Charter.

SECTION 1. The People of the State of Michigan enact, That all the district of country in the county of St Clair, in the State of Michigan, embraced within the limits and constituting the present territory of the city of St. Clair, and hereinafter particularly described, is hereby constituted and still declared to be a city, by the name of the city of St. Clair, said district of country being bounded and described as follows, viz: commencing at the northeast corner of the south part of fractional section number twenty-nine (29), in township number five (5), north of range number seventeen (17) east, thence west on the quarter line across sections twenty-nine (29) and thirty (30), to the north-west. corner of the south part of fractional section thirty (30), in said township and range, thence south on the west line of said section thirty (30), to the north line of private claim number three hundred and five (305), thence along the north line of said private claim westerly to the north-west corner thereof, thence along the west line of said private claim southerly to the south-west corner thereof, thence

along the south line of said private claim easterly to the north-west corner of private claim three hundred and four (304), thence southerly along the west line of said private claim three hundred and four (304) to the north-west corner of out-lot number fourteen (14), thence east along the north line of said out-lot to Pine river, thence southerly along said river, up stream, to the north-west corner of, out-lot number seventeen (17), thence easterly along the north line of out-lots seventeen (17) and nineteen (19) to the river St. Clair, thence along said river northerly to the place of beginning; also, all that part of private claim three hundred and six (306) which lies north and east of Pine river, and also the waters of Pine and St. Clair rivers within and in front of the above limits, and heretofore set off from the townships of St. Clair and China, and constituted the said city of St. Clair, and by which name it shall hereafter continue to be known.

SEC. 2. The freemen of said city, from time to time, being inhabitants thereof, shall be and continue a body corporate and politic, to be known and distinguished by the name and title of the city of St. Clair, and shall be and are hereby made capable of suing and being sued, of pleading and being impleaded, answering and being answered unto, and of defending and being defended, in all courts of law and equity, and in all other places whatever, and may have a common seal, which they may alter and change at pleasure, and by the same name shall be and are hereby made capable of purchasing, holding, conveying and disposing of any real or personal estate for said city.

SEC. 3 The said city shall be divided into two wards, as follows, to-wit: all that part of the city lying north of a line commencing on the border of

the river St. Clair, in the centre of Jay street, thence west along said street to the east line of five acre lot number seventy-nine, thence north to the northeast corner of said five acre lot number seventy-nine, thence west along the north line of said five acre lots, seventy-nine and eighty and fifty acre lot number four, to the west line of private claim three hundred and five, shall be the first ward; and all that part of the city lying south of said line, shall be the second ward.

SEC. 4. The following officers of said city shall be elected at the annual city election, on a general ticket, by the qualified voters of the whole city, viz: one mayor, one city clerk, one treasurer, one city assessor, and the following officers of the city shall be elected at said election on a ward ticket, in each ward in said city, by the qualified electors thereof, viz.: one alderman who shall hold his office for three years, one supervisor and one constable: Provided, however, That at the annual election to be held in said city, on the first Monday in April, 1871, there be elected in each ward on a ward ticket, two aldermen, one of whom shall be elected for two years and one for three years.

SEC. 5. There shall be two justices of the peace in and for said city, who shall be elected on the general ticket, at the annual city election, in the same manner, by the same tenure, possess the same jurisdiction and powers, and be subject to the same duties and liabilities, of justices of the peace for townships, and such other jurisdiction, powers and duties, as are conferred upon them by this act; but the justices of the peace now in office shall be and continue the justices of the peace for said city, under this act, and hold their offices for the terms for which they have been elected, it being the express intention of

this act that the justice of the peace first to be elected under this charter shall be at the annual election of said city in the year one thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, which justice, then elected, shall hold his term of office for four years, and that at the annual election every succeeding two years thereafter, there shall be elected in and for said city one justice of the peace, who shall hold his term of office for four years: Provided, however, That any vacancies occurring in said office of justice of the peace prior to the said annual election of eighteen hundred and sixty-four shall be filled as hereafter in this act provided.

SEC. 6. The following officers shall be appointed by the common council at a meeting to be held on the first Monday in May in each and every year, viz.: city attorney, commissioner of the city cemetery, city marshal, and such other officers, assistants, and agents as may be authorized by prior resolution of the common council.

SEC. 7. No person shall be elected or appointed to, or shall hold any office under this act, who shall not be at the time of his election or appointment, and so long as he shall hold such office, a resident elector of said city; and no person shall be elected ' or appointed to, or hold office for any ward of said city, who at the time of his election or appointment, and so long as he shall hold such office, shall not be a resident elector of the ward from and for which he may be elected or appointed. If any person elected or appointed to any office of the corporation shall cease to be a resident of the city, or of the ward for which he may have been elected or appointed, such office shall thereby be vacated.

SEC. 8. The first annual election for city and ward

officers under this act shall be held on the first Monday in April, in the year one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and on the first Monday in April annually thereafter; and all officers now holding office, by election, in said city, which are made. elective by the people under this act, shall continue to hold their respective offices until their successors are elected and qualified.

SEC. 9. The said annual election shall be held in each ward, at such place as the common council shall appoint, by posting printed or written notices of the holding of said election in at least three of the most public places in each ward, at least six days previous to said election.

SEC. 10. The common council of said city may appoint one watchman for each ward thereof, to hold their respective offices during the pleasure of said council; they may also appoint one health physician, to hold his office for one year, and so many fire wardens, common criers, pound masters, weigh masters, inspectors of fire wood, and auctioneers, as they shall deem necessary, each to hold their offices during the pleasure of the council; and they may also contract with a counselor at law to perform such services as may be required of him as attorney and counselor at law for said city, for such period, not exceeding one year, compensation not to exceed two hundred dollars a year, and the same rate for any less period, as the common council shall determine.

SEC. 11. When any vacancy occurs in any of the offices which are appointed by the common council, either by death, resignation or removal of the incumbent, the said council may fill such vacancies by appointment for the remainder of the unex