Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-05-04
VALUATION
OF CHARTER
IS SOUGHT:
CITY TAKES
FIRST STEP

That the new city charter has never been
validated by the state legislature, and that
, such an acf by the state law making body
i necessary Immediately 10 validate all the
acts past and future, Of the city, has been
discovered by City Attorney Amos Rich.
The matter was brought before a meeting
of the city commission Thursday after
noon, and the body authorized the city ~
torney To go 10 Austin 10 remedy the mat
ter in tho state legislature ID will hc TAX
len mp through Representative J. Il. Can
ales.
While most of the cities throughout the
state operating under special charters
have had their charters properly vail
dated. the charter of Brownsville. san
Angelo Tyler, sherman and some other
towns have never been - acted upon. Fail
urr 10 do 80 might some time in the future
r suit in attacks on the validity Of ordi-
nanccS. bond issues or other acts The
law permitting cities Of over 1000 popula-
ton ~ operate under special charters has
slersF- -hepf- traced tlrr 4Ernr~nr. .r.rart
which fact make necessary the vaiidation
IN The legislature, II " pointed ont IN the
city attorney.
House bil No. az, passed IN the Thirty
third legislature. affecting the point IL
question, reads:
| tScc'ion y That each charter
! and each amendment to 4 charter
and each act of Incorporation adoptcd
| hy the qualified voters of the cities Of
! Ennis. Marshall. Houston, III Pa~o.
! Dallas, Beaumont, Waco. Mckinney.
Terrell. Galveston. Tavlor. CorSicana,
Amarillo. Houston Heights, Bonham,
Mineral Wells. Swcetwatcr. Wichita
| Fails. San Antonio. Brovnwood. Or
/ ancc. BeIton and Cleburne. respective
/ IN. since the enactment of Chapter
| liz. page 800. Of the Acts Of the Reg
| uIar Session ~ thc Thirty Third leo
isIature. and filed in the office Of the
| Secretary Of State, he and the same
arc hereby validated. and are hereby
! declared 10 be as IN full force and cf-
! feet the same AZ III each had been en-
! acted bv the legislature and approved
by the governor.
(Scrtion % The fact that the act
of the Thirty third legislature author
ling cities over 1000 to adopt and
amend their own charters IN recent
Act, and iis provisions have not yet
/ been construed hy the courts. and
many cities having in good faith un
dcrtakcn 10 incorporate and to adopt
and amend their charters mave not
| have complied strictly with I'll the
| provisions. and The Acts. ordinances
: and bond issues of such cities might
| ~ questioned although made IN good
faith and authorized by majority
vote of the qualified Voters of such
cities creates mn emergency and m
imperative public necessity, and tins
act shall take effect and he IN force
from and after iiS passage, and Il IL
! 50 enacted.
| TTlNERANT DEALERS ORDINANCE.
Owing TO the absence Of Mayor 4. Albert
Browne and Commissioner T.. {. Garcia
little business was transacted at Yesterday
Infiernoon'- session Of the city commission.
The ordinance providing for assessing and
collecting of an occupation tax from itin-
lcrant merchants and peddler,, which was
introduced several weeks ago was passed.
The ordinance provides for the collection
lof 4 tax or 500 for the first month and
$50 for each succeeding month that the
merchant or peddlcr may continue to do
business IN Brownsville.
This ordinance was introduced at the
solicitation Of resident merchants, who
claimed that merchants of this character