The news & observer., 1897-02-21
The Mountain Goes in Labor
and Brings Forth a Mouse.
jim YoUNG's NEW BILL
NOTHING IN IT BUT A LITTLE
PEANUT PARTIZANSHIP.
FEW OBJECTIONABLE CLAUSES
1t is More Simple Than Serious and
Eias no Business on the Statute
Books--Fuil Text OF
the Bill.

the Bill.
Anything for a change, especially il it
is a change of a charter Jim Young
wants to change the charter of Raleigh
and has introduced bill in which there
is absolutely nothing except one or two
Objectionable features.
In the election of city officials it only
changes the present law in so far as it
provides for the election, by popular
vote instead of by the Board of Alder
men,of the chief of police, street commits
sioner, auditor, commissioner of sinking
fund, treasurer and attorney. The first
two of these are Immediately under the
supervision of the Board of Aldermen,
and aught to remain so, and they ought
to be elected by the Aldermen. The other
four positions carry with them but lit
tie emolument so far as salary is con-
cerned, and the question as 20 their cleo
tion by the popular vote or by the Board
is Of but small consequence.
The section placing the city election
under the supervision of the clerk of
Wake county court is just little insig-
nifcant piece Of partisan politics that is
pernicious, and there is no reason or ex-
cuse for 1t.
The clause providing for the removal
or cases from the mayors court would
take from the official head of the city
government a function that should re-
main his If he is to be held responsible
for good government.
Section six is foolish.
Section nine should never be enacted.
- iafAf IA no TfQ
withhold his taxes and pay 6 per cent
per annum. There is no reason for
this. it could only tend to make the tax
payer tardy, and withhold his taxes in
ease he cared to use the money for other
purposes, and when it suited him pay
the amount with the per cent added.
The section is useless not to say sim
pie and childish.
The whole bill really has in 1T no very
serious provisions, and amounts to Moth
ing, and but for the objections referred
to would not be worth mentioning. The
following is the full text Of the bill as in
troduced by Jim Young yesterday:
Section L. That all of section eight
81 of chapter two hundred and sixty
three (263) Of the private laws of 1895,
being the charter of the city of Raleigh,
after the word peace" in line seventeen
17) be and the same is hereby stricken
out and repealed and the following Is
inserted instead thereof: Provided, that
wherever any person or persons who
shall be arrested on a warrant issued by
the mayor for the violation of amy ordi-
nance shall make oath that said person
or persons cannot obtain justice before
the mayor, ii shall be the duty of the
mayor to remove the entire cause before
some justice of the peace residing within
Raleigh township for trial, and the said
justice Of the peace TO whom said cause
shall have been removed, shall have all
thepowers for this purpose that are vested
in the Mayor by the charter and the laws
of the State; and all fines and imprison-
ment imposed by the justice of the peace
shall be in accordance with this charter
and the ordinances passed Hereunder
and all fines imposed shall be paid to the
treasurer of the city within FIVE days
after the same shall have been paid to the
justice of the peace, and his failure to
pay over fines thus collected shall be a
misdemeanor, and on conviction he shall
be fined or imprisoned, or both, at the dis
cretion of the Superior court, and no
case shall be removed more than once
Sec. 2. That in addition to the mayor,
clerk and tax collector, whose election
by the qualified voters therein is now
provided for by Section of chapter 263
of the private laws of 1895, the chief Of
police, the street commissioner, the treas
urer, the auditor, commissioners of sink
ing fund, and attorney shall all be elect
ed by voters therein, as is now provided
for the election of the mayor, clerk and
tax collector, and they shall each hold of
fce for two years and until their sue
cessOrs are duly elected and qualified.
Sec. 3. That section 81 of chapter 263
be and the same is hereby repealed, and
all real and personal property owned
and used by any religious denomination
for religious purposes, shall he exempted
from taxation.
Sec. 4. That whenever them ayOr of the
city Of Raleigh shall sentence any person
10 common jail OF Wake county for any
violation of any ordinance, or for failure
10 pay costs OF any prosecution under any
ordinance it shall be discretionary with
county commissioners whether said per-
sons shall be worked on the public roads
OF the county: and wherever the commits
sioners decline to order such persons to
be sent to the work house and to be
worked on the public roads of the county,
the county shall not be liable for any
costs to the city or any officer or employe
of said city, and the city shall pay to
the county jail fees and all other expenses
the county may incur by reason Of the
confinement in jail of any prisoners sent
there by the mayor under and by virtue
Of any ordinance Of the city.
Sec.5. That the election to be held on the
first Monday in May next and every two
years thereafter, shall be held inval res
poets under the authority and direction
OF the clerk of Wake Superior court as