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HISTORY OF PHILADELPHIA.

CHAPTER XLII.1

THE MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT OF PHILADELPHIA.

City Departments-Duties of Municipal Officers-Condition of the City
Government-Civil Lists-Statistical Information, etc.

of an inhabitant of the district for which he shall be chosen, unless he shall have been absent on the public business of the United States or of the State of Pennsylvania; and no person shall hold said office after he shall have removed from such ward. Their term of office is three years. Each ward has a member of Common Council for each two thousand of taxable inhabitants that it shall contain according to the list of taxables for the preceding year, who shall serve for two years from the 1st day of January succeeding their election, and it is the duty of the sheriff of the County of Philadelphia, in his proclamation for every

BEFORE the 2d day of February, 1854, the territory of the county of Philadelphia was under the control of various municipal corporations, to wit: the mayor, aldermen, and citizens of Philadelphia, the commissioners and inhabitants of the district of Southwark, the commissioners and inhabitants of the incorporated district of the Northern Liberties, the commissioners and inhabitants of the Kensington District, the commissioners and inhabitants of the district of Spring Garden, the commissioners and inhabitants of the district of Moyamensing, the commissioners and inhabitants of the district of Penn, the commissioners and inhabitants of the district of Richmond, the districts of West Philadelphia and Belmont, of the boroughs of Manayunk, Germantown, Frankford, White Hall, Bridesburg, and Aramingo, and of the townships of which the naturalization certificate will be the best evidence. of Passyunk, Kingsessing, Blockley, Roxborough, Germantown, Bristol, Oxford, Lower Dublin, Moreland, Byberry, Northern Liberties, and Delaware, and Penn. On that day the Governor of Pennsylvania approved an act consolidating the aforesaid corporations, and changing the corporate name of the mayor, aldermen, and citizens of Philadelphia to "The City of Philadelphia," the boundaries of its territory being those of the county of Philadelphia. This act is known as the "Consolidation Act," and divides the city into wards, but continues the county of Philadelphia as one of the counties of the commonwealth, the same territory thus having a dual name, the county of Philadelphia and the city of Philadelphia.

2 QUALIFICATIONS OF ELECTORS.-Voting on Age.-Every male citizen between the ages of twenty-one and twenty-two years may vote without being assessed. He must previously have resided in the State one year, and in the election district (or division) where he offers to vote for at

least two months, before the election. If his name is not on the registry of voters, he must make affidavit, if a native citizen, as to his birthplace and residence in the district for two months, and in the State for one year, except in case he had been a resident and removed therefrom and again returned, when six months' residence will be sufficient. If he is not native born, but the son of a citizen naturalized during the son's minority, he must also produce proof of his father's naturalization,

The Legislative Power, and Councils.-The legislative powers of.the city are vested in two bodies, called the Select and the Common Council; the Select Council consists of one member from each ward, who must have attained the age of twenty-five years, and have been a citizen and inhabitant of the State four years next before his election, and the last year there

1 This chapter, with the exception of the civil lists and statistical tables, was prepared for this work by Isaac H. Shields, attorney-at-law, of this city.

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A natural-born citizen over twenty-two years of age must have paid within two years a State or county tax, which shall have been assessed at least two months and paid one month before the election. He must have resided in the State one year, or if, having previously been a qualified elector or native-born citizen of the State, he shall have removed therefrom and returned, then six months, immediately preceding the election. He must have resided in the election district where he offers to vote at least two months immediately preceding the election. If his name is not upon the registry list, he must produce at least one qualified voter of the district or division to prove his residence by affidavit, and

himself make affidavit to the facts upon which he claims a right to vote, also that he has not moved into the district for the purpose of voting therein. Proof of payment of taxes must be made by producing the tax receipt, or by affidavit that it has been lost, destroyed, or was never received.

A naturalized citizen must have the same qualifications as to residence in the State and district, assessment and payment of taxes, as a nativeborn citizen. He must have been naturalized one month before the election. If his name is not on the registry list he must prove his residence by the testimony of a citizen of the district or division, and himself state by affidavit when and where and by what court he was naturalized, and produce his naturalization certificate for examination. On challenge, he may also be required, even when his name is upon the registry list, to produce a naturalization certificate, unless he has been for five years consecutively a voter in the district.

QUALIFICATIONS OF ELECTION OFFICERS.

No person can be an election officer who holds, or within two months has held, any office or appointment under the Federal or State government, or under any city or county or any municipal board, commission, or trust, in any city, except justices of the peace, aldermen, notaries public, and persons in the military service of the State.

1703

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