The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-11-17
The Last General Revision
Was Made in 1866.
Biennial Elections Provided for Put
Not Long Retained.
A Bolt From the Convention Which Re-.
suited In Mr.. D0yle's Election.

AT the next meeting of the Common
Council there will probably be report
from the special commission appoin ted
early In the year to cons ider the revis.
ion of the city charter.
.Ihe members :of the commission are
Mayor McGuinDess, Aldermen Robert B.
Little and Charles G. Nichols, Council.
men Rathbone Gardner and Charles sfs-
son, Judge Arthur l.. Brown of the Unit
ed States District Court and Mr.. William
Gamwell.
The appointment was approved on Feb
ruary q.
Councilman Gardner told NEWS cor
respondent that the whole charter "a
existing today 10 to be overhauIed, Oh
| rather the overhauling is to be suggested
and recommended, and that tho proposed
charter will be in sccord with modern
ideas OF municipal government. I he model
adopted by the commission IL a general
charter act proposed for the second class
cities Of New YORK State. According,to
its provisions, the duties OF the City
Council are strictly legislative and have
pothing to 90 with the election OF off,
GERS. but full appointive and removal
power over all heads Of departments il
given to the Mayor.
A similar law is now In foroe for the
larger cities OF Indiana, where the eIec-
:ions are biennial and ell depart ments
are managed by commissions appointed
by the executive. the approval of the
Council not being necessary to the val
idity of the app p,intments.
OF course the sti1est sort Of opposition
to any such innovation for Providence In
anticipated as foregone conclusion both
in the City Council where the initiative
must be taken and In the General Assem-.
bly, where the bill must pass before be-
coming a law.
There is hardly a session of the Gensr.
ally Assembly but what something ID
added TO or taken from the law governing
the corporation OF Providence. The last =
time, however, that there was a general !.
re, ision of the charter was in 1866. On
March OF that year the Senate ooncurred
with the House in the passage of a bill,
Chapter 59S. TO consolidate and amend the
acts pertaining to the city Of Provi.
dence. The. most interesting feature Of
that bill and the one that has been very
generally forgotten was that biennial elec-
lions were provided for the city. The
Eighth Ward division was also authorized
ind the new ward was the triangle with
he city line for it's base and Crsnston
street and High street to their junction
oy the cid Hoyle Tavern on the two sides.
That charter also provided for the elec-
ion of the chief OF police and the city
'lerk by the City Council. Formerly they
had been chosen by the people direct.
The bill provided that on the second
Providence. should give their ballots for
iayor, CityTreasurer, City Solicitor, Col
ector OF Taxes, Harbor master, Overseer OF
he Poor and Superintendent of Health,
nd on the second Wednesday of May In
ach alterna te year thereafter, the ON
ers so elected to serve for two years.
To start the new regime, Aldarmeo
Tere elected ia Wards 1, 3. 8 and z to
arve for two years, and In Wards g 4,6
nd for one year. Each ward was to
,leot two Common Councilmsn for one
ear and two for two years, and thareaf-
sr one-hslf OF the entire Council would
e elected each year, but ali successful
sndidstes would hold sot1ce foe two
ears That was the system OF blenniai
Iections insugurated In Providence No
onder there ~ not one man In a nun
red today who remembers ~. for the
w was repealed within fourteen months
y the Assembly act ~ May 80. 1857. by J
hich annual elections OF all city OIL tisis
ere again provided Tor.
On March II. 1873. the date OF the city
ection was changed TO the second Wcc.
ssday In November and Inauguration
as cbsDgeo from June TO Jsnurrv. ON
Inc II, 1876, the date Of the city rlro-
on was changed TO the fourth tuesday
November. At the last May session
was hanged TO the fret Tuesday fol-
wing the irst Monday OF Novem Der.
On April 3, 1874, the division OF the
~ into twelve wards was eut horned. so
n