REPORTS OF JOINT COMMITTEES.

RULE 9. No report of a joint committee shall be received by either branch of the city council unless agreed to by such committee at a duly notified meeting thereof. The report of a committee upon any subject referred to it shall, unless otherwise ordered by the city council or by the committee, be presented to the branch in which the order of reference originated. It shall be the duty of every joint committee to which any subject may be specially referred, to report thereon within four weeks, or to ask for further time.

RULE 10. All reports submitted to the city council shall be written or printed, and no indorsement of any kind shall be made on the reports, memorials, or other papers, excepting those made by the officers of either branch, or the name of the member offering the same. Every report of a committee shall be signed by a member belonging to the body to which it shall be presented, unless otherwise directed by the committee. Every member presenting an order, ordinance, or resolution shall have his name indorsed thereon. Such member shall be informed, by the clerk of the committee to which the matter is referred, of the time fixed for its consideration, if he give notice of his desire to be heard thereon.

RULE 11. Any report containing any recommendation, other than “leave to withdraw,” or “inexpedient to take further action,” or reference to another board or committee, shall be accompanied by an ordinance, order, or resolve, embodying such recommendation; and such report shall be acted upon separately.

RULE 12. Any member of a joint committee may submit a minority report at the same time as the majority report, and, if the latter be in print, he shall be allowed to submit his report also in print. Either branch may order to be printed the report of any committee submitted to it, or any document relating to a subject under consideration, the expense thereof to be charged to the general appropriation for printing.

NOTICE TO OTHER BRANCH.

RULE 13. All papers requiring concurrent action shall be transmitted from one branch of the city council to the other before the next regular meeting of the latter branch, with the action of the branch sending them indorsed thereon, and signed by the regular presiding officer of such branch, or, in his absence, by the clerk, or assistant clerk, of such body. In case of votes or action by either branch, not based on written orders or papers, notice of the same shall be transmitted to the other branch, signed as hereinbefore directed. In case any ordinance, order, or resolution, originating in one branch, shall fail to pass in the other, notice thereof shall be given, under the signature of the clerk, to the branch in which the same originated.

ORDERS AND RESOLUTIONS.

RULE 14. In all votes requiring concurrent action the form of expression shall be “Ordered” for everything by way of command; and the form shall be “Resolved ” for everything expressing opinions, principles, facts, or purposes.

APPROPRIATIONS AND EXPENDITURES.

RULE 15. Whenever the city council shall order an expenditure by any committee, board, or officer, either in addition to the estimates on which the appropiation was made, or for an object not included in such estimates, it shall provide for the payment of the same.

RULE 16. No expenditure shall be made from the reserved fund except by a transfer to some other appropriation, or to a new appropriation to be established, and no expenditure shall be charged to the appropriation for incidental expenses except transfers and the expenditures therefrom provided for in the ordinances.

RULE 17. Every application for an additional appropriation, to be provided for by transfer or loan shall be referred to the committee on finance; and no such additional appropriation shall be made until the said committee has reported thereon.

RULE 18. No order authorizing the borrowing of money, or the transfer of one appropriation, or part of an appropriation, to another appropriation, shall be passed, unless twothirds of the whole number of the members of each branch of the city council vote in the affirmative, by a vote taken by yea and nay.

BILLS AND ACCOUNTS. RULE 19. No presiding officer of a board or chairman

of a committee, unless duly authorized by such board or committee, shall approve any bill or account against the city.

AMENDMENT OR REPEAL.

RULE 20. The foregoing rules shall not be altered, amended, suspended, or repealed, at any time, except by the votes of two-thirds of the members of each branch of the city council present and voting thereon.

1630. & &MINE pos:

MESSAGE OF THE MAYOR

RECOMMENDING

APPROPRIATIONS AND TAX ORDERS FOR 1901–1902,

TOGETHER WITH THE

MAYOR'S OFFICE, Boston, MAss.,

11 February, 1901. To the Honorable the City Council:

GENTLEMEN, - For the first time since 1885 it is in the power of the City Council to make full and final appropriations, early in the year, for the regular annual Department expenses, without any reliance upon loan Orders for maintenance or ordinary requirements. Critics of municipal home-rule are almost unanimous in the belief that City Councils are not disposed to make good use of this power, and apt to engage in dilatory debates or log-rolling. It is for the City Council of 1901 to disprove this charge by prompt action and good judgment.

I may add that the annual Appropriation Order cannot be treated as an arbitrary measure, which we are free to change very much. It deals almost wholly with what may be called fixed charges, or fixed requirements. Every item is best illustrated by the corresponding appropriation and expenditure in the preceding year, an allowance being made for the usual increase. In the entire City household, which includes State taxes and payments to Metropolitan boards, we may count on an annual increase of about five per cent. In the present year it is likely that the warrants from the State House will be unusually large, especially for Metropolitan parks and water. They will add to the tax rate for 1901, and make it desirable that our own appropriations be kept below the limit set by law. It is desirable, also, to leave a margin for emergency appropriations, should such become necessary. You are therefore requested not to appropriate every dollar in sight.

The estimated income of the City, except from taxes, will be somewhat reduced, as we have abolished street-watering assessments and the payment of water rates by the Departments. Last year the income from corresponding sources was estimated at $575,000. In former years the surplus income from water was used to help out other Departments.

We are now on a proper basis, meeting current expenses from current income and taxes. Your appropriation for interest and sinking-funds will be less than in 1900, and further relief is within reasonable expectation. On the other hand, we may issue considerable loans for school-houses and other public works. But not since 1885 has the City Council been called upon to deal with Estimates and maintenance Orders as satisfactory as those now submitted.

Respectfully,

THOMAS N. HART,
Mayor.