Evening journal., 1898-03-10
THE NEW CHAR TER BILL
Sent to State Senator Pyle
This Morning.
ORIGINAL, SUBSTITUTE REPORT

PlIETED IT'S WORK AND THE
GENERAL ASSEMBLY MUST DO
TILE REST, FOR THE MATT BR
is NOW IN HAND.
A valuable express package was SEM
to State Senator John Pyle to-day by
the Municipal Commission. 1t contains
the original draft of the proposed city
charter, a substitute bill embracing
the amendments made since the origl-
nal bill was referred back to the COM
mission, and the Municipal Commits
sion's report, which is as follows
To the Honorable, the General Assem-
bly, of the State of Delaware:
The commission to which was re-
turned for further consideration, pur-
suant to a resolution of the Senate,
the bill reported by it and introduced
in the Senate, being Senate bill No. S6,
entitled AN act to Alter and Re-es-
tablish the Charter Of the City of VIII
mington and to Provide for the Better
Government of Said City," returns said
bill herewith to the Senate and respect
fully submits the following report:
The blu has been revised and
changed in many Of it's provisions. AL
teratiOns suggested by citizens of Will
mington, and amendments proposed by
| the Senate Committee on Cities and
Towns have been adopted by the COM
| mission; statutes relating to Whining
ton passed by the General Assembly at
its session last year, and requirements
OF the new State Constitution, appli-
cable to the city government, have
been incorporated in the bill. So ma
| terially has it been changed from its
original form that the commission has
deemed it best to prepare a substitute,
which it presents as part of this re-
port.
| The corporate powers as defined In
the substitute bill differ in some par
ticulars from similar provisions in the
| original bill.
| The power to annex additional terri
| tory upon the petition of three-fourths
OF the resident freeholders may be ex-
ercised by the Council with the con-
currence of two-thirds of all the MEM
bers, but any freeholder in the terri
| tory proposed to be annexed, who may
| feel aggrieved, has reserved to him the
1
| for New Castle county, which is en-
powered to review the proceedings be
fore the Council and if it shall find
that three-fourths Of the resident free
holders of the territory have not petit
toned for annexation, and that the
adding of such territory to the city will
not be for its interest and will cause
manifest INJURY to persons owning real
estate in such territory, the proceed
ings for annexation shall terminate
and end.
/ The provisions in the original bill
! giving the city control over railroads
and street railways do not appear in
the substitute.
The granting of franchises for the
use Of the streets and highways of the
city is limited under the substitute t.
period of twenty years, and no ordi-
nance authorizing such grant shall be
made except 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 proposed to be dele
gated to the city are only such as a
well organized municipality should
have to properly conduct its affairs
and by comparison with the innumer-
able statutes for the government OF
Wilmington passed from time to time
It will be found that, except in a few
new powers, essential to the reorgani-
Zation of the corporation on the lines
of a mdern city, the bill does not diff
fer substantially from those statutes.
To remove all questions as to the in
tent and meaning of the corporate pow
ers and to meet purely technical objec-
tions, heretofore made, it is expressly
provided that the corporation shall, IN
the exercise of these powers, conform
in all respects to the Constitution and
laws Of the state and Of the United
States.
The bill divides the city into five
wards identical with the five represen-
tative districts defined in the new
Constitution, from which the members
OF the Council will be chosen. The
commission devoted much time to the
study Of the various plans laid before
It for ward division and was convinced
that none Of them provided for as equa
| representation of the inhabitants in ths
Council as is assured by the adoption
OF the representative districts as wards
From each of the five wards thret
councilmen will be elected. No vote
| will be allowed 10 cast Ills DhllOL AOl
, more than two candidates, thus ensur
e ing the election of one councilman b!
: the minority party in the ward. AS a
7 | present constituted the Council con
| tains FIVE members who represent ;
, large majority of the qualified voters
while the majority members, seven IL
number, represent a comparativel.
small minority Of the whole vote o
the city. This inequality will be i'm
possible under the apportionment nov
! provided for, and the commission as
r serts without fear of successful contra
diction that, allowing for slight frac
tional differences, which must alway
exist where councilmen are chosel
: by wards. the inhabitants of Whining
ton will be equally represented in tn
Council chosen under the bill sub
mitted.
This arrangement of wards has still
more important advantage to the peo
pie in the fact that it renders imprac
ticable the election by any politica
party OF two-thirds of the members c
the Council and the subjection of vita
municipal legislation to the censorshi