deliver to city clerk within. twenty-four hours. declaration and record, the whole number of votes given in Votes, how counted. shall be distinctly stated, together with the names of every person voted for, the number of votes given for each person for any office, respectively, and the name of each and every person there found to be elected as alderman, or common councilman, for such ward; and at the close, and within twenty-four hours after the adjournment of such meeting, the clerk of such ward shall deliver to the clerk of the city Ward clerk shall a transcript of the record of such votes, duly signed and corded with certified by the presiding officer and clerk of such ward; and the said city clerk shall forthwith record such transcript, or a plain and intelligent abstract thereof, upon the City clerk shall city records, or upon some book to be kept for that purpose; and any presiding officer, or ward or city clerk, who shall make, certify, or record, any false or illegal return Ol' False returns, how abstract of such votes, shall forfeit and pay to the treasurer of the City of Hartford, for the use of said city, the sum of thirty dollars for each and every such offence. record same on city records. punished. Notice of ward election to be given perso within twenty-four hours. SEC. 9. The clerk of each ward shall also, within twentyfour hours after the close of any ward meeting, deliver to each person found and declared by the presiding officer of the ward to have been elected as alderman or common councilman of such ward, or shall leave at his usual place of abode, a certificate of such election signed by such clerk, which certificate shall be presumptive evidence of such election, and shall entitle such person to a seat in the Court of Common Council: provided, however, that the Court of Common Council shall have authority to decide ultimately upon Qualifications of all questions relative to the qualifications, elections, and mou Council, how returns of its members, but no member shall vote upon any question relative to his own right to a seat in the council. members of Com determined. vassers. SEC. 10. The mayor, aldermen, and common councilmen, Board of cau last chosen, shall constitute a board of canvassers of all city or ward elections, and a majority of the members of said board shall constitute a quorum, and the mayor shall be the presiding officer, or in his absence a presiding officer shall be chosen by the board, and said board shall meet together a See p. 76, 233. Canvassers shall meet within two days after election. tion to be furnished. within two days after any such election, and compare all the returns of votes, and ascertain what officers, whether city or ward, are duly elected, and shall furnish to each and every Certificate of elec-person so found to be duly elected to any office, a certificate of his election, certified by the clerk of said city; and the mayor, or other presiding officer of the said board of canvassers, shall thereupon, upon the order of said board, issue to the public his proclamation of the election of such Proclamation of mayor. Meeting, when and how called in case of no election. persons. And in case said board shall find that no person has been duly elected to any or either of said offices, whether ward or city, the mayor, or other presiding officer of the said board of canvassers, shall also make the public proclamation thereof, and shall issue his warrant for a special election in each of said wards, or either, or so many of said wards as may be necessary to fill such vacancy or vacancies so found, on the Monday next succeeding such last city or ward meeting, and at any special city or ward meeting the same rules and proceedings, in all respects, shall be observed as are provided for annual city or ward meetings. And the mayor Special meetings to may call special city or ward meetings, by warrant, as aforesaid, at any time when so ordered by said Court of Common Council, to fill any vacancy which may happen in any city or ward office by death, resignation, or otherwise. fill vacancies, when to be called. Pay of election officers. SEC. 11. There shall be allowed and paid from the treasury of the city to the presiding officer of each ward, ten dollars; to the clerk of each ward, three dollars; to the person having charge of the ballot box, five dollars; to an assistant box tender, three dollars; to each of two persons who may be appointed by the presiding officer of any ward to check the electors' lists, five dollars; and to the deputy registrar, five dollars for each day such officers or persons shall severally be engaged in their respective duties at any city or ward election, which allowances shall be approved and certified by one of the deputy registrars of each ward where such services were rendered, and by one of the regis trars, and no other expenses of any kind shall be incurred at any such election to be paid for by the city. City clerk, clerk of joint conventions of Common Council, board of canvassers. Records of Common Council to be delivered to city SEC. 12. The city clerk shall be the clerk of all joint conventions of the Court of Common Council, and also of the board of canvassers, and in his absence a clerk pro tempore shall be chosen; and the city clerk shall have the custody and care of all the records and papers of the common coun- clerk. cil board, after final action thereon has been taken by said board; and it shall be the duty of the clerk of said board to deliver the same to said city clerk, who shall give true and attested copies thereof whenever required so to do. called. meetings, how called. What notice to be given for city and Common Council SEC. 13. The mayor, or in case of