The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-07-26
Gu tlin e S Limitations
Preventing Commits
sion Government.
70 HAVE BOARD
ELEClED A | LARGE
Other Members of Special Com
mittee Favor Retention of Two
Branch Council, With Paid
Board of Supervisors to
Administer Business
Details.

rams for simplifying the form Of
municipal government were informally
discussed by special committee last
night Charles V. Meredith. a citizen
member, formerly City Attorney OF
Richmond and member of the Con-
sututional Convention, presenting a
| written statement OF the constitutional
Z limitations effecting such changes as
are proposed. Mr.. Meredith outlined
I his views as looking to continue
/ ton of the present two-branch Coun-
ell. required BY the State Constitution
but with such charter changes as Will
delegate to board of paid managers
/ or commissioners all admins ira tive
powers now held by committees of the
| City Council, members of the board of
| supervisors TO be salaried and to meet
| a the City Hall daily. Members of
| the special committee are Gilbert X
Pollock. chairman; John j. Lynch and
| Frank NJ Reade, from the Common
! Council: John f. Don Leavy and Rob-
1 ert G. Rennolds. from the Board OF
| Aldermen. and II. w. Rountree, C. "
! Meredith and l.. u. Morris elected at
large.
Conditions Burdensome.
The discussion was general and in
| formal. Mr.. Rountree. for many years
( member of the Council. expressed
| the view that the present committee
| form had been sufficient for former
| conditions. but with the growth of the
city the requirements had become
more complex until all the Council
members of the committee agreed that
the duties were burdensome and ex-
cessive Whether the supervisors
should be elected by the people at
large OF by the Council was discussed
tentatively Mr.. Meredith holding to
| the former and Mr.. Rountree and Mr..
| Morris to the latter view. Special Ac-
countant George S. Crenshaw. who is
acting as clerk of the special COM
| mittee. was Instructed to gather char
tiers of cities which have made recent
changes.
Mr.. Meredith returned special thanks
to State Librarian McIlwaine who, he
! said, had gathered a mass OF litera-
ture on the subject Of municipal gov
| eminent from many sources. In sub
hitting written statement of the
legal limitations and of his views un-
| der the circumstances, Mr.. Meredith
said he would welcome the fullest dis
cussion by all citizens, that defects
might be noted and improvements sug-
| gested. 1t was pointed out that Coun-
! ell action on whatever plan is pro-
| posed was necessary before the meet
ing OF the State Legislature in jan
uary, and DR.. Reade, OF the committee
called attention to the necessity for
revising the ward lines in conformity
with the census, as required by State
law. prior to the next city election
next spring.
MIR. Meredith's Views.
Mr.. Merediths paper follows in full:
To the Committee on Amendment OF
City Charter:
Gentlemen.-I have thought 1t might
be desirable at this our first meeting to
ment showing how far we are neces-
sarily restricted in any change of the
citys charter OF form OF government
Knowing those limitations, we will
better be able to know:
| First-What we can do.
Second-In what directions 1t would
be wise to suggest any changes.
Section III of the Constitution of
Virginia reads as follows
| General laws for the organization
and government of cities and towns
shall be enacted by the General AS
sembly. and no special act shall be
passed in relation thereto. except In
the manner provided in Article Nv. OF
this Constitution, and then only by a
| recorded vote of two-thirds OF the
members elected to each house. Blu,
each OF the cities and towns of the
state having at the time of the adop-
! tlon OF TINS constitution lnlunlclpdi
charter may retain the same. except so
far as IL shall be repealed or amended
by the Genera Assembly: provided
that every such charter is hereby
amended so to conform to all the
provisions, restrictions limitations and
powers set forth in this article. or
otherwise provided in this Constitu-
ton"
Limitations of Constitution.
You will notice, first. the requirement
that general laws for the government
of municipalities shall he enacted: and.
second, the prohibition to the pass
age of special laws on the subject. ex-
cept in the mode therein prescribed.
Under the decision In Campbell VS..
Bryant. l04 Va. sos. ii would look as
IL no special or peculiar provisions
can be inserted In charter for the
creation Of a new town or city.
You will also perceive that by that
section the charters OF the municipali-
ties. existing at the time the Consti
tuition went into effect, were preserved
except that every such charter was by
the Constitution amended SO as to con-
form to all the provisions, restrictions
and limitations specifically set forth III
Article VIII, on the organization and
government of cities and towns. and
provided further, that these charters
could be repealed or amended by the
| General Assembly or Legislature.
Hence. at the time the Constitution
| went into effect those charters OF the
4 then existing cities or towns stood
amended by the provisions, limitations
and powers specifically set forth in
/ the Constitution. and those provisions.
Limitations and restrictions became
parts of those existing charters. ex-
| cept so far as they We're, In certain