Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1898-10-20

VOTED ON LAST NIGHT
Important Changes Are To
Be Made.

The mass meeting to hear and act Oh
the committees report of proposed char
ter amendments was called to order Il
little after O'Clock last evening b,
K. w. Bisbee who gave brief resume
of the whole situation. Only about
twenty were present when the meeting
opened, counting committee members
and press representatives, but several
more came in soon.
The first amendment considered was
to Sec 6 providing that the Mayor re-
ceivc such compensation as people shall
vote in mass meeting instead of salary
voted by the Board of Aldermen. l.. A.
Gale moved for adoption. A question
as to the date of the meeting answered
by resolution by j. p. Mari fixing it
sometime in the month of April. Gale
accepted this as amendment to his
motion and it was then carried.
Section 7 had three amendments pro-
posed. First, that all members of the
board of health receive reasonable COM
pensation for actual time spent. This
was favored by the committee and on
motion of Judge Barney was accepted.
Second, that words "three auditors" be
stricken oat from the list of appointive
officers. This makes the auditors
elective by the people. It was unanim-
ously recommended by the committee.
John Teirney wanted toknow 'whyY"
and w. A. Boyce explsiS,d that officers
whose accounts have f& be examined
should not have the pow>r TO elect their
own auditors, l.. i. Nfs,aer spoke in
favor of the amendment. On motion of
5. d. Allen it was adopted. Third, that
in case of IL vacancy in any appointive
office by death, removal or inability, eX-
cept in case Of the aldermen, it shall be
filed by the city council. The commit
tee disapproved and it was dismissed on
motion of Judge Barney.
The next amendment proposed the
striking out of See. 8, which provides
for The appointment of assessors. This
would make them elective by the people.
The committee by a close vote die not
approve. Some lively discussion fol-
lowed on both sides the principal speak
ers being L. j. Bolster, John Tierney,
j. 7. Calla2han, W. A. Boyce, f. W.
Bisbee, and l.. A. Gale for election and
James p. Mari in favor of the present
system. On motion of Callaghan the
amendment was adopted ny IL close
vote.
Sect. II was to be amended so as to
make palmer the duties of the city at
torney, making him corporation coun-
Gil. MIR. Swasey who drafted the
amendment made clear to the voters
that this was simply to more specifically
fix the duties of the Office. The speak
ers in favor were w. A. Boyce, j. T..
Callaghan, Judge Barney, Donald Smith
and 5, Z. Mari. On motion of S. ID.
Allen it was voted to accept the pro-
posed amendment.
Sect. 2l was to be amended so us to
have the city Judge elected by the
people instead of being appointed by
the governor as at present. The COM
mittee did not favor the amendment.
Representative Swasey who presented
the amendment, spoke in favor of it. j..
p. Mari favored it but thought the state
laws would not allow the change. W.
A. Boyce spoke against sucn amend
ment John Tierney spoke for it and
when the motion was put a count was
necessary which showed for and | |
against.
The next amendment was for Sec. 80
about election of officers, Comn tee e.
commended that it be amended so as to
agree with amendment previously re-
commended making the auditors cleo
tive. 1t was so voted.
Sect. 50 it was proposed to strike out
the whole section after running at large
of dogs As this would remove the
whole tax ON dogs the committee did
not approve. j. 7. Callaghan who
presented it said such was not his in
tention, he only wanted to strike out the
part that ordered the money SO raised
to be expended for books in the public
library, j. Z. Mari in brief speech
made a motion to amend as follows
To strike out land expended for the
purchase of books for the public
library" Mr.. Callaghan accepted the
substitute motion. W. A, Boyce thought
the section all right now. j. 7. Mari
arose and delivered speech in which
he stated people objected to making
their dogs stockholders in the French
Library and then have 10 pay Il yearly
sum to use it. W. A. Boyce, Judge
Barney, and b. II. Wells explained that
the money does not go to the French
library hut is held by the city treasurer
till we have public library. S. d.
Allen thought the special tax on dogs
on the same basis as the income tax
which has been declared unconstitution
al. On putting the amendment to vote
it stood I to 10 in favor of Mr.. Marr''
amendment.
j. p. Marr proposed an amendmen
to Sec. 52 so that portion Of it read
..and at each successive balloting aftc
the first the box shall be turned in tw'
hours from the time of the opening o