St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-03-20
PETITION IN FAVOR OF 1T,
SIGNED BY THE Required NUM-
BER OF VOTERS. SUBMITTED
TO The ASSEMBLY.
But u Committee Is Named TO Confer
With a Committee From the
Board of Aldermen.


foreseen prevents. Last night the as
sembly passed an ordinance authoriz-
ing and ordaining that the question
OF the adoption Of the Howard char
ter by the city of st. Paul be submit
ted to the vote OF the people at the
coming spring election. The assembly
did not pass this measure out Of any
partially to the Howard charter, but
rather because 1t had no other alter
native, except to refer it to a commit
tee, and such a course would have
been attended with danger, as it aft
erwards appeared. The reason why
the assembly was obliged to pass the
ordinance was a bulky petition signed
by one-eighth Of the legal voters resid-
ing in the city Of st. Paul, asking that
the question Of the adoption of the
Howard charter be voted upon by the
people. This action was in accordance
with the act of 1895, which provides
that in case the common council should
refuse to pass such an ordinance vol
unfairly, then. upon presentation of a
petition signed by one-eighth Of the
legal voters residing in the city, the
council would be compelled to pass the
ordinance.
The petition, which was presented by
c. w. Horr and Judge Schoonmaker,
bore the signatures of 3,454 legal vot-
ers. AS there were 1850 votes cast at
the last general election in the fall of
1894, it will be seen that the petition
is signed by more than one-eighth of
the voters, that exact fraction amount
ing to only 3,245.
After the reading of the petition
the ordinance was submitted. mas
much as the assembly had no means
of ascertaining at the time whether
the signerS of the petition are all of
them legal voters" and residents of
st. Paul, Mr.. Van Slyke suggested
reference of the ordinance to a COM
mittee. The suggestion met with ia
vor but Mr.. Lewis foresaw what
might happen in case the passage OF
the ordinance was materially delayed.
and at once called attention to it.
1t seems that under the act of 1895,
if the signatures of the requisite num-
Der of voters are obtained, they are
empowered, in case the ordinance is
not passed in time to provide for the
submission of the question at regu-
lar election, to force a special election
which would, of course, entail large
expense upon the city. The law re-
quires that the city clerk shall, after
the passage of the ordinance, post, or
cause to be posted, in every precinct,
within at last thirty days before the
election, five notices that the How
ard charter is to be voted on at the
coming election. In case, therefore,
the passage of the ordinance should
be so delayed as to render it impos-
sible for the city clerk to have the
notices posted on or before April 4,
then a special election would become
necessary, if the Howard charter ad~
vocates insisted upon it. That tney
would insist upon it appeared from the
remarks of Mr.. Hort, who said to the
assembly:
Gentlemen, we hurried this matter
up, so as to get it before you in time
to provide for the submission of the
question at the city election, so as to
save the large expense of a special cleo
ton. But l can assure you, that if
this matter is so delayed as to render
that course impossible, we will force a
special election"
This speech settled the minds of the
assemblymen and the ordinance was at
once passed by vote of eight to one.
Mr.. Robb voted against the ordi-
nance, declaring that the petition was
irregular, in that the signature of each
voter should have been accompanied
by an affidavit that he was a legal
voter and resident of St. Paul.
The ordinance will be acted upon by
the board of aldermen at the adjourned
meeting of that body to be held next
Monday afternoon.
Subsequently and just prior to the
adjournment of the assembly Mr..
Lewis offered a resolution which was
adopted requesting the mayor to ask
the attorney general to submit an opin-
ion as to the constitutionality of the
Howard charter bill
The ordinance from the board of al
dermen fixing the salaries of the DO
lice according to Aid. Brady's scale of
reduction was promptly turned down,
as was expected. Mr.. Van Slyke
moved that it be indefinitely postponed.
and the motion prevailed by a vote of
seven to one. Mr.. Robb voting in the
negative.
In discussing the matter, Mr.. Arosin
suggested that the assembly appoint a
committee to confer with a committee
of the board Of aldermen with a view
of agreeing upol an ordinance. 1t was
high time the ma tier should be settled
Mr. Lewis agreed with Mr. Arosin.
that whatever the council might do.
it should see that the police are paid
at once.
Mr.. Parker said that the delay in
this matter was not 3niy working a
great hardship upon the police, hut
an injustice to the shopkeepers who
are extending them credit. Mr.. Park
er censured the obstructionists in
this matter, of whom there are six
in the board of aldermen and one IN
the assembly, making seven out of
the twenty members. He thought that
these seven ought to yield to the opin-
ions of the thirteen and vote for the
reduced scale of salaries recommend
ed by the chief of police.
Subsequently a resolution offered by
Mr.. Arosin was adopted providing for
the appointment of a joint committee
of three from each body cor the pdr-
pose of agreeing upon all adjustment
of the salaries of the police Messrs.
Arosin, Robb and Lewis were appoint
ed to represent the assembly.
During the early part of the pro-
ceedings Mr.. Parker introduced a res
olution which occupied considerable !
attention In substance, it was a res
olution to vacate a certain portion %
that part of Summit avenue contained
in Desnoyer park, beginning about a
mile north of Summit avenue proper,
and running along the bank OF the
Mississippi northward to the Hennepin
county line. The proposed vacation
is asked for by the owners of prop
erty at the foot of the bluff, in view of
the fact that the United States guv-
eminent is going to construct a dam
across the river in this vicinity for
the purpose of constructing a lock
and thereby rendering the river navi-
gable up to Minneapolis. The portion
Of Summit avenue running along the
river has not been opened. 1t in
cludes not only 100 feet extending to
the edge of the bluff, but the slope
of the bluff itself from the summit
to the foot, which is a distance of