Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-04-14
THE NEW COURT HOUSE.

Synopsis of the Bill to be Voted Upon at
the Spring EIection-Shall the City and
County Secure Respectable Quarters or
Continue to do Business In Shanties.
BY virtue of the authority vested in them
by the provisions of an act Of the legislature
OF the state, entitled San act in relation to the
erection of public buildings for the use OF the
city of st. Paul and county of Ramsey" upon
ground known as court house square, ETC.,
Judges Wilkins, Brill and Simons of the dis
trict court yesterday united in the appoint
ment of the following named persons as
special commissioners to carry into effect the
purposes of said act, viz: Horace r. Bigelow,
David Day, Charles d. Gilfillan, William Daw-
son and William G. Hendrickson. The duties
and requirements of these commissioners,
as provided in the legislative act are as fol-
lows:
Section provides that they shall give
bond, running jointly to the city and county,
in $4,000 for the faithful performance of his
duties; failure to give such bond in ten
days after appointment to render his office
vacant.
In section it is provided that the commits.
sioners shall not organize, and shall have no
power, until after the act has been voted upon
and fully becomes law. The mayor OF the
city is to be chairman of the commission,
with equal rights, and the county auditor
secretary. Any act of the commissioners to
be valid must be concurred in by at least four
members. The compensation of the
commissioners, including the secretsry,
is to be 500 per annum each
from the date of organization until
the final adjournment, paid quarterly.
Section 3 provides that the commissioners
l, II nil OF
cause suitable plans for building on court
house square for city hall and county court
house, and for offices for the city and county
officers, to be submitted to the common
council and commissioners, in joint session,
and upon approval of these bodies, the special
commissioners shall proceed to contract for
the work.
Section provides that before letting said
work the commissioners shall advertise in the
official paper of the city for proposals for ali
or any portion of the work, or materials, or
both, to be done and furnished in the con-
struction thereof. The lowest bidder or bid
ders shall be accepted, provided he or they will
| give such bond as required by the
| special commissioners, and approved
| by three fourths of the members of the county
commissioners and city council. The special
commissioners, however, are empowered to
reject all bids of incompetent or irresponsible
persons, or such bids as may be unreasonable.
| The bonds given shall run to the county COM
| missioners and city council, and awards of
contracts must be approved by three-fourths
Of the members of both bodies, in joint
session, before contracts can be entered into.
| Section provides that the work shall be
| done under the direction and superintendent
LOT the architect and city engineer, and shall
be paid for, together with the expenses OF the
commissioners, out of fund to be designated
the court house and city hall building fund,
| thes city treasurer being declared to be the
treasurer of said building fund. Estimates
upon contracts must be made at and approved
| by the architect and city engineer, reserving 10
Der cent therefrom up to the final estimate, to
secure completion of the work. The compile
ton of all contracts, and the allowance of
| final estimates must be approved by three
| fourths of the members of the county COM
missioners and city council in joint session.
| All claims are to be sworn to, and the vote by
| which such are allowed is to be kept OF rec
| ord, after which they shall be audited by the
city comptroller and transferred to
the city clerk naa tS who t shall treas arsw
said order to be signed by the mayor and the
city clerk, ard countersigned by the city
comptroller, after which it shall be delivered
| to the party or parties entitled to receive it.
| Section 6provides that when the work or any
part thereof. is put under contract, the city
and county shall hold the land needed for the
building in common, the county commission
ers being empowered to conveyto the city an
| undivided one-half of the interest OF the county
in the land to be SO used. The building, when
completed, is 10 be in charge OF joint COM
mlttee of six, one-half to be appointed by the
president of the city council, from their num-
Der, and one half by the chairman of the board
of county commissioners from their number,
the members of said joint committee TO re.
4
no more. The expense of heating and MAIN
tanning the building is to be borne equally
by the city and county.
Section provides that to aid in the con-
struction OF said building the city council
and the county commissioners are each au-
thorized and empowered to issue bonds to the
amount of Sl25, 000, to bear interest at a rate
not to exceed 5 per cent. per annum, payable
semi. annually in the city of New York, the
principal thereof to be payable in
so years, the bonds to be is
sued by the city and county
from time to time as required. The moneys
realized from the sale OF these bonds are to
be deposited by the treasurer with the bank
or banks paving the highest rate interest
upon daily balances, said banks giving ap-.
proved bonds for the safe keeping OF said
deposits is to .be placed to the credit OF the
building fund. The board of county
commissioners and the city coun-
Gil are each to levy a sufficient
tax upon the taxable property within their re-
spective Jurisdictions, to pay the interest and
provide a sinking fund to pay the principal
Of said bonds. Provided, The proposition to
issue such bonds shall be submitted TO the
electors of Ramsey county at the spring cleo
ton in the month of May, 1882. And
if upon the official canvass it be
found that majority of all the
votes cast at the said election, as voting for
or against the issuing of said bonds, then the
issue of said bonds shall be lawful and said
bonds so issued shall be lawful to all intents
and purposes"
Section S designates the duty of the
city clerk and county auditor to give ten
days notice of the election-their failure to
give such notice, however, not to invalidate
the election.
Section 9 makes it obligatory upon the
special commissioners to make semi-annual
reports to the county commissioners and city
council in joint session, and also final report
of their acts and doings, which shall be
accepted by said bodies before the final adj
journment OF said special commissioners. The |
mayor of the city is designated chairman of
the joint session of the city council and county
commissioners.
The act was approved March, 8.
Contrfbu,i ions for the Protestant Orphan