The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-03-10
SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT
Of the Commits sion Appointed to Consider
The Question Of Municipal Govern
r:icnt SO Far as it Relates to
The City OF Wilmington.

To the Honorable the General Assemhl,
of the State of Delaware:
Inc commission to which was returned
Tor further consideration, pursuant to Il
resolution OF the Senate, the Bill rppnTtrd
by 1t ana introduced in the Senate. being
senate Bill No. So entitled IAN Act ia
Alter and Rc-estabiish the Charter of the
CITY OF Wilmington and TO Provide for
the Better Government of said CITY," re-
turns said Bill herewith to the Senate
and respectfully submits the following re-
port:-
The Bill has been revised and changed
in many of its provisions. Alterations
suggested by citizens of Wilmington. and
amendments proposed by the Senate
Comm ttee on Cities and Towns have been
adopted hy the Commission: statutes ~
iatng TO Wilmington passed by the Gen
cra Assembly at its session last year,
and requirements of she new Stale Con-
stitution, applicable to the City govern
mcnt, have been incorporated in the Bill.
! So materially has it been changed from
its original form that the Commission has
deemed it best to prepare Il substitute,
which it presents as part of this report.
the corporate powers as defined in the
substitute Bill differ in some particulars
i from similar provisions in the original
Bill.
The power to annex additional terri
tory upon the petition of three fourths Of
the resident freeho,ders may BE- exercised
by the Council, with the concurrence of
two-thirds of all the members, hut any
frecholder in the territory proposed to be
annexed. who may feel aggrieypd. has re-
served to him the right of appeal to the
Superior Court for New Castle county,
which is empowered to review the pro-
ceedngs before the Council, and if it shall
find that three fourths of the resident
frcehollers of the territory have not De-
titioned for annexation, and that the add
ing Of such territory TO the City will NOT
be for its interest and viii cause mani
fest injury to persons owning real estate
in such territory, the proceedings fer an
neXation shall terminate and end
The provisions in the original Bill Civ
ing the City control over railroads and
street railways do not appear in the sub
stMutc.
The granting of franchises for the use
of the streets and highways of thr CITY
is limited under the substitute to a per0l
of twenty years, and no ordinance All
thorizing such grant shall be made ey-
ccpt with the affirmative votes of two
thirds of all the members of the Council
and the approval Of the MAYOR.
An examination of the Bill will show
that the powers proposcd to be delegated |
to the City are only such rs II vol mr.. |
ganized municipality SHOULD have to Dro-
perry conduct ITS affairs, and by comuari-
son With the innumerablp statutes for the
government of Wilmington PISSED from
tine to time it will he found that. eXccDt
in Il few new powers, essential TO the yo-
organization of the corporation ON the
lines of il modern City. the Bill does no;
differ substantially from those statutes.
To remove al! questions as to tho intent
and meaning Of the corporate mowers and
to meet purely technical objections, here
tofore made, it is expressly provided thar
the corporation shall. in the exercise of
these powers. conform IN all rpsnrcts ia
the Constitution and laws Of the Stare
and Of the United States.
The Bill divides the City into five wards
identical with the five representative dis.
tricts defined in the new Constitution
from which the members of thn Connect |
Will be chosen. The Commission Gcyotod |
much time to the study of. the various
plans laid before it for ward division and
was convinced that none of them provided
for rs equal representation of the inhabi-
tans in the Council as is assured by tho
adoption of the representative districts
as wards.
From each of the five wards three
Councilmcn will be elected No voter will
,e allowed to cast his ballot for moro than
Wo candidates. thus ensurinr the election
If one Councilman by the minority norty
n the ward As at present constituted
he Council contains five members who
'epresent a large majority az Ne uuul-
led voters while the majority members
'cven in number represent IA compara-
lively small minority of the whole vote
If the City. This inequality will be- i'm
possible under the apportionmeDt now
provided for, and the Commission asserts
without fear of successful contradiction
hat, allowing for slight fractional DIFF
crcnces. which must always exist where
louncImcn are chosen nv wards the in.
'ahitants of Wilmington will be equally
represented in the Council chosen uuJcr
he Bill submitted.
This nrrangrmpm of wards has n stiu |
more important advantage ia tho noonln I
n the fact that it renders imuractir,h,n
he election by any political party of two 4
birds of the members of the Cannot and l
he subicction of vital municipal lrrisl,-
ion to the censorship Of tho n,rtv Ln.S
NE Commission believes that This will
end largely to the elimination Of pnrt.
anship from the deliberations Of fine
'oIlnciI and TO the consideration Of meas. !
res brought before thar body strictly
pom their merits. TO the arcompIiSL.
lcnt of this most desirable rnsuIt ,r,o
aking Of the power of appointment Of /,
ny City officers away from tha Corncjl !