The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-03-22
CITY CHARTER AMENDMENT
THE Court or COMMON COUNCIL IN
JOINT SESSION TONIGHT.

JOINT SESSION TONIGHT.
Committee of TENS Report win be Sub
mitted-It win be Unanimous Several
Important Changes Made-Members in
Possession of a Corrected Copy-Council
VIII Probably Adopt the Report.
The new city charter, as revised by
the committee of ten appointed by the
court of common council was ready for
distribution to the members of the
municipal legislative boards at mid
night Saturday The committee nm
ished reading and correcting clerical
and typographical errors on Saturday
afternoon. There We're no changes
made at the last meeting of the COM
mittee that had not been agreed upon
just before adjournment was had early
Friday morning.
The review of the charter Saturday
change ordered by the committee in the
original draft affecting the laborers en-
ployed in the street department had not
been made
The original draft provided that this
class of employees should average 70 per
cent of the questions asked by the civil
service board. This provision was or
dered out and will be so reported this
evening. The committee of ten has
kept to the spirit of the draft of the
committee of fifty and the changes in
the latter are looked upon as being for
the better.
Early in their distribution the mem
bers of the committee realized that the
way to get the most effectual draft
and one that the city would probably be
willing to accept was to exercise the
gift of making concessions as well as
the power to hold on to well grounded
opinions. This method of procedure
obtained throughout the meetings and
it was in accordance with this spirit
that the remaining members acceded to
Messrs. Fisher and Wrinn in the matter
of the fire board and voted to make the
membership five instead of three, as
had been previously voted. This was
the last important change made in the
draft and was done just before an ad-
journment was had early Friday morn
ing.
According to the draft of the charter
which will be submitted this evening
( the mayor cannot dismiss subordi-
nate without giving the accused hear
ing, and it also gives the alleged Of
fender an opportunity to appeal to the
superior court. There will be no dis
charge for political offences. The re-
port this evening will be unanimous
and there is every reason to expect that
the court of common council will adopt
it.
Opinions last evening differed as to
the wisdom of the changes that are now
almost certain to be made, but there
was no one who would be quoted as
against the new charter as a whole.
Said one alderman; I'VE have long
ago determined that the city needed a
new charter and the question has not
been DO we need our law changed? p
but How can we best do it?' Far
from being solved we all feel that no
hindrance should be put before the
wheels of progress and we will accept
this charter hoping to amend from
time to time if the occasion requires.
The charter will go through
Sheriff Bunce by noon yesterday had
succeeded in delivering to each alder
man and each councilman a copy of the
charter as it will be presented this eve
ming. The vote of the court of common
council at the joint meeting, at which
the committee was appointed was thai
a copy of the new charter should be in
the hands of the members.
If the report of the committee is
adopted this evening, and there is nc
doubt that it will be, committee will
be appointed to represent the court oil
common council before the committee
on cities and borough at the capitol or
Thursday