Chap. 210.—An ACT to amend the Charter of the City of Richmond.
Approved April 16, 1874.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly, That sections c
two, twelve, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, ?
twenty-one, forty, sixty-six, sixty-seven, and one hundred
and three of an act entitled an act providing a charter for
the city of Richmond, approved May twenty-fourth, eighteen
hundred seventy, as amended by the acts approved July
eleventh, eighteen hundred and seventy, March twenty-
ninth, eighteen hundred and seventy-one, and March twenty-
ninth, cighteen hundred and seventy-three, be amended and
re-enacted so as to read as follows:

Ҥ 2. The administration and government of the said city 4
shall be vested in one principal officer, to be styled the mayor; ®
two boards, to be called respectively the common council «
and board of aldermen of the city of Richmond; and in such @
other boards and officers as are hereinafter provided for.”

*©§ 12. In case of the absence or inability of the mayor, the y
president of the board of aldermen shall possess the same °
powers and discharge the municipal duties of the mayor du- a
ring such absence or inability.”

‘¢§ 14. The council of the city of Richmond shall be formed c
of two distinct branches; one of these shall be called the com- 4
mon council, and shall consist of five members from each ot
ward, to be elected every two years—the other shall be called
the board of alderman, and shall consist of three members g
from each ward, to be elected every four years. The mem-™
bers of the board of common council and aldermen shall bo q
residents of their respective wards, and shall not be less than P
twenty-one years of age. They shall be elected by the elec- x
tors of their respective wards. Upon the assembling of the
members of the board of aldermen, so elected, they shall be
divided into two equal classes, to be numbered by lot, as the
board may determine. The term of service of the members
of the first class shall expire with that of the members of
the common council elected at the first election after the
passage of this act, and the term of service of the members
of the second class shall expire with that of the members of
the common council elected at the second election after the
passage of this act, and this alternation shall continue 50
that one-half of the members of the board of alderman may
be chosen every two years.

§ 15. When any vacancy shall occur in Sither branch, by
death, resignation, removal from the ward, failure to qualify,
or from any other cause, the branch in which such vacancy
occurs shall elect a qualified person to supply the vacancy
until the next election for members of the council whick
may be held in the city, when the vacancy shall be filled by
election.

Ҥ 16. Each branch of the council shall elect one of its
members to act as president, who shall preside at its meet-
ings, and continue in office fortwo years; and when from
any cause he shall be absent,.a president pro tempore shallk
be appointed, who shall preside during the absence of the
president. The president, or the president pro tempore, who
shall preside when the proceedings of a previous meeting are
read, shall sign the same. The president of each branch
shall have power, at any time, to call a meeting of his branck
of the council ; and in case of his absence, sickness, disability,
or refusal, either branch may be convened by the order, in
writing, of any three members of the branch.

Ҥ 17. Each branch shall have authority to adopt such
rules and to appoint such officers and clerks as it may deem
proper for the regulation of its proceedings and for the con-
venient transaction of business; to compel the attendance of
absent members; to punish its members for disorderly beha-
vior; and, by a vote of two-thirds of its members, to expel
a member for malfeasance or misfeasance in office. Each
branch shall keep a journal of its proceedings, and its meet-
ings shall be open, except when the public welfare shall re-
quire secrecy.

Ҥ 18. A majority of the members of each branch shall
constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. On all
ordinances or resolutions appropriating money exceeding the
sum of one hundred dollars, imposing taxes, or authorizing
the borrowing of money, the yeas and nays shall be entered
on the journal of each branch, respectively. No vote shall
be reconsidered or rescinded at any special meeting, unless
at such special meeting there be present as large a number
of members as were present when such vote was taken. No
ordinance or resolution appropriating money exceeding the
sum of one thousand dollars, imposing taxes, or authorizing
the borrowing of money, shall be passed by the two branches
on the same day, nor shall any such ordinance: or resolution
be valid unless at least three days intervene between its pas-
e by the said branches, respectively.”

Ҥ 21. No ordinance hereafter passed by the city council,
for the violation of which any penalty is imposed, shall take
effect until the same shall have been published for five days
successively in one of the daily newspapers of said city, to be
designated by the said council]. A record or entry made by
the clerk of said city, or a copy of such record or entry, duly
certified by him, shall be prima facie evidence of the time of
such first publication; and all laws, regulations and ordinances
of the city council may be read in evidence in all courts of
justice, and in all proceedings before any officer, body, or
board in which it shall be necessary to refer thereto, either
from a copy thereof certified by the clerk of said city, or
from the volume of ordinances printed by the authority of
the city council.”

