The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-03-01

| III Is 90 years ago since tnlS town at
tained what Professor George g. Wilson has
called municipal self elf-consciousness. That
| is, it is % years ago since the town was
divided into six wards, six freemen ap-
| pointed by the Town Council to call meet
| ings Of the voters in their several wards, to
elect wardens, clerks, councilmen, alder
men, and general officers. On June 4, 1892
the officers SO elected assembled at the
State House and, with the ceremony of
Inauguration, and the adoption of the
charter, the transition from town to
city was complete.
The change in the government, how
ever, was more i'm the name than in the
method or principle. No distinctly exec
utive department was created, the Board
of Aldermen was the old town council,
with n more pretentious name and the
common council was the lower branch i'm
a very liberal sense without any other real
function than that of a check on the
aldermen.
For instance the aldermen had exclu-
siye jurisdiction, altogether independent
of any action of the Common Council, in
matters pertaining to the police, poor and
health departments and other matters.
They were the counting and returning
board for election of all city officers, not
excepting members of their own body.
The Common Council had no exclusive
jurisdiction outside of the election of its
president and clerk, appointment of COM
mittees and in matters relating to the
qualifications of its own members In all
matters not specially entrusted TO the
aldermen, concurrent action of both
branches on the action of both in joint
convention was necessary.
At the best the mayor was but presid-
ing officer.
In the charter Of 1866 the same theory
of municipal government prevailed. No
distinction was made between executive
and legislative branches. In fact, the
word executive docs not occur in the defin-
ing of powers and duties. The mayor,
aldermen and councilmen were considered
as having the same class of authority as
shown by section 2:
"The administration Of all the fiscal
prudential, and municipal affairs of the
city of Providence, with the conduct and
governmentFthereof, shall be vested in
our principal officer to be styled the
mayor; one council of eight persons to
be styled the aldermen; and one council
of thirty-tw persons TO be styled the Com
mon Council; together with such other
magistrates or officers as are herein after
specified, or by the laws of the state or ordi-
nance of the city, are, or hereafter may be
authorized or prescribed.
1.-THE mayor, aldermen and Common
Council, in their joint capacity, shall be
styled the City Council"
In the meantime the charter has been
amended and added to TO meet the require
ments of a growing municipal business.
But the additions have been made hap
hazard and there have not been enough
subtractions. While new offices, boards
and commissions have been created very
few have been abolished and the anti
quated titles, coming down from the
earliest days of town government still re-
main on the list of city officers i'm the
manual and each year the City Council
elects batch of officers who have nothing
whatever TO do, their duties having been
assigned to regularly constituted depart
ments Of modern character or else having
faded out of existence, altogether with the
growth of the city.
Apparently there has been no attempt at
uniformity in developing the city govern
mcnt. Ono officer is elected in January.
another in February, another i'm March.
one in April, one i'm May and still another
batch i'm July. Some by both branches i'm
joint convention, Others 10y concurrent vote |
and others by the Board of Aldermen
alone.
While the mayor has been given the veto
power and may appoint one city officer of
Importance, he is not the executive in tho
modern sense Of the word as considered I'm
relation to city government. His powers
are limited and it is still the Board of |
Aldermen which has the best end Of IL i'm |
the administration Of tho city business.
The ten gentlemen who meet every other
Thursday afternoon constitute the exccu-
tive department more truly than does His |
Honor the mayor.
A radical change Is contemplated and |
IL the draft Of n new charter soon 10 bo |
reported by the commission, appointed |
In January, 1895. to frame one, is opposed |
by the City Council and enacted into law |
by the General Assembly the business of |
this city will bc continued on totally |
different basis.
pn oh (.
mission are Mayor McGuinncss, Aldermen |