Appointive Officers.-The council appoints, whenever it seems necessary, a village attorney, a poundmaster, one or more keepers of cemeteries, one or more fire-wardens, and regular and special policemen; and it prescribes the duties and fixes the compensation of these officers. The council also elects at its first meeting, a village assessor, who shall hold his office one year.

Vacancies and Removals.-Vacancies in any of the village offices are filled by the council, and it has power to remove any officer elected or appointed by it whenever it seems that the public welfare will be promoted thereby.

Like Town Officers.-The assessor, treasurer, justices of the peace, and constable, have the same duties and responsibilities as the corresponding officers in the town. The village has a seal, of which the recorder is the custodian; and he is, as has been said, a member of the council. Otherwise the duties of the recorder are similar to those of the town clerk.

Elections.-A village constitutes one election district and one road district. Village elections are conducted as are those in a town.

Enlargements.-Lands adjoining the village may be annexed to it, at the wish and with the consent of the voters of the territory and of the village. The will of the voters aforesaid is expressed at an election called, after due notice, by the county commissioners.

Some Pertinent Questions.

Name the incorporated villages in your county. Any others that you know. Name some villages, so-called, which are not incorporated. Why are the petition and other papers of incorporation recorded?

Can a person living in a village build a sidewalk to suit his own fancy? Why? Suppose that owing to a defective side.

walk you should break your leg, what responsibility would lie on the village?

How would you get your pay if you had a bill against a village?

The village council has power "to establish and regulate markets." Why should the sale of meats be regulated any more than the sale of flour or of clothing? May the sale of bread be regulated?

What is the difference between a policeman and a constable. Compare the village and the town, telling wherein they are alike and wherein they are different.

Debate.

Resolved, That for a village of 1000 inhabitants or less it is wise not to become incorporated.

CHAPTER V.

THE CITY.

Need of.-A village being one election district has only one polling place. The community may increase so in numbers as to make it necessary to have several voting places. For the accommodation of the people, these would naturally be located in different parts of the community; and to prevent fraud, voting precincts would have to be carefully defined. The council would naturally be made up of representatives from these divisions.

When, under this arrangement, the voters assemble in different parts of the community, they could not listen to financial reports and vote taxes, as they do in the town and the village. Hence it would be necessary to endow the council with increased powers, including the power to levy taxes without the direct authorization of the people.

The expenses for public improvements, for water

works, sewers, street-lighting, etc., may take more money than it would be prudent to assess upon the community for immediate payment. In this case it would be desirable for the community to have the power to issue bonds.

Again, with increase in population there is an increase in the number of disputes over private rights, and temptations to crime become more numerous. Hence the need of one or more courts having jurisdiction greater than that possessed by justices of the peace. The conditions necessitate also an increase in the number and the efficiency of the police. And to render the police efficient it is necessary that they be under the direction of one man, the same one who is responsible for the carrying out of the ordinances of the council.

A community organized to comply with the foregoing requirements-divided into wards, having a council made up of aldermen from those wards, having a council authorized to levy taxes at its discretion, having the power to issue bonds, having a municipal court, having regularly employed police acting under the direction of the mayor-is a city.

Another reason for establishing a city government is frequently potent, although unmentioned. The pride of the community can be thereby indulged, and more citizens can have their ambition to hold public office gratified.

How Organized.-A city may be organized under general law or special charter from the legislature. Large cities, and small ones with great expectations, usually work under a charter. But the custom is growing of organizing cities at first under general law. Then if a city outgrows the general law, grows so that

it needs powers and privileges not granted therein, it may properly ask the legislature for a special charter. As a type, the principal provisions of the general law of Minnesota are here given, as follows:

"Whenever the legal voters residing within the limits of a territory comprising not less than two thousand inhabitants, and not more than fifteen thousand, and which territory they wish to have incorporated as a city, shall sign and have presented to the judge of probate of the county in which such territory is situated, a petition setting forth the metes and bounds of said city, and of the several wa.ds thereof, and praying that said city shall be incorporated under such name as may therein be designated, the judge of probate shall issue an order declaring such territory duly incorporated as a city, and shall designate the metes, bounds, wards, and name thereof, as in said petition described." And the judge of probate designates the time and places of holding the first election, giving due notice thereof. He also appoints three persons in each ward, of which there shall be not less than two nor more than five, to act as judges of election. The corporation is established upon the presentation of the petition, and the organization is completed by the election of officers.

The elective officers of a city are a mayor, a treasurer, a recorder, one justice of the peace for each ward, styled "city justice," all of whom shall be qualified voters of the city, and two aldermen for each ward, who shall be "qualified voters therein." All other city officers are appointed.

The term of city justices and aldermen* is two years; that of the other officers, one year.

*One alderman is elected in each ward each year.

Any officer of the city may be removed from office by vote of two-thirds of the whole number of aldermen. But an elective officer must be given "an opportunity to be heard in his own defense."

A vacancy in the office of mayor or alderman is filled by a new election. A vacancy in any other office is filled by appointment. The person elected or appointed serves for the unexpired term.

The Mayor is the chief executive officer and head of the police of the city. By and with the consent of the council, he appoints a chief of police and other police officers and watchmen. In case of disturbance he may appoint as many special constables as he may think necessary, and he may discharge them whenever he thinks their services no longer needed.

The City Council consists of the aldermen.* It is the judge of the election of its own members. A majority of the members elected constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business.

The council chooses its own president and vicepresident. In case the mayor is absent from the city or for any reason is temporarily unable to act, the president of the council acts as mayor, with the title Acting Mayor.

Passing Ordinances.-The mode of passing an ordinance is unlike anything that we have considered up to this time, and deserves special attention on account of its resemblance to the mode of making laws in the state and general governments. It is as follows: If a proposed ordinance is voted for by a majority of the members of the council present at any meeting, it is presented to the mayor. If he approves it, he signs

*In some states the city council consists of two bodies, aldermen and councilors.