Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-06-27
THE FREEHOLDERS.
The Provisions Of the New
Charter Considered.
IMPORTANT CHANGES MADE.
A Greater Interest Taken by This
Board, and Good Instru-
ment Expected.

the Council Chamber, the following
members present: President Workman,
and Messrs. Mansfield, Book, Brown,
Mackey, Estudillo, Scott, Dunkelberger,
Bonebrake, Day and Robinson.
Section IA, Article 8, was taken up,
and Major Bonebrake moved to strike
out that part OF the section which relates
to the Office OF the Council in the City
Hall being kept open from II A. NJ. to
Ar. NJ, since the Council will not be in
session every day under the provisions
Of the proposed new charter. Carried.
On motion OF Mr.. Mackey, that part Of
Section 10, making three members Of
the Council quorum, was changed so as
to read 1.-TWO thirds CT the whole Council
shall make Quorum also, that it
shall require the same proportion to pass
an ordinance or vote money.
Mr.. Robinson stated that he had re-
ceiyed an anonymous communication ad-
dressed to the Board, but he did not
think it was right to present it. There
was an idea in it, however, worth con-
sideration, which was the annexation OF
contiguous territory, which he thought
ought to be referred to a committe OF one,
and would name General Mansfield as
the committee to see If 1t would be advis-
able TO make provision therefore in the
new charter. Carried.
Major Bonebrake suggested that where
new tracts were laid out and streets dedi-
Gated to the city they should be laid out
under the supervision OF the City Sur.
To,,rn1 bo ,pt
PEELED to accept these streets until this Is
done. He asked that this also be referred
to General Mansfield. General Mans
propositions il the Board so desired him,
but he was decidedly opposed to the
idea of allowing some person to cut up
new tracts of land, lay out streets, and
by dedicating them to the city, compel
the city to keep them in order. The
matter was then referred to General
Mansfield and 7. B. Brown as a special
committee.
Section II relative to the approval OF
the bonds of the officers by the Council
was passed without alteration except
making it imperative on the City Clerk
to endorse all bonds with the date OF
their approval.
The section providing that no Council
man or other city officer shall be inter-
ested in any contract in which the city is
a party, was adopted.
Section 10 was changed SO as to read
''the City Clerk or his Deputy shall be
constantly present during the meetings
Of the Council"
The next section, providing that the
meetings OF the Council shall be public
md that a journal OF its proceedings
shall be kept by the Clerk, was adopted
as read.
Section 81 was changed SO as to make
the Council the judges of the quail
fications and election OF all the members
Of the Council and all the elective
officers.
That section providing that the Coun-
Gil shall have the power to define the
duties of those officers whose duties are
not provided for by the charter was
adopted.
Section 90, referring to the provision OF
suitable rooms for the Offices, was read,
and Major Bonebrake stated he was OPP
posed 10 allowing it optional with the
Council as to the number, up to five OF
the Police Judges, being of the opinion
that il two Police Judges were enough
Tor San Francisco, two ought to be
enough for Los Angeles. He would move
that the number ''5" be changed to "2, /"
and no power be given the City Council
TO increase the number. Messrs. Brown
and Mackey were heartily in accord with
this idea and the motion therefore carried
unanimously.
Those sections relating to the requiring
ofproper exits from public halls and build
ings, the power OF the Council to declare
what constitutes u nuisance, to make ar
rangements for the care and custody OF
prisoners, and to regulate the keeping Of
gunpowder and combustibles were read
and adopted.
When Section 2S, in reference to sur
veying streets and establishing street
lines was read. Mr.. Mackey stated that
he objected most strenuously to any pro-
vision in the new charter which would
compel man who owned small piece
of property to change the grade OF his
place TO conform with the grade as laid
down by the City Surveyor. He thought
such a section was altogether too arbi-
trary. He was told, however, that this
section would not compel man to open
a street through his property without
compensation, and that this had been
fully provided for in other sections.
Major Bonebrake said there was likely
to be considerable trouble in certain por-
tions of the city, where tracts of land had
been sold under ntract to other parties
who had cut them up and had them sur
veyed and laid out in streets. Now some
Of the contracts had not been fulfilled
and the tracts had reverted back to the
original owners, who were no parties to
the surveying or laying out OF streets, and
who might possibly refuse to carry out
the surveys, to the detriment OF parties
who had purchased from the man who
had laid out the tract. He wanted to
have some provision made by which
these original owners would be compelled
TO carry out the surveys made and com
plete what streets were laid out.
This subject being also provided for in
another section, by which it is made i'm
psrative upon persons who. record maps
showing streets to have the permission of
the original owners, unless he has be-
come the sole owner, the section was al
Lowell to PASS without alteration.
No further change was made in Sec
tions 30 and 80. DR.. Kuhrts asked
whether clause could not be inserted in
Section 81, prohibiting the Electric Light
Companies from putting wires on private
property. He was informed by General
Mansfield that the city had no power to
do so, and the section in the main re-
mains unaltered.
General Mansfield heartily endorsed
the clause in Section SO suppressing the
indiscriminate ringing OF church bells in
chm eify This xroo oI.ootoJ a. H..