Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-06-02
THE CHARTER Commission.
Another Meeting at the City Hall, Last
Evening.
Clauses Relating to Council, De-
filming It's Size, Times of Meeting,
General Powers. Compensation,
Etc, at Present Engaging the At
tention Of the Body-A Discus
sion as to the Veto Power.

14O4l cSS " Oll0 V GU OWO4.
The City Charter Commission met In reg
ular session at the City Hall. last even
ing. and resumed consideration of the work
before the gentlemen.
The business before the body was con-
tinuatlon of the subject of the powers and
duties of Council, but there was Incident
ally a considerable discussion of the Of
fee of Mayor. as that matter was inter-
jected into the Council discussion through
a consideration of the question of whether
or not the Mayor should preside at meet
ings of Council. whether or not he should
be given the veto power, etc
Attorney William Erskine submitted his
draft of the sections passed at the last
meeting. and they were criticised amenu-
"a IN some particulars, and passed over lor
the time being.
In resuuing a consideration OF the Sec
tons pertaining to Council, the questioi'
Of the connection Of the Mayor win thdt
body came up at an early stage, ana there
was a long discussion upon seVeral Iea-
lures. one question was whether the
Navor should be given the veto power over
Council. One or two of thegentlemen were
rather I'm favor of IL, but on the contrary
there was about equal objection to IT, as
being too much of a change for TINS con-
servltive community, and as placing 100
much power In the hands Of one man, VINO
might be self-op!n.onated or having some
Of the qualities of L demagosue. Inc
question was not disposed of finally. An
other matter discussed in connection with
tne office of Manor was whether or rot ne
should preside at sessions OF Council ana
! If presiding, whether he should nave
voice and vote. one member favored max
ing the Mayor the presiding officer, win
equal legislative functions with any other
member of the body, but this did not meet
, with a great deal of favor, apparently tor
several reasons. One was that the meih-
bers at large had been limited 10 three TOT
the express purpose of making the number
of Councilmen odd. and to in effect make
t6e Mayor a member Of the body, would
he TO undo what had been done, as ne
would
Another evident thought In the minas OF
the majority was. that there should De
divorce between the legislative and exec
utive branches of the city government. In
other words. they were opposed to having
man VINO might frame, Introduce, and
talk and vote for measure, which might
become a law. and then the same man
vould he charged with its enforcement,
and possibly preside at the Police Court,
where offenders were tried and punished.
This appeared TO be too broad a range for
one man to work over successfully, as the
drift of sentiment was caught. 1t isn't
probable that it will be fixed that way,
but rather that the Mayor will be made
the executive head of the city, with no
other influence upon legislation than per-
tains to any other citizen, save such as may
be exerted from an annual message to
Council.
This question of the veto power of the
Mayor and his presiding at sessions of
Council was intimately connected with
another important matter-that of what
majority should be necessary to pass meas
ures through Council. majority Of the
Commission were on the side of throwing
all possible safeguards around the ex-
penditure of money. the passing of ordi-
nances and the entering into of contracts
on behalf of the city. and after much talk
it was decided that SUCH measures must
pass Council by a two-thirds vote of all
the members elected TO that body, or fail
ing of two-thirds. then by majority of all
the members elected. received at two sue
cessisve meetings. This is not to be in
terpreted to mean two-thirds or major
fty of the members in their seats at the
meeting. but two-thirds or a majority of
all the members of Council. Thus, there
being nineteen members-sixteen from the
wards and three at large, two-thirds would
be fourteen. which would be necessary to
pass any ordinance, make any appropria-
ton of money or authorize any contract.
If there were not two-thrds in favor of
the proposition, but only a majority, that
is ten or more, then the measure would
not pass. but would have to lay over until
the next meeting, when another majority
vote of ten or more in the affirmative,
would finally pass the proposition.
The question of compensation of men,
bers, and daylight or night sessions also
took up a good deal of time, and the re-
suit was that the sections in the present
charter, allowing payment of a per diem
of 81 to Councilmen and allowing Council
to fix the times and places of its meetings.
were approved. 1t must be understood,
however. that none of these matters are
finally settled as they may be changed at
subsequent meetings. by the full Commits
sion, to which the smaller body is to re-
port. or finally by the City Council, to
which the report as a whole must be sub
mitted before it goes to the Legislature.
The Commission will meet again next
Monday night.
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