Ҥ 40. The said treasurer shall receive all moneys belong-
ing to the city, and shall keep his office in some place de-
signated by the council. He shall have the custody of the
corporate seal. He shall keep his books and accounts in
such manner as the city council may prescribe, and such
books and accounts shall always be subject to the inspection
of the mayor and any member of the city council, or any
committee or committees thereof.”

Ҥ 66. The said city clerk shall attend the meetings of the
common council, and keep a record of its proceedings. He
shall keep all papers that, by the provisions of this act, or
by direction of the city council, or either of its branches, are
required to be kept or filed with him. It shall also be his
duty to make and present to the mayor a transcript of every
ordinance, resolution, or order passed by both of the branches
of the city council. He shall likewise transmit to the audi-
tor a transcript of all ordinances, resolutions, or orders appro-
priating money, or authorizing the payment of money, the
issue of bonds or notes; and to the heads of all departments
of the city government, all ordinances, resolutions, or orders
relating to their departments. He shall likewise give informa-
tion to parties presenting communications or petitions to the
city council of the final action of the council on such commu-
nications or petitions. He shall publish such reports and or-
dinances as the city council are required by this act to pub-
lish, and such other reports and ordinances as the said council
may direct, and shall, in general, perform such other acts and
duties as the city council, or either branch thereof, may from
time to time require of him.”

“8 67. The city council may, in the name and for the use
of the city, contract loans, or cause to be issued certificates
of debt or bonds; but such loans, certificates or bonds shall
not be irredeemable for a period greater than thirty-four

ears: provided, however, that they shall not contract such
oans or issue such certificates of debt or bonds for the purpose
of subscribing to the stock, or appropriating money or bonds
for the benefit of any company incorporated for a work of
internal improvement or other purposes, without first being
authorized so to do by three-fourths of the legal voters of
the city voting on the question; and the council shall, when
such debt or loan is created, provide a sinking fund for the
ayment of the same. Neither shall the city endorse the
onds of any such company without the same authority:
provided, however, that the said council may issue or cause
to be issued bonds for other purposes than those for railroads
or internal improvement companies; but the bonds or inte-
rest bearing debt of the city of Richmond shall not in the
aggregate exceed eighteen per centum of the asseseed value
of the taxable real estate of said city, and any excess of such
- bonded or interest bearing debt over and above the limit
herein prescribed, which may be created or issued in viola-
tion of this provision, shall be void as to said city.”

Ҥ 103. There shall be elected by the qualified voters of
the city of Richmond, at the first charter election, one high
constable for said city, who shall hold his office for the term
of two years, and until his successor be appointed and qual-
ify, unless sooner removed from office. Said high constable
shall keep his office in some convenient place in the city, to
be approved by the mayor, and shall receive such compensa-
tion for services devolved upon him by any ordinance as the

. council may prescribe. He shall have in civil cases the same
powers and duties, and be subject to the same penalties as
may be prescribed by law for other constables, and shall per-
form any other duties which the city council may prescribe,
not in conflict with the provisions of this act, the laws of
the state, or the laws of the United States.”

2. Any officer who, by the provisions of the eharter of
Richmond, is required to be elected or appointed by the city
council, shall be elected or appointed by the two branches in
joint meeting. The president of the board of aldermen shall
preside at such joint. meeting, and each member of the two

ranches shall be entitled to one vote in all joint meetings of
the two boards.

_ 3. All ordinances, resolutions, and acts of the city council

‘shall be signed by the president of each branch, and shall be
presented to the mayor for his approval, who, if he object
thereto, shall, within five days after it shall have been pre-
sented to him for his assent, return it to that branch of the
city council in which it originated, with his objections in
writing, and if a majority of the whole number of the mem-
bers of each branch shall be of opinion that the ordinance,
resolution, or act ought to be passed, it shall, notwithstand-
ing the objections of the mayor, become a law.

4. The board of aldermen may appoint a clerk, who shall
attend the meetings of said board, and keep a record of its
proceedings, and shall perform such other acts and duties as
the said board may from time to time require of him.

5. This act shall be in force from its passage.