The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-01-08
HEMMING IN THE COUNCIL
UNANIMOUS VOTE REQUIRED TO
PASS CERTAIN LEGISLATION
OVER A VETO.
Fixed Upon to Act as Mayor I'm the
Absence of the Real Chief
Executive.

tant Is the insertion Of a provision in
| chapter 4, defining the general powers
Of the common council, declaring that
no ordinance, resolution or measure
| granting franchise or authorizing the
issuance Of bonds or certificates of in
| debtedness, without the submission
thereof for ratification to the electors
Of the city. shall be valid or Of any
force or effect, unless approved by the
mayor in writing within ten days af-
ter its passage by the council. This
| fixes the responsibility for granting
| franchises upon the mayor.
The second amendment curtaiLs the
power Of the common council. All
measures which require a two-thirds
or three-fourths vote to pass them, If
vetoed, cannot be passed over the veto
except by a unanimous vote of each
body.
The third amendment dethrones the
president Of the board of aldermen.
Under the new charter he will no long
er occupy the mayors chair when that
| official is absent. Instead that honor
will devolve upon the president of the
| common council. Tim Reardon holds
| that, at present, empty title. In case
| of the absence Of both the mayor and
! the president of the common council,
| the president Of the assembly will be
next in line.
All the members Of the commission
were present last evening save Judges
Lusk and Clark and Pierce Butler.
The order of business was the consi't-
GRAFTON of chapter 4, which prescrbes
| the general powers Of the common
| council.
Prior to the reading Of the report Of
| the committee appointed to draft this
! important chapter, the commission
granted the privilege of the floor to e.
| w. Peet, representing a committee of
| the spublic library board, appointed at
| its last meeting to make certain re-
| quest of the charter commission. Mr..
! Peet asked the commission to make
provision enabling the common council
to make larger appropriation for the
| public library than $751; 900, the amount
to which the present charter limits this
| department. Mr.. Peet said that the
| library board needed more money to
carry on the library, because of the adj
| ditional patronage and the additional
room, which has increased the expense
Of maintenance. The number of books
| and book borrowers and circulation
! bad increased so per cent since 1891,
when the Bell charter went into eff
| feet and more books were needed.
Mr.. Peet was assured that the mat
ter would receive due consideration in
Tits proper order.
| w. H. Lighter, the chairman Of the
committee appointed to draft chapter
| A. on the Powers and Duties of the
Common Council" submitted the re-
port Of the committee. The chapter Is
lengthy and comprehensive one.
The amendment consisted in the pro-
vision that the president Of the COM
mon council shall be the acting mayor
| instead of the president of the board Of
| oil in IA
| in case Of the absence Of the president
Of the common council, the president of
the assembly shall act as the mayor.
! This amendment was adopted by
| unanimous vote. 1t was the sense Of
the commission that the president Of
the common council, elected as he is by
both bodies, is more likeiy to be a rep
resentative man than the president Of
| either the board or the assembly.
| The section Of the Bell charter regu-
la ting the power Of the council TO pass
measures over the mayors veto was
| amended so as to require a unanimous
| vote of the council to override the veto
! of the mayor In the case of all meas
ures requiring a two-thirds or a three
| fOurths vote to pass them in the first
Instance. The present charter permits
! the council to pass measure reQuir-
| ing a twothirds vote over the mayors
veto. by the same vote required to
originally pass it.
Mr.. Fetter offered as an additional
| amendment that the mayors veto of
an ordinance granting a franchise or
q measure authorizing an issue Of
| bonds or certificates of Indebtedness
| without previously submitting the
! question to the people be absolute and
| final. 1t occasioned some discussion.
| Col. Clough suggested that the sec
| ton be so worded as to fix the respon-
| sibility in such an event upon the
| mayor, by providing that no such ordi-
nance or resolution shall be valid I'M
less the mayor approves Of 1t in writ
| ing within ten days after it's passage
| by the common. council Section seven,
as amended by Mr.. Fetter, was then
adopted. 1t provides that no ordinance,
| resolution or order authorizing the is
| suance of bonds or certificates Of in
| debtedness, without the submission
thereof for ratification to the electors
of the city, or granting a franchise,
| shall be valid, or Of any force or effect,
unless approved by the mayor in writ
| ing within ten days after it's passage by
| the common council.
Mr.. Lightner said he regarded this
amendment as the most important in
the chapter. It was adopted by
| unanimous vote.
| The fifty-one subdivisions of section
| three, defining and enumerating the
| powers Of the common council over the
| various licensed occupations, uses Of
the public streets, construction Of build
| ingS, quarantine matters, etc, were re-
| arranged and condensed.
The subdivision empowering the
council to appoint an inspector of build
| ings was laid over for future discus
sion, when the proposition to abolish
that department Or consolidate 1t with
the city engineering department is
| considered.
The section empowering the council
to erect and maintain markethouses
and establish market places, caused
| discussion. Col. Clough wanted to
know whether the section was broad
enough to authorize the council to
make terms with individuals for the
Establishment Of a private market
| house.
Mr.. Lightner said that the subdtvi-
sion gave the council the power to es-
tablish markets and market places"
Col. Clough deemed this sufficient, but
expressed the opinion that better mark
ct facilities were in demand. The city
| could not afford to erect and main
tain public market, at present, and
would be by private enterprise.
The section was then adopted.
Just prior to adjournment Secretary
| Innis read a communication to the
commission, by Moritz Helm, in which
| that gentleman stated that he had
| taken the liberty of presenting for con-
sideration a draft Of several articles
upon the topic of municipal franchises