The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-03-23
WILL NOT GO TO THE PEOPLE
lCTTIzENS NOT no VOTE ON THE
CHARTER ENDMENy.

Court of Common Council So Vote-Report
ofCommittee of Ten Adopted With Slight
change-Tax Collector win Receive 49,
00O-Board of Finance Object to Citizen
Members-Both Branches Satisfied.
The aldermen and councilmen met in
Joint session last evening to receive the
report of the committee of ten appoint
ed two weeks ago for the purpose OF
revising the charter amendments sub
mitted by the committee of fifty ap-
pointed by the mayor.
Alderman Nicoll presided and Coun-
man Gruener acted as clerk. The mat
ter was brought before the joint session
by Alderman Pickett, chairman of the
committee. In doing so the alderman
reviewed in comprehensive manner
the work of the committee. The report,
he said, was signed by every member
of the committee except the mayor,
who, for reasons which he thought were
good and which the committee ap-
preciated had refrained from taking
part in the deliberations of the COM
mittee.
Alderman Dewell moved to adopt the
report of the committee. He said that
two years ago a charter amendment
had been submitted to the court of
common council, which he favored.
Two weeks ago a charter amendment
was submitted which he did not favor.
&c nS
by him at the meeting of the court of
common council, in joint session two
weeks since, and which he had taken
from the charter submitted by the re-
vision committee two years ago, had
been embodied in the proposed charter,
and he now favored it's adoption. He
called attention to section 1874, which
provides that the common council may
order the building, widening or repair
ing of bridges over railroad crossings.
Mr. Dewell thought the word build
ing" should be stricken out. The rail-
road commission was the body to order
the building of any such bridge.
Alderman Pickett said that if the
word building were stricken out the
city would pay all the costs of building
bridges.
Mr. Dewell was pleased to see that
the power of the school superintendent
had been curtailed by the committee
of ten. This was a good idea, he
thought.
Alderman Pickett explained that the
changes made were in accordance with
the suggestions of the board of educa-
tion.
Mr.. Dewell in the conclusion Of his re-
marks had something to say about BIZ
partisan boards, the constitutionality
of which he questioned. The Eighth
ward alderman was not of the opinion
that the section providing that no one
could be member of two commissions
was desirable.
The discussion at this point was al
lowed to cease for a short time, and
Alderman Chillingworth set the wheels
in motion once more by moving to
adopt that portion of the charter
amendment submitted so far as it re
lated to the consolidation of the city
and the town of New Haven. This was
done. and the charter for the city was
taken UP,
Alderman Chillingworth then moved
that all the proposed amendments, as
published in the pamphlet before the
council, be adopted from section ! to 10
inclusive The vote was unanimous.
On motion of Alderman DeweH Sec
tions II to 20 inclusive were adopted.
Alderman Lambert then moved to
adopt all sections of the proposed char
ter from sections 21 to 81.
The first division of sentiment of the
evening occurred when the adoption of
sections 3S to A came up on motion of
Alderman Lambert. These sections in
volyed the matter of salaries and the
discussion was precipitated by an
amendment offered by Alderman
Rourke and provided that the salary
of the tax collector be placed at 81, 800
instead of $500, as reported by the
committee of ten.
The alderman from the Seventh ward
had the support of Aldermen Corcoran
and Brennan. He was opposed by the
members of the committee of ten, who
all agreed that the matter of salaries
had been discussed thoroughly and that
it was the unanimous opinion of the
committee that inasmuch as the city
had provided for the payment of all
bonds for city officials it had occurred
to them that $500 was sufficient sal
ary for the tax collector. Alderman
Dewell suggested that the matter be
settled by making the salary $4,000.
This motion prevailed and Mr.. DeWell' S
amendment was carried.
Section A of the proposed charter
deals with the board of finance, its
composition and it's duties. When this
section was taken up Alderman Unger
Offered an amendment, which prevail
ed, that the board should be composed
of members of the court of common
council without the assistance of the
three citizens to be appointed by the
mayor, as provided for in the proposed
amendments.
The substitute motion offered by AL
derman Unger had the support of
Messrs Darlington, Rourke and Brown,
members Of the finance board. Council
man Fuller, who is also a member of
the board of finance, supported the
committees report. AS in the case of
the salary of the tax collector, the COM
mittee stood by the report to a man,
and the substitute offered by Alder
man Unger was lost by a vote of 81 to
Is.