An Act to amend the Twenty-second Section of an Act entitled "An Act to consolidate in one Act and amend the several Acts incorporating the Town of Rusk, in Cherokee county"........800-801 An Act to change the name of the Island City Real Estate and Homestead Association of Galveston, and to amend an Act en- titled "An Act to incorporate the Island City Real Estate and Homestead Association of Galveston," approved June 24, 1870.802-803 CHAPTER CCCXIX. PAGE An Act for the relief of Benjamin C. Franklin, authorizing the Com- SPECIAL LAWS OF TEXAS. CHAPTER I. An Act to amend the first section of Article 2 of Title 2. of "An Act to incorporate the City of Galveston, and to grant a new Charter to said City, and to repeal all Acts heretofore passed incorporating said City, which may be in force by virtue of any existing Charter," approved May 16, 1871. SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Texas, That Section 1 of Article 2 of Title 2, of the act aforesaid, be so amemded as to read as follows: An election shall be held in each of the wards of the city of Galveston, on the first Monday in March of every year, at such place or places as the city council may direct, and of which thirty days previous notice shall be given by publication in one or more newspapers of said city; said election shall be ordered by the city council or mayor, for the purpose of holding said election, and others ordered. The city council shall appoint annually in April or earlier, in each ward, some competent and suitable person, who shall be the presiding officer at all elections held in his ward. The presiding officer in each ward shall select two judges and two clerks, who, together with the presiding officer, shall be managers of elections. The presiding officer and judges must be qualified voters in the city. The city council shall provide for their compensation, and by ordinance regulate and define their powers and duties, and determine the hours of opening and closing the polls. The mayor, whenever an election is ordered, shall give the required notice, and issue to the presiding officer a writ of election; and every published notice of election shall state the officer or officers to be elected, the place where the election will be held, and the name of the presiding officers thereat. In case the officer so appointed is unable, fails, refuses or neglects to act, or the city council have failed to appoint, the mayor shall appoint; and in case no appointed presiding officer appears to open the polls, the attending qualified electors at the place for holding such election may appoint such officer, who shall perform the same duties and shall have like power and authority to act as a first appointee; but in such case the managers, in their returns or otherwise, shall certify that the presiding officer failed to attend, or neglected to act, and that the person acting as such was duly chosen by the electors present; provided, that if from any cause an election cannot be, or is not held on the day aforesaid, such election shall be held as soon thereafter as the order can be made and the necessary notice given; and the city council shall have full authority to designate the day for such election. SEC. 2. That this act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage. Approved January 30th, 1873. CHAPTER II An Act to incorporate the City of Brenham, and to grant a new Charter to said city. GENERAL POWERS AND BOUNDARIES. -ARTICLE 1. SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Texas, That all the inhabitants of the city of Brenham shall continue to be a body politic and corporate, with perpetual succession, by the name and style of the city of Brenham;, and as such they and their successors by that name shall have, exercise and enjoy, all the rights, immunities, powers, privileges and franchises now possessed and enjoyed by said city, and herein granted and conferred, and shall be subject to all the duties and obligations now pertaining to or incumbent on said city, as a corporation, and may ordain and establish such acts, laws, regulations and ordinances, not inconsistent with the Constitution and laws of this State, or of the United States, as shall be needful for the government, interest, welfare and good order of said body politic; and under the same name shall be known in law, and be capable of contracting and being contracted with, suing and being sued, impleading and being impleaded, answering and being answered unto, in all courts and places and in all matters whatever; may take, hold and purchase, lease, grant and convey, such real and personal or mixed property or estate, as the purposes of the corporation may require, within or without the limits thereof, and may make, have and use a corporate seal, and change and renew the same at pleasure. ARTICLE II. SECTION 1. That the bounds and limits of said city shall include four square miles, to be run in accordance with the same points of the compass used in laying out the original town site of Brenham, of which the centre of the court house square in the city of Brenham shall be the centre; and provided further, that the said limits may be hereafter extended, including and adding more territory to the same, whensoever a majority of the inhabitants of said territory shall indicate a desire to be included within the limits of said city. OFFICERS AND THEIR ELECTION.---ARTICLE I. SECTION 1. The municipal government of the city shall consist of a city council, composed of the mayor and one alderman from each ward, à majority of whom shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business; provided, that the present board of aldermen shall not be required to reside in different wards. The other officers of the corporation shall be a treasurer, an assessor and collector, à marshal, and such other officers and agents as the city council may from time to time direct. The above named officers (except the mayor, aldermen, marshal and assessor and collector) shall be appointed by the mayor, with the approval of a majority of the city council, at their first annual meeting, or as soon thereafter as possible, and shall hold their offices for one year, and until the election and qualification of their successors. |