The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-04-02
EDITORIAL
city Government in Virginia.

u The Petersburg Index Appeal says that there is
s movement in Norfolk to reduce the number OF
mem of the Common Council in that city and
\ II ii movement in the right direction. But n
far better thing to do, if practicable, would be to
xet rid Of the absurd and obstructive 1bicameral
scommon Council and adopt in its stead the one
chamber plan in the interests of prompt Legislation
md Efficient administration.
81 Bat it is not practicable to get rid of the two
branch council, under our present constitutional
limitations as you know the council be
reduced to terms lower than fourteen members
] III one branch and eight in the other. After the
General Assembly adjourned we were informed
that the bill prepared by the municipal confer
ence to allow the number of councilmen to be re-
duced to six and three respectively had passed
I But we have ben unable to find it in the list of
enrolled bills and suppose that it failed to get
through. The General Assembly did adopt, how:
eyer. a Joint resolution recommended by the NUM-
" iPai convention proposing amendment TO the
CONSTITUTION which authorizes the General Assem-
bly, TO abolish the bicameral system and provide
ximplified form of government for the cities OF
sYirpinia The resolution is amendment to Section
III and provides:
notwithstanding however anything
in this article contained the General AS
sembly may, by general law or by special
act depart in any respect Except other
q wise in this section expressly provided
from the form of organization and govern
iient prescribed by this article for cities
M and towns and may provide, from time
10 time, for the various cities and towns
of the Commonwealth such form or forms
OF municipal government the General
assembly may deem best, but no form or
forms of government authorized by the
~, ,F Al hall he
come operative except to such cities or
towns as may thereafter adopt the
~ majority vote of the qualified electors
81 at an election to be held as may be pre-
|s# serbed thereafter by law All the liIi
fatons on the powers of the council of
cities and towns imposed by this article
shall apply in like manner to the prin-
s opal legislative authority under any form
of government which may be authorized
hereunder. The term council used in
Section 125 and 1877 of this Constitution
shall be construed to include the body
which under any form of municipal gov
efnment shall be vested with the principal
legislative authorities of such municpali-
# tirg. "
Z tt viii be observed that this amendment con
& templates the present form of city government il
Virginia reduced to simple terms. The legslativ
/ and governing body, no matter how small it ma
DE, will still be the council with the same power
and limitations the present council now has
d In short when this amendment is ratified, as W
believe it will be- Virginia win be at liberty +
adopt the Texas or the Des Moines plan or an
+ other In the mean time these various plans vii
have been improved, if not perfected, and tn
Virginia cities will be in position to profit by tn
! experience of other cities which have tried tn
3 experiment.
pv;r