Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1889-03-16
MORE CITY BILLS.
THE HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS
TAKE A HANr.



citation and the heads of the city depart
ments met in the Office of the Street and
Sewer Department last night to act upon
some bills already formulated relating to
the city government and to be sent to
the Legislature.
There were present at the meeting from
the Citizens Association, George w.
Bush, G. w. Weldin and Allen Speak.
man; from the Street and Sewer Depart
ment, Joseph l.. Carpenter and ]. N.
Gawthrop; from the department of Elec-
tions and Registration, A. G. Wilson;
from the Park Commissioners, Dennis j.
Mention; from the Health Department,
DR.. j. w. Draper, and from the City
Council, President ]. c. Farra. George
w. Bush acted as president, and G. W.
Weldin, secretary.
A letter from Mayor Harrington re-
GREETED his inability to be present on &C
count of sickness.
After the president had stated the
objects OF the meeting MIR. Wilson, from
the committee TO prepare bills, presented
and read one for the benefit OF the street
and sewer department 1t was an amend
ment to chapter 1SS, volume IL, Laws of
Delaware, and similar to thu bill referred
by the City Council to the Law Commit
the appropriation Of the City Council to
that department from $4,000 to Sl23,
1880 for the years 1889 and 1890, and
instead of requiring the department to
have its annual statement published In
two daily newspapers to have 1t pub
lished In pamphlet form.
Mr.. Carpenter, chairman of the Street
and Sewer Department, represented the
pressing heed of that department for the
money asked for. w hen tie bill was passed
making the appropriation u.s., 900 1t was
never intended to embrace the lighting of
the city, nor the expenses of the city
surveying department, but by the rulings
of Council on both sides they were ead-
died upon the department and there was
nothing more to do than to submit. The
increase asked for was to meet the ex-
penses of lighting the city and to bear
the expenses of the surveying depart
ment. No other remarks were made
and the bill was unanimously endorsed.
Mr.. Wilson then prest nted and read a
bill TO amend chapter 207, volume II,
Laws OF Delaware, relating TO the cleo
tion of City officers and City Council.
The bill, provides that there shall be
no city election in June this year, but that
| there shall be one In June, 1890. All
Council shall hold over until that time,
at which time all the city officers In office
now would expire except the Mayor,
whose term would expire In 1891, but by
this bill his term Ia heightened one ysal
to 1897. The bill iengthens the term o.
tity Councllmen one year TO 1890 aud thi
Mayors term one year to 1892, afte
which the Mayors term would be tw;
years.
After 1890 there IL to be only one Coun
| Gilman for each ward and the President
of the City Council. The salary OF City
Councilmen is not to exceed $50 pei
mon h, but his does not interfere Will
the salary of the President OF the CITY
Council, nor the salary Councilmen gel
as members of the tax revision commits
| sion.
At the suggestion of Mr.. Mention the
bill was changed from IL members of the
City Council and the President to one
member from each ward and the Presi-
dent.
Mr.. Farra thought the City Council
would adhere to Its own bill passed on
Thursday n light In reference to this bill,
aud he asked why the bill was not
drafted as was understood to be directed
at former meeting.
Mr.. Wilson said that all the members
of the committee had been consulted and
It was thought that this bill was pre-
ferable and would stand more chance OF
passing the Legislature. By the provis-
Ions of this bill nobody Is deprived Of
the term for which they were elected,
but the City Council members and the
mayor are all given an additional year.
The people, he said, would not favor
long terms between elections. They
wanted to have something to say and to
deprive them of that say for three years
would be too long.
1t is provided in the bill that the City
Solicitor shall be elected like other city
officers.
Mr.. Mention thought that the building
inspector should also be elected by the
people.
There being no farther remarks the bill
was approved.
The third bill presented and read by
Mr.. Wilson was the Election and Regis
trstion bill. 1t was critically gone over
and quite q large number of Topographic
cal errors were corrected. Mr.. Wilson
said 1t was amazing what a number VI
errors crept into the bill as It came from
the printers hands to the statute books
The chief change In this bill was to
make 1t conform to the city election bill
and to have a registration every two
years. For that purpose the term Of the
M mbers OF the Board Of Registration Is
heightened to six years instead of three,
but no salary was to be paid for the years
when there was no election nor registra-
tioD. The bill also provides that the
bours of re1istration shall be from 10 g.
III. to & p. IN. The latter suggestion was
made by MIR. Mention. 1t was accepted
by Mr.. Wil'ou, and as amended the bill
was approved.
At the suggestion Of DR.. Draper q
meeting Of the Citizens Association is to
be called, and the bills agreed upon are