his absence or disa- City meetings, how bility, the acting president of the board of aldermen, or in the absence of the mayor and of said president, the senior alderman present in the city may, at any time, and when thereunto instructed by order of the Court of Common Council, shall call a city meeting; and may, at any time, and upon the request in writing of any two members of the Common Council board of aldermen, and four members of the common council board shall, without unreasonable delay, call a meeting of the Court of Common Council, by issuing a warrant to the marshal or any deputy marshal of the city, requiring him to notify the electors of the city, or the members of the Court of Common Council, as the case may be, that such meeting will be holden at the time and place in such warrant desig- meetings. nated, which warrant, in the case of a city meeting shall specify the objects thereof, and shall be issued and served at least two days before the day when such meeting is to be holden, and service of said warrant shall be made by causing a true and attested copy thereof to be published in at least two daily newspapers issued in the City of Hartford, and by fixing a true and attested copy thereof on the public signpost in said city. The Court of Common Council, whenever, Common Council in their judgment, an emergency requires a city meeting to shorter notice, be called on shorter notice, may, by a suitable vote, prescribe the manner of warning the same. Warrants for city meetings shall be returned before the meeting to the city clerk, Service and return with a suitable endorsement of service. All warrants for meetings of the Court of Common Council shall be served by leaving a copy thereof with each member of said court, may prescribe when. of warrants. or at his usual place of abode, and shall be returned, with a proper endorsement of service, before said meeting, to the clerk of the board of aldermen; and a certified copy thereof, and of said endorsement shall, before said meeting, be left with the clerk of the common council board. Joint convention, when held for election of officers. Vacancies, how filled. Officers chosen annually by concurrent vote. CHAPTER II. ELECTION AND DUTIES OF CERTAIN CITY OFFICERS. Joint Convention of Common Council, City weigher, and duties. Be it ordained by the Court of Common Council of the City of SECTION 1. A meeting of the entire Court of Common Council shall be holden yearly upon the second Monday after the annual city election, for the choice of such officers as are to be chosen by said court in joint convention. If any vacancy shall occur in any of the offices filled by this board in joint convention, said vacancy may be filled at a meeting of the same especially warned for that purpose, and the person chosen to fill such vacancy shall hold his office until the next annual meeting of said board, and until another be chosen in his place, and sworn. SEC. 2. A meeting of the Court of Common Council shall be holden annually within fifteen days after the annual city election, for the choice of such other officers as may be required, to be chosen annually by the Court of Common Council, all of which shall hold their office for one year, and until a successor shall be appointed and qualified. If any vacancy shall occur in any of the offices so filled said filled. vacancy may be filled at a meeting of the Court of Common Vacancies, how Council specially warned for that purpose, and the person chosen to fill a vacancy in any office under the charter or ordinances of the city shall, when qualified according to law, be vested with all the powers and functions pertaining thereto, for the full unexpired portion of the term in which Appointee of, enthe vacancy shall have occurred, and shall be entitled to such part of the salary and emoluments of his office as shall be justly proportioned to the time for which he shall hold the same. titled to part salary. council board, when chosen. SEC. 3. There shall be chosen, annually, at the first sepa- Officers of common rate meeting of the common council board after the annual city meeting, a president, vice-president, clerk, and messenger, who shall hold office until their successors are chosen and qualified. The president and vice-president shall be members of said board. The presiding officer of said board Presiding officer shall not vote in any meeting except when the action of said board shall result in a tie, or when by voting in the negative his vote shall make a tie, in which latter case such question shall be lost. may vote, when. Duties of clerks of board of aldermen and common SEC. 4. The clerk of each board shall attend the meetings thereof, and duly record the orders and proceedings thereof, council. and deliver true and attested copies of his records as often as required. The clerk of each board shall note on every vote, resolution, or ordinance of such board, a brief statement of the action of such board thereon; and whenever such proceedings are had thereon as make the action of the other board proper, he shall cause the same to be transmitted as soon as may be to said other board; and whenever the board, of which he is clerk, shall have concurred with the other branch of the Court of Common Council in passing any vote, ordinance, or resolution, he shall cause the same to be transmitted as soon as may be to the mayor for his approval. Court of Common SEC. 5. The clerks of each branch of the Court of Com- Journals of the mon Council of said city, shall keep a journal of the doings and proceedings thereof, and after each meeting shall cause the same to be printed in sufficient numbers, and distributed to each member of said Court of Common Council, and to |