Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-12-01
..orT IHE NEW CITY COUNCILMEN.
SEATTLE, Nov. 20, 1888.

SEATTLE, Nov. 20, 1888.
EDITOR PosT-lSTELIGkScEE:
will Won please insert the following
,,o,est which was presented To the
I.oislature, relative to our City Charter,
notwithstanding which the Legislative
Assembly assumed to appoint eo1ncii-
mon for this cityi An exercise OF power
that the Car of Russia wonld not dare
to assume.
IN the Hon. Henry Miles, Chairman
.f the Committee on Corporatlon7'
mar Slr-I understand that your
romnittee has now in Its hanGs lor
confederation Cosucil Bill 30. "I.
aandino the Charter Of the City of
Seattle As a member Of the present
C,tv Council of the City OF Seattle de-
sire to present for your conhIue1 ition
a few facts. Some three months ago
the CITY Council appointed a c'inhli.'eo
90 which [ was the chairman, ior sue
nurpose Of .xamiuIag our City ohaisoi
and recommending such changes tIe'o
in as might be- necessary. y..;.,a oe
TLe committee, with the assis.ance oi
tbe Mayor, prepared certain amend
uents with the intention of presenting
them to the Legislature. M,
O, the 18th of October Council Bill
No 81. WAS introduced and ordered
'uriutsd. Copies of the printed bill were
sant to members of the Council of tns
CITY of Seattle. A meeting of tbs Coun-
Gil was called and the Mayor vas IN
structed to telegraph to the presiding
officers of both houses OF the Legs
iature to take no action concerning our
CITY Charter until We could be heard
from.
About ten days ago a meeting of the
City Council was held and the report of
tbs committee to amend our Charter
WAS received. That report was gone
aver by the City Council section by sec
ton, and the result WAS forwarded 10
your Honorable Body 10y the hands of
our Mayor
In the bill now before your committee
several serious changes have beon made
from the recommendations Of tue Coun-
oil of the City Of Seattle.
Sections - and "a. III your bill, are
not as they were sent up by tho Council
Of Seattle.
In Section 81, of your bill il Is pro
vided, That your Honorable Body ap-
point two additional Councilmen for
our City Government, and they are
named in the bill.
As a citizen of seattle and n n ember
OF the City Council of said city, beg
most sincerely aud earnestly to remon-
strasUand protest against this. There
is no aeossslty for two additional cosn-
silmen until the next general election,
hot, il the Legislature should think
otherwise, | respectfully submit, that
the people whom such councilmen are
10 represent should have had some voice
in their selection, and they should either
be elected by the present City Council
or elected by the people. A special
election could be called at very limited
expense, not exceeding fifty dollars.
Ny own idea, however, ~ that the III
crease in the members of the council
should be left until the election of 1884.
And bog further to state, A. chairman
Of the committee who prepared the
amendment, that no such amendment
a. the appointment of these persons, or
any Other persons. was ever presented
to the City Cyuncii, much less discus
sed BY them, nor were the citizens of
that an attempt would be made to pass
any such measure, and | can safely as
sure you that our people are opposed,
asa whole, to legislative appointments
OF our local officers.
/, therefore, respectfully ask that the
people of Seattle NAV have the same
privileges of selecting their counciimen
a. the people of Washington Territory
have OF selecting their own Legislators,
and AZ they have in all other towns or
cities Of the Territory, aud | respect
fally suggest that the following amend
ments be made to said Council Bill 81:
Sec. ~. The Common Counc,i shall
consist of nine members who Shall be
elected rs herein provided.
Sec. 81. All persons who have raslded
In the City of Seattle six months PIE
vOus to this act and who are otherwise
qualified IA legal voters under the Gen
eral Laws Of this Territory and whose
names are registered under the Regis
tration Laws governing said city, SHALL
have the right To vote under this act.
Sec. 81. In place of the words OF the
latter part Of said section, "a. And Is.
!. NorthrBp is hereby appointed Conn
Gilman from the Third Ward, and john
heenan Councilman from the llrst
Ward until next general election,
there te inserted the following:
On the 10Th day If December, loS'',
On election under the provisions of the
City Charter and its amendments GOV
srning the annual election of ity OH
csFs, shall be held in the First and Third
Wards of said oity for the election OF
The ono additional councilmen from
Zach Of said wards as provided for III
this ac.. The persons receiving the
highest number of votes shall be de-
elared elected rs councilman from their
respective wards. and they shal held
.id oflie until the next genera city
election, and until their Successors are
elected and qualified AS hereinbefoer pro
vtued, but the Registration Law affect
ing said city shall not apply to said
special election. q. NJ. kAsrN,
MEMBER of the City Council Of the City
ofSeattle and on behalf of said city aud
M citizens.
know the facts stated III the fore
going communication 10 be true.
II. q. SrRuvE,