The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-02-05
INDEBTEDNESS OF CITIES.
The New Law Providing for Lega1ixing
Warrants and Bonds.

OLYMPIA, Feb. L--Ispecisl. l-Senate bill No.
&c, Introduced by Forrest, which has passed
both branches of the legislature. having passed
the house yesterday, is as follows:
bill for an act TO enable cities and towns 10
validate certain warrants aud other obligations
and evidences o. ndebte ne~s on the part of
such cities and towns Issued by the corporate
authorities thereof in excess of their leEal au-
thOrity, and declaring an emergency TO exist
Be II enacted BY the Legislature OF the state OF
Washington:
sECTIoSI Any city or town now having
corporate existence in this state may ratiiy in
the manner prescribed in this act, the attempted
ineurriDg OF any Indebtedness of such city
town by the issuing OF warrants, making of con-
tracts creations of other evi !ences OF inaeb;-
edness on the part of such city or town by the
corporate authorities thereof at any time prior
TO the pas age of this act when the ouly ground
OF the iuvaidity o: sucD IN lebtedness 30 To be
ratified is that. al tire time oil such attempted
incurrug thereof, the same, together with all
other then existing Indebtedness OF such city or
town, exceeded IA per cent. OF the taxable
property in such Guy or town, ascerlained by
the last assessment for city or town purposes
previous TO the attempted mourning of such ill.,
debteduess and thst such Indebtedness was 30
attempted 10 be incurred without the assent of
three-bfths of the voters therein voting q; an
election held for that purpose.
Sec. 2. Whenever the city council or other
legislative body of any such city or town shall
deem IL advisable that the ratification author
lied by this act hail be obtained, the corpora
ton shall provide therefor by ordinance, which
shall specify separately the amount of each as
tnct class OF such Indebtedness To be ratified,
the date or period of the attempted incurring
by the corporate authorities OF each separate
ella thereof, and the general nature OF the ill.,
deb'edness comprised in each such distinct
Glass, and shall provide for the holding oil an
election for that purpose, of which thirty DAYS
notice, TO be provided for in such ordinance,
shall be given in the offcia newspaper or new
papers OF such city or town at which the at
tempted incnrring of such indebtedness shall
be submitted 10 the voters in such city or town
Tor ratification or disapproyal. Each distinct
elias OF such Indebtedness so specified sha Il be
the subject OF a distinct vote in favor of or
against the ratification thereof, and such vote
shall des gnate the class of Indebtedness re-
ferred to by the description thereof used and
the amount specified in The ordinance.
Sec 3. II at an election held as provided for
in section OF this act three-fith, OF the voters
In such city or town voting at such election
shall vote 10 favor OF the ratification Of any
distinct class of snch indebtedness. specified in
the ordinance providing for such election, then
such inde btediess so ratified shall thereby be-
come and is hereby declared to be validated and
q binding obligation upon such city town
when the only ground o. the previous fnvaidity
OF such Indebtedness 10 that, at the time of the
mourning thereof so ratified, the same, together
with all other then existing in iebtedpess of
such city or town, exceeded IL per centum of
the taxable property in such city or town, ascer-
tanned by the last previous assessment for city
or town purposes; provided. that neither any
thing ~ this act contained nor the vote cast at
any such election shall be deemed TO validate or
authorize any indebteine which. together
with all other indebtedness of such city or town
existing AT the time OF the attempted incurrng
OF the came. exceeded any constitutional lin Ia
ton OF Indebtedness which might be incurred
with the assent of three-fiiths OF the voters in
such city or town voting at election to be
held for that purpose: and provided further,
that this act shall apply only TO Indebtedness
attempted by De incurred prior to the passage
hereof.
Sec 4. lnasmuch as the existing statute OF
this state, enabling cities aud towns 10 validate
Indebtedness attempted TO be incurred on the
part OF such cities and towns by the corporate
authorities thereof in excess of their legal au-
thOrty Is restricted by its terms to indie bteiness
attempted TO be incurred prior to the passage
thereof, and inasmuch a. the legal authority
has been so exceeded in good faith in sundry
cities and towns of this state since the pa ssage
OF said existing statute aud there is statute
applicable to the valuation OF such in EDITED
ness attempted ID be incurred since the passage
OF said statute. an emergency exists for the i'm
mediate effect OF this law; therefore, this act
shall take effect aud be in force from and after
Its approval by the governor.