of Warrants for meet had ings to be be the board of issued by 1821, c. 110, SECT. 61. All warrants for the meetings the citizens for municipal purposes, to be either in general meetings or in wards, shall issued by the board of aldermen, and in such aldermen. form, and shall be served, executed and returned, § 26. at such time and in such manner as the city council may by any by-law or ordinance direct and appoint. legislature SECT. 62. Nothing in this act contained shall Power of be so constructed as to restrain or prevent the legislature from amending or altering the same whenever they shall deem it expedient. to alter the charter. 1821, 'c. 110, § 30. first char ter. SECT. 63. All acts and parts of acts inconsist- Repeal of ent with this act are hereby repealed: provided, however, that the repeal of the said acts shall not Proviso. affect any act done, or any right accruing or accrued, or established, or any suit or proceeding had or commenced in any civil case, before the time when such repeal shall take effect. And that no offence committed, and no penalty or forfeiture incurred, under the acts hereby repealed, and before the time when such repeal shall take effect, shall be affected by the repeal. And that no suit or prosecution pending at the time of the said repeal for any offence committed, or for the recovery of any penalty or forfeiture incurred, under the acts hereby repealed, shall be affected by such repeal; and provided, also, that all persons, who, at the time when the said repeal shall take effect, shall hold any office under the said acts, shall continue to hold the same according to Repeal not to revive other acts. Act to be submitted zens. 1 Pick. 375. the tenure thereof; and provided, also, that all the by-laws and ordinances of the city of Boston, which shall be in force at the time when the said repeal shall take effect, shall continue in force until the same are repealed by the city council; and all officers elected under such by-laws and ordinances, shall continue in office according to the tenure thereof. SECT. 64. No act which has been heretofore repealed shall be revived by the repeal of the acts mentioned in the preceding section. SECT. 65. This act shall be void unless the into the citi habitants of the city of Boston, at a legal meeting called for that purpose, by a written vote determine to adopt the same;1 and the qualified voters of the city shall be called upon to give in their votes upon the acceptance of this act, at meetings in the various wards, duly warned by the mayor and aldermen, to be held on or before the second Monday of November; and, thereupon, the same proceedings shall be had respecting the sorting, counting, declaring, recording and returns of said votes, as is herein provided at the election of mayor; and the board of mayor and aldermen shall, within three days, meet together and compare the returns of the ward officers; and if it appear that the citizens have voted to adopt this take effect. act, the mayor shall make proclamation of the fact, and thereupon the act shall take effect for the purpose of electing municipal officers at the If adopted, when to 1 1 Accepted November 13, 1854. Yeas, 9,166; Nays, 990. next annual election, and for all other purposes it shall take effect on and after the first Monday of January next. 1The first act of the legislature of Massachusetts establishing the city of Boston, was passed February 23, 1822, and adopted by the citizens of Boston, March 4, 1822. It is chapter 110 of the acts of 1821. The present city charter, being a revision of the former one, was passed April 29, 1854, and adopted by the citizens, November 13, 1854. It is chapter 448 of the acts of 1854. RULES AND ORDERS OF THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN. SECTION 1. The Mayor, and in his absence the chairman of the Board, shall take the chair at the hour to which the Board shall have adjourned, and shall call the members to order, and, a quorum being present, shall cause the minutes of the preceding regular meeting to be read; and, in the absence of the Mayor and chairman, the senior member present shall preside as chairman pro tempore. SECT. 2. He shall preserve decorum and order; may speak to points of order in preference to other members, and shall decide all questions of order, subject to an appeal to the Board, by motion regularly seconded: and no other business shall be in order till the question on appeal shall have been decided. SECT. 3. He shall declare all votes; but, if any member rises to doubt a vote, he shall cause a return of the members voting in the affirmative and in the negative, without debate on the question. SECT. 4. He may read sitting; but shall rise to state a motion, or put a question to the Board. SECT. 5. When the Mayor shall desire to vacate the chair, he shall call the chairman of the Board to take it, and in his absence the senior member present. When the chairman of the Board or the chairman pro tempore shall desire to vacate the chair, he may call any member to it; but such substitution shall not continue beyond an adjournment. SECT. 6. On all questions and motions whatsoever, the chair shall take the sense of the Board by yeas and nays, provided any member shall so require. And every ordinance, resolution or order (except orders of notice, papers from the Common Council, orders of inquiry, and orders relating to the department of health), after being read, shall be laid on the table before its consideration by the Board; and no such resolution or order (except as above) shall be considered at the same meeting at which it is offered, except by special vote. SECT. 7. The chair shall propound all questions in the order in which they are moved, unless the subsequent motion shall be previous in its nature, except that in the naming sums and fixing times, the largest sum and longest time shall be put first. SECT. 8. After a motion is stated or read by the chair, it shall be deemed to be in possession of the Board, and shall be disposed of by vote; but the mover may withdraw it at any time before a decision or amendment. SECT. 9. When a question is under debate, the chair shall receive no motion but to adjourn, to lay on the table, to postpone to a day certain, to commit, to amend, or to postpone indefinitely; which several |