The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-08-05

shall impair the right OF a member 10 nominate
and recommend any person for any position or
Office to be filed by the city council or By the
house OF which he Is member. Each member.
upon taking ONCE, shall make and file In the
Office Of the CITY clerk an affidayit that he will
faithfully comply with and abide BY all the re-
quirements Of This section, and the violation Of
any Of the provisions of this section shall work
q forfeiture OF his membership and warrant his
expulsion FROM the house to which he belongs.
Sec. s. No person shall be eligible to member
ship or be member of either house who shall
have been convicted OF maIfeasance IN Office,
bribery or other infamous crime BY Judgment Of
any competent tribunal.
Bee. 7. The houses shall meet in separate
chambers. A majority of either house sha l
constitute quorum of il, but 3 less number
may adjourn from day to day or till the time of
next regular meeting, and may compel the at
tendance Of absent members in such manner
and under such penalties - that house snail
prescribe
Sec. & Each house shall-First-Annually,a and
also whenever q vacancy occurs. choose from
its members its president, who shall perform
the usual functions of rresiding officer and
may be removed by the affirmative vote of not
less than two-thirds Of all the members. Second
Establish rules for its proceedings. Third
Keep Journal OF It's proceedings and allow the
proceedings TO be published; and take the yeas
n
two members and enter the same In tbs journal.
Fourth-Have authority to punish its members
and others for disorderly or otherwise con-
temptuoHs behavior in its presence and to expel
for such behavior in its presence any mem Der
by the Affirmative vote OF not less than two
thirds of its members. specifying in the order
OF expulsion the cause thereof. Fiith-Have
authority to create aud use committees OF its
members, in order to facilitate the discharge of
its legislative functions; provided, that no COM
mittee OF either house and no JOINT committee
from both houses and no part OF any committee
and no member of either house shall have or
exercise executive or administrative power, ex-
cept as otherwise expressly provided in this
charter. SIXTH Have power to compel attend
ance OF witnesses as well as production of papers
and things pertinent to Business before such
house or any Of its committees or 4 joint COM
mittee from both houses.
Sec. 9. The board of aldermen and the house
of delegates shall each have power to appoint
from its members committee consisting OF
three, 10 be denomiaa.ed "inancs committee"
and to fill all vacancies IN said committee.
Each such committee shall have power to inves-
tigate the transactions and accounts OF all off,
GERS having the collection. custody aud dis
bursement OF public money. or having the
power 70 approve, allow or audit demands on
the treasury; 1t shall have free access TO any
records, books aud papers in all public Office;
shall have power to administer oaths or affirma-
tons, aud TO examine witnesses ami compel at
tendance before them by subpoena. Said COM
mittees or either of them may visit any OF the
public offices, when and as often as they think
proper, and make their exam nations and inves-
LEGATIONS therein without hindrance. l. shall
be the duty Of such committees as often as once
In every six months to examine the official
bonds OF all city offcsrs and repositories OF the
city funds, and inquire into and investigate the
a.
and report the facts to the mayor. Such re-
port shall specify each bond with the sureties
and the amount for which each surety Is bound.
and state whether or not they are deemed safii-
Gent and solvent. Upon such report the mayor
shall act SO IS to protect the city, aud may re-
qufre new bonds when necessary, aud he may
suspend the officer until sufficient bond is
died andapproyed In the exercise OF its func-
tons, concurrence of two members OF either
committee shall be deemed sufficient. Each of
said committees shall keep q record OF its pro-
ceedings, with the names of the witnesses ex-
amined and q sui stantial statement of the evil
dence taken. If from the examination made by
either Of such committees 1t shall appear that
misdemean0r in Office or defaication has been
committed by any officer said committee shall
report to the mayor, who, If he APP
prove said report, shall forthwith suspend or re-
move such officer. Any police officer shall exc
cute the process and orders OF said committees
or either of them.
Sec TO- The finance committees of the two
houses shall together constitute and be joint
finance committee, which shell meet aud organ
ize as soon as possible after the finance commit
tees of the respective houses shall have been
appointed, and shall Immediately and semi-an-
nually make . thorough examination of all the
books OF the city clerk, city treasurer and city
comptroller and report the result of such inves-
legations to the city council.
Sec. IL A committee of three members from
each house shall constitute thu. board OF equaii-
zation OF said city, AMI shall meet at the lime
prescribed by this charter and organize by the
election of one OF their number az chairman,
and shall have the powers and perform the
duties concerning the equalization OF taxes
given to county boards of equalization by the
general revenue laws of the state. The city
clerk shall act as the clerk Of the board of equal
izati0n and the city council shall provide for
the compensation of the members OF the board
OF equalization for the time that they are actu-
ally engaged in the equalization OF taxes.
Sec. II Each house shall meet upon the first
Monday OF each month, or ii that day be legal
holiday, then upon the nextday not holiday
thereafter, and all its sessions shall be public,
and neither house shall, without the consent Of
the other, adjourn for more than seven days, or
to any other place than its regular place of
meeting; but the mayor, or in his absence or
disability, the president OF the board OF alder
men, or any three aldermen, may call special
meeting of the board of aldermen or each of the
two houses
Sec. ls Every legislative act of said city shall
be by ordinance. Every ordinance shall be
clearly entitled and shall contain but one OBJ
ject. which shall be clearly expressed in its
title. The enacting clause OF every ordinance
shall be: BE 1t ordained by the city of Seattle
as follows" Any ordinance may originate in
either house, and when 1t shall have passed one
house 1t may be passed, amended or rejected in
the other.
Sec. IA No bill shall become an ordinance I'M
less, on its final pa sage in each house, at least
q majority of all the members vote in its favor,
and the vote be taken by yeas and nays aud the
names OF the members voting for and against
the same be entered in the Journals. =
Sec. Is No amendment TO any bill by either
house shall be concurred In by the other except
by the Affirmative vote of at least a majority OF
It's members taken by yeas aud nays, and the
names OF those voting for and against the same
shall be entered in the journal OF such house.
Reports of com ulittess OF confer .nce shall be
adopted in either house only by the aft rm alive
vote of at least majority OF its members taken
by yeas and nays. and the names OF those voting
for and against the same shall be recorded in the
journal
Sec L. No ordinance shall be revised, re-en-
acted or ameuued py reference 10 Its title, but
the ordinance to be revised or re-eneeted. or the
section thereof amended, shall be re-enacted at
length as revised or amended.
Sec II. when bill Is put upon It's final pas-
sage IN either house and fails to pass, and mo-
ton is made to reconsider, the vote upon sneh
motion shall not be acted on before the next
meeting of that house. No bill for the
grant OF any franchise shall be finsliy passed
within thirty days after its introduction.
Sec Is No ordinance shall take effect ANTI
ten days after its passage, unless otherwise ex-
pressed In said ordinance.
Sec 10. Every bill. after il has passed the two
houses. shall be signed by the president OF each