to taxation in each district, for the purpose of defraying the expenses of lighting such district; which tax shall be assessed and collected in the same manner and at the same time as the other city taxes are assessed and collected: Provided, that only three-fourths of the aggregate cost of lighting each district shall be raised by special tax; the remaining onefourth being paid out of the general fund: And provided, further, that the districts shall not be chargeable with the cost of laying down the gas pipes and erecting lamp posts and lamps. gent expenses. 5. The common council shall have power to levy and Tax for contincollect a tax, not exceeding ten mills on the dollar, on the assessed value of all the real and personal estate and property within the limits of the city subject to taxation, and on all personal property of the inhabitants thereof, made taxable by the laws of the state for state purposes, in lieu of a county tax, to defray the general and contingent expenses of the city, not otherwise provided for by the charter or the amendments thereto. debt. § 6. The common council shall have power, annually, to Interest on city levy and collect a tax, as other taxes are collected, of not more than ten mills on the dollar, on all real and personal property in said city, subject to taxation, to pay the interest accruing on the bonded debt of said city; and to pay the principal of bonds falling due within the year next ensuing: Provided, the common council shall, annually, after the assessment for the current year, determine, by resolution or ordinance, what amount is necessary to pay such principal and interest, and shall only levy such per cent. as may be necessary to raise the required sum, not exceeding the per cent. authorized by this section. 7. The common council shall have power, annually, to School tax. levy and collect a tax of not more than one and a half mills on the dollar, on all the real and personal estate in said city, subject to taxation, for the purpose of purchasing grounds for school houses, and for building, furnishing, and repairing the same; also, annually, to levy and collect a tax of not exceeding one mill and a half on the dollar, on all real and personal estate in the said city subject to taxation, to be expended in paying teachers and in purchasing books and apparatus for the city schools. 8. That, upon the application of the owners of one-half Paving and reor more than one-half of the front of the lots on any street or pairing of streets part of a street or alley, in said city of Alton, it shall be lawful for the common council to levy and collect a special tax on the owners of the lots on said street or part of a street or alley, according to their respective fronts, for the purpose of paving or macadamizing or repaving or remacadamizing or repairing said street or part of a street or alley; said tax to be levied and collected in such manner as the common council shall provide by ordinance: Provided, that all streets, so to Issue of bonds. Redemption. be improved, shall be first brought to grade by the city from the general fund: And provided, further, that if the owners of lots on one side of the street, only, shall so petition, then the common council shall order the improvement provided for by this section to be made to the center of the street or part of a street: And provided, further, that not more than three per cent. for such improvement shall be assessed in any one year: And provided, further, that the owners of lots fronting on said street or part of a street or alley, so to be improved, shall have the power of doing the work so ordered to be done, at his or her own cost and charges, under the direction of the common council, and thereby exempt his property from taxation for making such improvement: Frovided, further, nothing in this amendment shall be so construed as to affect contracts for the improvement of any street or part of a street, or owner of property fronting on such improvement, where such contract has been made prior to 1861. § 9. The common council, for general purposes of public improvement and the good of the city, may issue bonds for borrowing money, in any sum not exceeding, in the aggregate, including all indebtedness at the time, three hundred thousand dollars. 10. Under all sales of real estate, made in pursuance of this act, the owner or owners of the same shall have the same right of redemption as is allowed in tax sales under the act to which this is an amendment. § 11. The city of Alton may take, hold, receive, and purchase, lease and convey, such real and personal or mixed estate as the purposes of the city may require, within or without the limits of said city: Provided, that the common council of said city shall not have the power, either by lease, sale or otherwise, to cause the erection of any building or Railroad tracks. buildings on the public landing, or other grounds, now owned by said city, and fronting on the Mississippi river, but may authorize the laying down of one or more railroad tracks on the public landing or other streets, if, in their opinion, the interest of the city shall require it. Contracts. § 12. All ordinances and such resolutions for entering into contracts and appropriating money shall, before they take effect, be placed in the office of the city clerk; and, if the mayor approve thereof, he shall sign the same; and such as he shall not approve he shall return to the common council, at its next meeting thereafter, with his objections thereto. Upon the return of any ordinance or resolution, by the mayor, the vote by which the same was passed may be reconsidered; and if, after such reconsideration, a majority of all the members elected to the common council shall agree, by yeas