The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-02-06
TO SETTLE IT At HOME.
The Lobby Back from Austin to FIX
Up Matters
PERTAINING TO THE CITY CHARTER
All city officers Except Secretary
ana school superintendent Mahc
Electivc-Poll Tux 1<tilcd.

Mayor Rice. the aldermen and other city
officials and citizens who went to Austin
to submit the proposed new charter OF
Houston to the legislature. some favoring
its passage as submitted and others OPP
posing certain sections. returned yesterday
morning with an admonition from the Har-
ris county representatives to come home
and settle their differences and submit TO
them a charter that all agreed upon and
they would do the rest
That feature OF the proposed new char
ter that engendered the most active opposi-
ton was the clause making the recorder
and health officer appointive instead of
elective officers. The office of eugineer
was also taken from the elective and placed
on the appontve list. but as the present
incumbent in this office did not seem to
object to this. there was no great opposi-
| tion on this score, but the friends of Re
corder Railey and Health officer McElroy
were active in their opposition 10 the
change that proposed to remove these Off
ces from the elective list.
Other amendments provoking opposition
were those proposing to extend the city
limits and to Issue 100000 in bonds FOR
street improvement purposes But the OPP
position to these changes was not urged
with such energy.
The latter amer dmonts were regarded as
being of infinitely more Importance 20 the
future welfare of the city than the ques-
tion of making all the officers of the city
either elective or appointive. and when IT
was discovered that the opposition would
be practically killed by conceding the cleo
tion OF officers. these interested In these
more important amendments, acting upon
tho advice of Harris countys senator and
representatives came home to fix up mat
tcrs upon IL basis that would readily con-
ciliate all difference and yet not Affect the
more material changes in the proposed new
charter
Inns was accomplished by special meet
ing of the city council yesterday afternoon.
preceded by a lengthy executive session.
and in oilocting compromise the council
went even further than the opposition de-
manded by not only restoring the Offices OF
health officer and recorder to the list OF
elective ofilcerS. but they also transferred
the engineer from the appOintivo TO the
elective list and went even further by plac-
ing the scaveuger and market master (now
aupointive Offices also in the elective c9te-
CORY.
In fact. il was a clean sweep from the
apuOiutiVe 10 the elective list OF all city
Offices save secretary ana superintendent of
schools and very few If any sensible people
are so extreme in their views as to insist
that these officers should be elected by the
people
When the council was called to order Of
ter an hour or more of caucusing there was
a full board present and it was simply n
matter of form to reconsider the vote by
| which the proposed new charter had been
previously adopted and by another motion
| to amend sections and making all the
officers Of the city elective. save and except
! the secretary and superintendent of iuOlic
| schools.
There was no opposition to this change
manifested in the open council except that
! kohlhauif asked to be eXcus ID from voting,
which privilege was accorded him.
| ON motion Of Alderman McAughan.
amended hv Aldermen Auhertin aud Adair,
| the mayor appointed the COMMITTEES TO ipuve
on the night train for Austin with the
charter us agreed upon Aldermen Cronan,
Latham ana Matthews, and Attorney stew
art.
II was urged that the chlrtar would have
10 bc sent back last night. as saturday
ttodayl would be the only time that this
special legislation could be gotten before
The house.
It was also stated that the clause pro.
viding for the display Of a poll INK receipt
MS a condition precedent 20 voting at n
city election had been declared unconsu-
tutional and would be eliminated.
Aldermen Cronan. Latham and Matthews
left last night with the charter MS agreed
tp0n