The Portland daily press., 1897-02-02
BACK TO Thu COMMITTEE
We're Sent Proposed Amendments to
City Charter,
BUT NOT UNTIL INFORMAL VOTE
WAS TAKEN UPON THEM

which Showed That Majority of City
Council Are in Favor of Abolishing
Common Council and Having One
Board of FL AIdermen-vote Stood Is
o11-City to Fight for New England
Fair-Streets Where Children May
Coast--other Business Transacted.
At the meeting Of the City Council
last evening a draft of proposed amend
ments TO the present city charter was
presented by a special COMMITTEES. The
matter was taken up in joint session of
the upper and lower boards. To the sur
prise Of even those III favor of some CT
the amendments an informal vote taken
on the proposed amendment abolishing
the common council and creating hoard
of aldermen of twenty one mem bers re-
suited in fifteen ayes, eleven nays. This
was the first vote that has ever besn
taken on the proposed change in III, city
charter, and while it was merely an ex-
preston OF opinion, those desiring to
change the present charter were much
pleased by the result. But the proposed
amendments were not in proper form for
enactment by the legislature, and those
oppcsed to the present charter being
changed in any way, won temporary
victory by having The report sent back to
that committee, which was instructed to
put it in proper shape and to report at
the next melting.
Other business of more or less import
ance was considered and disposed of. The
question of the annexation of Deering to
Portland was not referred to in any way.
AMENDMENTS TO THE CITY
CHA RTER.
A Joint convention was called for to
hear the report of the committee on
amendments to the city charter. The re-
port was presented by Alderman Kehoe
and includes several of the changes that
have recently been up for discussion.
The principal changes are, abolishing
the dual board system. substituting
therefor one board OF twenty one alder
men elected for term of thres years,
one-third to rstire annually; reducing
the number of oyerseers of the poor from
twelve to seven who are to be elected
and to hold office as the school board row
do; namely one from each ward, to hold
of1oe for two years, four to go out ore
year and three the next, giving the board
of aldermen the power of confirmation of
officers; fixing the date OF election on the
second Monday of December: making
plurality elect, giving the board OF alder
men concurrent action with the mayor in
removal of police officers; organizing a
fire commission consisting of three alder
men with the mayor himself as chairman
ex-offcio, not all of whom shall be from
the same political party, and who shall
administer the affairs of tho department..
The deputy marshal of the police &C.
partme shall hold office during good
heayior, and shall be appointed from the
ranks of the department..
The school committee section is left as
1t low is, with the addition that at the
fret election after the adoption of the
charter there shall be elected at large
thres additional members of the board
who shall be women, Tor one, two and
three years respectively, and annually
thereafter, one oman shall be elected
annually for three years.
The provision of the recently deceased
charter regarding appropriation bills by
which parts may be rejected without re-
Jecting the entire bill was retained.
DISCUSSION OF THE AMENDMENTS
Alderman Leig hton opened the ball by
W ho
plan for the chairman of this committee
to read the proposed amendments and
the council then take informal action on
them in joint convention in order to OBJ
tain an honsst expression Of opinion on
the matter. He wanted the informal
vote to go on record and its result be
sent to the legislature. ~
Alderman flsley said: eff you have
this informal vote made matter of
record 1t will be formal VOTE won't iff"
Alderman Leighton said: Perhaps
it will, but why should any of MS tie
afraid to put ourselves on record in this
matter? We have been fighting over it
long enough. Let us either kill 1t or &C
cept it and have it done with
!. Alderman Kehoe believed that the city
clerk was obliged to make this ''infor-
MALI vote matter Of record whether he
desired to or not He was acting as the
clerk Of the joint convention and re-
CURED by the charter to make complete
record of the proceedings.
In joint convention we have no
right to vote on this matter anyway"
said Alderman Pagan. "We are in
committee of the WHOLE
Hore occurred an argument over the
question whether tho two branches were
in joint convention or were acting as
committee of the whole.