THE CITY CHARTER.

powers.

§ 1.

SECTION 1. The inhabitants of the city of Corporate Boston, for all the purposes for which towns and 1821, c. 110, cities are by law incorporated in this commonwealth, shall continue to be one body politic, in fact and in name, under the style and denomination of the city of Boston; and, as such, shall have, exercise, and enjoy all the rights, immunities, powers and privileges, and shall be subject to all the duties and obligations now incumbent upon and appertaining to said city, as a municipal corporation.

ernment.

SECT. 2. The administration of all the fiscal, City Govprudential, and municipal concerns of said city, Ibid. with the conduct and government thereof, shall be vested in one principal officer, to be styled the mayor, one council of twelve persons, to be called the board of aldermen, and one council of fortyeight 1 persons, to be called the common council, which boards, in their joint capacity, shall be denominated the city council, and also in such other boards of officers as are hereinafter specified.

1

into twelve

SECT. 3. It shall be the duty of the city Division council, and they are empowered during the year wards. 1860, and whenever thereafterwards they may

1 Chap. 243 of the acts of 1875, increased this number to seventy-two.

1821, c. 110, deem it expedient, not oftener than once in ten

§ 2.

§ 1.

1865, c. 7.

1850, c. 167, years, to cause a new division of the city to be made into twelve wards, in such manner as to inAmended clude an equal number of voters in each ward, as nearly as conveniently may be, consistently with well-defined limits to each ward; and, until such division be made, the boundary lines of the wards shall remain as now established.1

Annual

meeting for

of city offi

cers.

1851, c. 167.

1854, c. 39.

2

SECT. 4. The annual meeting of citizens, for the election the election of municipal officers hereinafter mentioned, shall be held on the second Monday of December, and the citizens of said city qualified 1824, c. 49. to vote in city affairs shall for the purpose of such election then meet together within the wards in which they respectively reside, at such hour and place as the board of aldermen may by their warrant direct and appoint; and the person receiving the highest number of votes for any office shall be deemed and declared to be elected to such office; and, whenever two or more persons are to be elected to the same office, the several persons, to the number required to be chosen, having the highest number of votes, shall be declared elected.

Certificates

of election

SECT. 5. Every person so chosen in any ward to be fur- shall, within forty-eight hours of his election, be furnished by the clerk with a certificate thereof,

nished.

1 Modified by chap. 243 of the acts of 1875, which fixed the number of wards at twenty-four.

2 In accordance with the provisions of chap. 140 of the statutes of 1872, accepted by the city council June 7, 1872, the municipal election now occurs on the Tuesday after the second Monday.

signed by the warden, clerk, and a majority of 1867, c. 240. the inspectors, which certificate shall be presumptive evidence of the title of such person to the office therein mentioned.

chosen Commenceduties nicipal year.

ment of mu

SECT. 6. The municipal officers to be at the annual election shall enter upon the of their respective offices on the first Monday of $2. January.

1824, c. 49,

ward offi.

SECT. 7. The qualified voters of said city shall, Election of at the annual meeting, choose by ballot one war- cers. den and one clerk and five inspectors of elections for each ward, who shall be resident in said ward, and who shall hold their offices for one year, and until others shall be chosen and qualified in their stead.

cers to be sworn.

sev- 1821, c. 110,

§ 3.

SECT. 8. The ward officers mentioned in the Ward offipreceding section shall respectively make oath faithfully and impartially to discharge their eral duties, which oath may be administered by the clerk of such ward to the warden, and by the latter to the clerk and inspectors, or to all of said officers by any justice of the peace for the county of Suffolk; and a certificate thereof shall be entered in the record, to be kept by the clerk of the ward.

tion of ward

SECT. 9. In case of the non-election of any Non-elec ward officer at the annual meeting, adjournments officers. may be had for the purpose of effecting such election, in the same manner as is hereinafter provided with regard to the election of members of the common council.