ARTICLE II. ELECTION AND REGISTRATION.* SECTION. SECTION 1. A general election of all elective officers required by this Charter or by any ordinance of this city shall be held on the first Tuesday in April, 1877, and every four years thereafter, except as otherwise provided in this Charter and the Scheme. *All the original charter sections except Section 1 of Article II have been superseded by laws passed by the General Assembly, Laws, 1899, pp. 179–197. 2. Council composed of 13 members, qualifications, etc. 3. Terms of members of first Coun cil; tie vote ; one-half of Coun cil to be elected biennially. 4. House of Delegates elected every two years. 5. Qualifications of members of House of Delegates. 6. Additional qualifications for members of Assembly; oath of members, etc. 7. Vacancies in Assembly, how filled. 8. Each House to appoint its own officers and be judge of the election, etc., of its own members ; tie vote; may punish for contempt; president of Council elected every four years; speaker of House; quorum ; sessions; adjournments, etc. 9. Journal of proceedings. 10. Members of Assembly ineligible for office during terms. 11. One annual session. 19. Form of amendments. 20. Motion to reconsider, etc. 21. Ordinances to take effect ten days after approval, except in cases of emergency. 22. Bills to be signed in open ses sion; to be read at length ; objections, how disposed of. 23. Bills approved to be returned by Mayor within ten days. 24. Mayor may object to items of. appropriation and approve por tions of bill. 25. Veto of ordinances by Mayor. LEGISLATIVE POWERS ENUMER ATED—LIMITATIONS. LEGISLATIVE PROCEEDINGS. 12. Style of ordinances. 13. Origin, amendment and passage of bills; report on public improvement bills required with in limited time. 14. Compensation of members of As sembly. 15. Engrossment of bills. 16. Vote of majority of members elect necessary to pass bill. 26. Legislative powers vested in Mayor and Assembly. First-To assess, levy and collect taxes; borrow and appropriate money. Second-To establish, improve, light, sprinkle, etc., streets ; condemn property; repairs of streets, bridges, etc.; watercourses, water works; Police and Fire Departments. Third · Municipal buildings ; market places, and authority to improve or sell parks, etc. Fourth--To improve harbor ; regulate ferries; create port wardens; regulate mooring of vessels; lease portions of wharf, etc. LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT. SECTION. Fifth-To license, tax, and reg- regulate quarrying, slaughter- regulate or prohibit animals running at large ; obstructions on streets, etc. Tenth-To impose and collect fines, etc.; commitments to Workhouse. Eleventh-To protect rights of city in corporations ; grant, regulate or repeal railway franchises ; free passes on street railways prohibited. SECTION 1. The Municipal Assembly.—The legislative power of the City of St. Louis shall be vested in a Council and a House of Delegates, to be styled the “Municipal Assembly of the City of St. Louis." MEMBERS OF MUNICIPAL ASSEMBLY-ORGANIZATION AND SESSIONS. *SEC. 2. The Council.-The Council shall consist of thirteen members, one of whom shall be its president, who shall be chosen on a general ticket by the qualified voters of the city, for four years, subject to the exception stated in the next section. Every member of the Council shall be a qualified SECTION. Twelfth-To examine premises ; and paupers ; and enforce ordinances ; provide for census. 27. To guard against fires in public halls, etc. of ordinances ; repeal of same. 29. Revision of general ordinances. 30. Assembly forbidden to remit taxes or compromise claims. 31. Power to compel attendance of witnesses, etc., and administer oaths. 32. Power to distribute duties of officers and abrogate offices. 33. Appropriations for charitable purposes. 34. Stone quarries, soap factories, etc., forbidden within 300 feet of dwellings, except by con sent. 35. Restrictions as to cholera, small pox patients. . *The provision originally contained in Section 2, requiring members of the Council to be free-holders of property, was repealed by Section 5259 of the Revised Statutes, 1899, and is omitted, LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT. voter, at least thirty years of age, and shall have been a citizen of this State five years, and an inhabitant of the city for one year next before the day of his election. SEC. 3. Terms of Councilmen First Elected-Elections.-Of the members of the Council first elected, the president and the six receiving the highest number of votes shall hold their office for four years, and the other six for only two years. In case of a tie the senior in age shall hold for four years. At each general election thereafter for members of the House of Delegates, members of the Council shall be elected to succeed those whose terms will then have expired. Sec. 4. House of Delegates-Election.—The House of Delegates shall consist of one member from each ward, to be chosen every two years by the qualified voters of the several wards. Sec. 5. Qualification of Delegates.-Every member of the House of Delegates shail, before the day of election, have attained the age of at least twenty-five years, have been a citizen of the United States and an inhabitant of the city three years, and of the ward which he may be chosen to represent, one year, and shall have paid city and State taxes for at least two years next before the day of election. SEC. 6. Additional Qualifications.-In addition to qualifications in the preceding sections, every member of the Municipal Assembly shall possess the following: He shall not be directly or indirectly interested in any contract with the city, or any department or institution thereof, and shall not be indebted to the State or city on account of any tax. He shall not have been convicted of malfeasance in office, bribery or other corrupt practices or crimes. Before any member of the Council or House of Delegates shall take his seat or perform the duties of his office, he shall take and subscribe an oath before the Register, (who shall file the same in his office,) that he possesses all the qualifications required in this and the preceding sections, and is not subiect to any of the disqualifications therein named, and that he will support the Constitution of the United States and of this State, and faithfully discharge the duties of his office. Any member, who shall at any time LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT. during his term cease to possess any of the qualifications mentioned in this and the preceding sections, shall thereby forfeit his office, and the same shall be filled as provided for in cases of other vacancies. SEC. 7. Vacancies in Assembly-How Filled.-Whenever a vacancy occurs, from any cause, in the office of any member of the Assembly, the Mayor, upon information thereof, shall, by proclamation, order an election to fill such vacancy for the unexpired term thereof, if the same exceed three months, to be held upon some day named in such order, not less than twenty nor more than thirty days next after the issuing of the proclamation. SEC. 8. Officers — Prerogatives of Assembly - Sessions-Quorum-Adjournment.-Each house shall appoint its own officers, except the president of the Council, and shall be sole judge of the qualifications, election and returns of its own members; and in case of a tie vote shall certify the same to the Mayor, who shall order new election; may determine the rules of its own proceedings, except as herein provided; may arrest and punish by fine, not exceeding three hundred dollars, or imprisonment, as provided by ordinance, not exceeding ten days, or both, any person not a member, who shall be guilty of disrespect to the house by any disorderly or contemptuous behavior in its presence during its sessions ; may punish its members for disorderly conduct, and with the concurrence of two-thirds of all members-elect, may expel a member; but no member shall be expelled a second time for the same cause. The presiding member of the Council shall be designated as “president,” and shall be elected as such by the qualified voters, by general ticket every four years. The presiding officer of the House of Delegates shall be designated as "speaker," and be elected by the members thereof. A majority of the whole number of members of each house shall constitute a quorum to do business: but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day, and may compel the attendance of absent members in such a manner and under such penalties as each house may provide. The sessions of each house shall be held with open doors. Neither house shall, without consent of the |
