St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-02-20
The Committee Of Lawyers
in the Midst of a Diff
cult Task.
Double Council Feature Elm
mated From the Draft
at Present.
Legal Fraternity Deeply In
terested in a Bill Touch
ing Dover.
Hon. P. H. Kelly's Cigarette
Bill Endorsed All Over
the Land.

The double council provision of st.
PauPs charter will be knocked out if
the present draft of the proposed new
charter is ever enacted into law. The
committee of lawyers at work on the
bill has practically agreed OH this point
without much friction. None of the
other cities in the state wanted it, and
the st. Paul representatives have given
in to the general sentiment without
very strenuous objection.
To meet the wishes Of citizens who
desired to retain this feature of munich
pal government, however, the commits
tee has undertaken TO so infinitely de-
fine the duties, and so closely guard the
proceedings, of council that easy COM
bination for any purpose or passage of
any given resolution or ordinance may
not occur except after the fullest pub
Lefty has been given.
The method Of procedure adopted by
the lawyers committee is tedious. but
probably the safest and best possible
under the circumstances. The various
subcommittee all work in one room,
and when any point arises that is not
perfectly clear. or any language is used
that is not explicit or positive in its
meaning, the whole committee is ap-
pealed to. Thus section after section is
formed, discussed, analyzed and conSid
cred in every possible light.
While little OF the ultimate structure
of the proposed act is yet in shape, even
that little may be utterly demolished
when it is brought up for review and
criticism little later Oh. This thing of
constructing charter that shall be ac-
ceptable to and suited for the govern
ment of cities in a growing state like
Minnesota is no holiday task. Writing
and rewriting, forming and reforming,
must neceSsarially be done over and
over. One day one member OF the COM
mittee is absent, next day one or two
others. The work done in their alb
sence may present to their minds Sc,
riouS flaw that did not occur to the 9TH
ers. Then alteration. amendment. re-
construction, is attempted, aud finally
the whole paragraph or section.
Among the members of the committee
there is sort of general understanding
as to the scope of the main lines of the
new civic instrument. The details must
be worked. and then interviewer as the
combined Judgment of the committee
may consider WiSeSt. Little thought or
attention has yet been given to the mat
ter of boards or commissions. 1t is no
secret, though, that anything even ap-
preaching autocratic concentration of
power will be resisted by Legislators to
the last extreme.
When the measure has progressed to
a stage where it can be intelligently dis
cussed and understood, the city delega-
tons in the legislature will be called III
for advice and counsel. The bill is not
likely to be read in the legislature be
fore the latter part of March. maybe not
until the first days of April. A possible
short session has no place in any ones
thoughts just now, and the charter
builders are reckoning that when their
work is exhibited to the public it will
have been so pruned by the critics, so
satisfactory to the Solons imm edlately
interested, that little time will be neceS-
Sary for discussion or amendment.
As to whether or not general chal-
ter bill can be prepared and passed at
this session, there is a firm belief in
most quarters now that 1t can and will
be. Later developments may change
this sentiment, however, and send the
whole business over two years. but the
idea of commission to do the work i'll
the interim is not popular.