The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-05-02

of the body of which he is a member
ST. Paul people who have become famll-
lar with the workings of the present
charter, while generally agreeing that
in many ways it is one of the best In
the country, have occasionally criti-
cised many of it's provisions and
thought they could be improved upon.
Still up to this time all efforts to change
the charter have failed to accomplish
anything. The tri-city charter, drawn
up by commission representing st.
Paul, Minneapolis and Duluth, came
nearer securing a change than any
efforts made up to this time. But that
bill, however, reached the legislature
late in the session, and that was given
as reason why it could not be passed.
AS a matter of fact there were certain
details of a bill for the three cities
which it was found almost impossible
to apply to all three cities. What would
seem to apply or be necessary for one
Of the three cities did not seem to be
for the best interest Of the other two,
and that is where the most opposition
came, although the general excuse that
the bill was introduced too late in the
session served the general purpose OF
not considering it, and the efforts at
securing uniform charter for the three
larger cities of the state passed away.
But the legislature did make the for
nation of a new charter possible by
the passage of Senator Sheehan's bill,
entitled an act authorizing any city or
village in this state to frame it's own
charter for it's government as city
consistent with and subject to the laws
of the state This bill gives life to the
constitutional amendment voted upon
last fall and approved by the people OF
the state 1t is what is known as the
Sheehan home rule bill, and furnished
way for each city in the state to
frame such a charter as the commission
thinks it requires. If it's electors ap-
prove of it, the new charter becomes
operative. The bill of Senator Sheehan,
which was S. F. 525, provides that
whenever requested to do so by the
common council, or petition signed by
at least per cent of the legal voters
of the city, the judges of the judicial
district shall appoint a board of fifteen
freeholders, who shall draft new
charter. AS will be seen by the full text
of the law herewith published, six
months is allowed to do it's work, and
if the voters ratify it at the following
election it becomes operative. IL IS
the first move in this direction that
Assem- blyman DAILY will make. He will
either introduce a resolution instruct
ing the corporation attorney to draw
UP an ordinance, as provided in the bill,
or draw it up himself and present it
to the council. Assemblyman Daily
says the voters seem to want some
changes, and this will give them a
chance to have them made. He himself
thinks the present charter open to i'm
provement in some particulars.
Comptroller McCardy approves of the
revision Of the present charter. He In
tends, as soon as he receives an OIL
cial copy of the laws of the last leg1s-
lature, sending communication to the
council calling attention to all the bills
in which the city of ST. Paul is in any
way interested. This bill will be among
the number, and If some action has not
been previously taken in regard to 1T,
it may then be considered Mr.. McCardy
is considerable Of a believer in home
rule. He thinks the government of a
city is much like that of household,
and that what might be good for one
household might not do so well in an
other. To give thorough idea of the
situation in regard to the Sheehan bill
the text of the constitutional amend
ment and the bill recently passed are
given. The amendment voted upon and
passed last fall reads as follows:
THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.
Sec. Sc. Any city or village in this state
may frame a charter for its own govern
ment of city consistent with and subject 10
the laws of this state as follows: The leg
isiature shall provide, under such restr.c-
lions as it deems proper, for board OF If
teen freeholders. who shall be and for the
past FIVE years shall have been qualified vot-
ers thereof, to be appointed by the district
judges of the judicial district in which the
city or village is situated, which board shall,
within six months after It's appointment, re-
turn to the chief magistrate Of such city or
village draft of such charter signed by the
members Of said board OF a majority thereof.
Such charter shall be submitted to the quail.
next election thereafter, and if four-sevenths
of the voters voting at such election shall
ratify the same 1t shall at the end of thirty
days thereafter become the charter of such
city or village as city, and supersede any
existing charter and amendments thereof;
provided, that in cities having patrol limits
now established such charter shall require
three-fourths majority vote Of the qualified
voters voting at such election to change the
patrol limits now established.
Before any city shall incorporate under this
act the legislature shall prescribe by law the
general limits within which such charter
shall be framed. Duplicates shall be made
setting forth the charter proposed and its
ratification. which shall be signed by the
chief magistrate of said city or village and
authenticated by its corporate seal. One of
said certificates shall be deposited in the Of
five of the secretary of state, and the other,
after being deposited in the office Of the reg
lister of deeds for the county in which such
city or village lies, shall be deposited among
the archives of such city or village, and all
courts shall take judicial notice thereof
Such charter so deposited may be amended
by a proposal therefor made by board Of
fifteen freeholders aforesaid, published for at
least thirty days in three newspapers of gen
eral circulation in such city or village and
accepted by three-fifths CT the qualified vot-
ers of such city village voting at the next
election. and not otherwise; but such char
ter Shall always be in harmony with and
subject to the constitution and laws of the
state Of Minnesota
The legislature may prescribe the duties of
the commission relative to submitting amend
ments OF charter to the vote of the people.
The board of freeholders above provided
for shall be permanent, and all the vacancies
by death, disability to perform duties, resig-
nation or removal from the corporate limits,
shall be filled by appointment in the same
manner as the original board was created,
and said board shall always contain its full
complement Of members.
that there shall be provided, among other
things, for mayor or chief magistrate, and
legislative body of either one or two
houses; If of two houses at least one Of them
zens.
In submitting any such charter or amend
ment thereto to the qualified voters OF such
city or village any alternate section or ari-