the dark ages, involving a heavy tax
on the people without representation. AID
Glenn's resolutions ought to pass The re-
porters had been asked by the delegation to
keep the matter quiet.
Aid. Conkey wanted authority for the state
ment quoted.
Frank Mead in reply said, the Tribune re-
porter told him that Senator Langdon had
asked him to keep the matter quiet. It was
no good to let the people know; would only
bring the mob down.
Aid. Bassett believed it was determined to
deceive the people.
vote being taken upon the substitute Of
fered by Aid. Griswold it was then voted down,
and the resolutions Of Aid. Glenn adopted,
Aids. Conkey and Griswold voting in the mega
tive
Aid. Watt then moved that committee
consisting of Aids. Glenn, Bassett, McFarlane,
Griswold and Stevens, be appointed to present
the resolutions as a memorial to the Legislature
and the Hennepin delegation. Adopted.
adjourned.
Intcrrietc scitl Hon. Fru,,A HORSE
A GLOBE reporter interviewed Hon. Frank
Morse late last night concerning the proposed
new charter for Minneapolis, in which the
latter stated that when the matter was submit