St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-02-19
FAVORED TINS BILL
Council Committees and Ram
sey Delegation in the Leg
islature.
ENDORSE BY RESOLUTION
Sheehan's Home Rule Bill
Amending the State Con-
stiturion.
RESOLUTIONS ARE PASSED
Disappearing Sehurmeier's
Certificate Bill--The Pop
ular Vote.
RESOLUTIONS ARE PASSED

the nature of the "gathererS, II
could not we'll be otherwise, for the
assemblage was composed of mem
bers of the common council, of the
legislature and last but not least,
representative of the aggressive
committee offorty, who will allow no
lawmakers to out-talk them. City
Comptroller McCardy was there, too,
and found occasion to contribute a
few terse and sagacious utterances
Iaudatory of the blessed Bell charter,
which, on week days, the comptroller
is popularity believed to worship.
Desirable legislation for the gov
eminent of the city of st. Paul was
the subject of the discussion, which
lasted over two hours. The Ram
sey county delegation was sparely
represented. owing to the night ses-
sion of the senate. None of the SEN
ators put in an appearance, and only
a few representatives were there.
The committee was represented by
perhaps a dozen members. The
joint council committee was not all
attended to keep the discussion alive.
Chairman Markham called the as
semblage to order at $3.50, and in
formed the committee of forty what
had taken place at the meeting last
Tuesday night, when Senators Shee-
han, Stevens and Ozmun were pres
ent and explained their bills. Chair
man Markham said that if the How
ard bill should pass, the question
would be, how would st. Paul re-
ceive it? If it should accept it, how
would it signify that acceptance?
Mr.. Markham added that he be-
| lieved the greater portion of the citi-
zens of ST. Paul were opposed to the
| Howard bill, or what amounted to
| the same thing, a government by the
common council. The Sheehan
"home rule" bill seemed to be the
| most popular, inasmuch as it would
| enable each city to frame and adopt
it's own charter.
| Gen. Sanborn questioned whether
an amendment to the constitution, as
| provided by the Sheehan BILL was
| necessary. He thought that the
| legislature already had power to
pass a law allowing cities to formu-
! late and adopt their own charters,
| inasmuch as it was not inhibited
from so doing. Going somewhat
into detail, Gen. Sanborn said that,
although he preferred a dual coun-
Gil, he would be willing to part with
that feature if the charter was so
framed as to insure the election of a.
| capable council, close to the people.
The citizens and officials of st. Paul
ought, in his opinion, to work earn
estly for the passage Of a general
bill. The practical difficulty was the
disturbing of existing conditions. t.
Comptroller McCardy then arose
and announced impressively that he
was in favor of the Sheehan bill
and opposed to the Howard bill.
But under existing conditions, while
the Bell charter was somewhat I'M
yielding in it's provisions regarding
the handling of department funds,
still the comptroller regarded it as
the best charter in the country.
Gen. Sanborn declared that legis-
lation should be secured that would
save st. Paul from $780, to $500, 900
a year. For instance the tax on 227
miles of water mains should be alb
rogated, and thus save $150,000 Gen.
Sanborn criticised provisions in the
present charter, and created some
displeasure by asserting that owing
to certain features in the Minneapo-
lis charter, that city had forged
ahead Of st. Paul. For that rea-
son.. concluded Gen. Sanborn, 81 do
not feel the same veneration for all
our laws that others do"
This was too much for E. S. Chitten-
den to listen to unmoved, for he rose
to his feet and retorted:
'"The rate of taxation in Minneapo-
lis is % mills as against 20 mills
here
Ross Clark was the next to express
an opinion. Mr.. Clark favored the
Sheehan bill, but considered the Bel
charter good enough for the coming
two years.
81 am confident, though continued
Mr.. Clark chat the coming city gov
eminent is local self-government. The
adoption of the Sheehan amendment
would give our city just what it wants
something it has never had yet. Sc
1 say let US go to the legislature, ge
this amendment adopted, and then thi:
question will be taken out of the
hands of the legislature. 1 would
rather see the Sheehan. amendment
adopted than to have a general char
ter bill passed.
Mr. Chittenden then submitted tn,
two following resolutions, which wer'
unanimously adopted, after some fur
Their discussion.
Resolved, That this meeting ap
proves of what is known Us the Shee
han bill, providing for a constitu
tional amendment allowing cities tt
enact their own charters; provided
| however, that If the legislature doe
no. at presen possess he power to pas
such an act, that the Ramsey count.
delegation in the present Legislature
be requested to exert all proper effort
to secure the passage of such legisla
ton.
Resolved, That this meeting re
quests the legislative delegation O
l Ramsey county, in case a genera
charter bill is passed by the presen
legislature, to use all proper effort
to have incorporated therein a provis
!, ion requiring the question of the adop
u ton thereof, by any city, to be sub
mitted to popular vote"
Representative Tallman then opene
up another field which was productiv
of some lively debate. Mr.. Tallma
Y thought that the st. Paul policeme
II should receive their pay for last Nc
vember's services, and also that du
them for services in November, 189
!, This led up to the discussion of Repre-
D sentative Schurmeier's bill authorizin
/ cities to issue 6 per cent certificates c
Indebtedness, maturing in f1ftee
months from date, to anticipate at ono
any deficiencies in the funds of the pc
lice, fire or any other department.
= Ferdinand Willius turned dampe