and nays, (which shall be entered upon the journals,) to pass the same, it shall go into effect. it shall go into effect. And if the mayor shall neglect to approve or object for a longer period than three days after the same shall be placed in the clerk's office aforesaid, the same shall go into effect. § 13. If, at any sale of real or personal estate, on assessments for taxes, no bid shall be made for any parcel of land or any goods and chattels, the same shall be struck off to the city; and, thereupon, the city shall receive a certificate, in the corporate name of said city, of the purchase thereof, and shall be vested with the same rights as other purchasers at such sales, and shall have power to sell and convey the same as other real estate. And this section shall be considered as every way applicable to sales heretofore made for such assessments and taxes levied by said city of Alton, under the provisions of her charter and ordinances. Sale of property for taxes. 14. The city of Alton is hereby erected into a school School district. district. The school land, school fund, and all other real and personal estate, belonging to the township number five north, of range number ten west of the third principal. meridian, shall be divided between the city of Alton and the portion of the township lying without the limits thereof, by the trustees of schools of said township, within three months from the passage of this act. Said division to be made between the said city and said township without the city, in proportion with and according to the number of white persons, under the age of twenty-one years, residing in said city and without said city, in said township. § 15. The common council shall have and possess all Schools. the rights, power and authority necessary for the proper management of the school lands and funds belonging to the said school district; and shall have power to prescribe the branches to be taught in the different schools, to grade and regulate the same, and to enact such ordinances as may be necessary to carry their powers and duties into effect. 16. The school commissioner of Madison county shall, School funds. annually, pay to the school treasurer of the city of Alton the proportion of the school, college and seminary funds, to which the said Alton school district may be entitled, according to the number of persons, under the age aforesaid, residing in said district, taking his receipt therefor. § 17. So much of section twelve, (12,) of the "Act to incorporate the city of Alton," passed July 31st, 1837, as authorizes the city of Alton to levy and collect a tax, for the support of schools, of one-fourth (1) of one per cent. on the personal property in said city, be and the same is hereby repealed, as also so much of said section as authorizes the common council to levy a tax on the real estate in said city, sufficient or necessary to purchase lots and erect necessary buildings for schools, is hereby repealed. § 18. That each and every ward of the city of Alton shall constitute an election precinct; and the judges of elec tion, and the place of holding elections therein, for state and county officers, shall be appointed by the common council of Election pre Vote charter. said city, in the same manner that judges of the city elections. 19. All the acts and parts of acts to incorporate the city of Alton and the amendments thereto, which are repugnant to and in conflict with this act, be and the same are hereby repealed: Provided, however, that the city council of upon the the city of Alton shall submit the whole of this charter to the legal voters of the city, for their adoption; to be accepted or rejected by them, as a majority shall decide. The voters in said election may vote for or against the whole of said charter, or for or against any part or section thereof; and in case a majority of legal votes is cast for or against the whole charter, the judges of the election shall decide accordingly; or, if the majority of votes should be cast in favor of particular parts of said charter, the same shall be declared adopted and shall be in force. And the voters may designate on their tickets the section or sections they vote against. The election shall be conducted, in all respects, and notice given, as in the case of the adoption of the last city charter of said city. Said election to be held on the first Tuesday in April, 1861. This act to take effect and be in force, subject to such election, from and after its passage. APPROVED February 18, 1861. མ། In force February AN ACT to grant and establish a city charter for the City of Bloomington. 13, 1861. Corporate limits. SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly, That the inhabitants of the city of Bloomington, in McLean county, Illinois, be and they are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate, by the name and style of "The City of Bloomington;" and by that name shall have perpetual succession, and may have or not have a common seal, which they may change, alter or abolish at pleasure. § 2. The corporate limits of the city of Bloomington shall embrace a territory of one and a half miles square, extending three quarters of a mile east, west, north and south of the southeast corner of lot number sixty, in the original town of Bloomington, and shall also include all town plats and additions adjoining the above prescribed limits; and whenever any tract of land, adjoining the said limits or any addition to said city, shall be laid off into town lots, and the plat thereof recorded, the same shall be and form a part of the city of Bloomington as fully as if within the original corporate limits. 3. The inhabitants of said city, by the name and style Corporate powers aforesaid, shall have power to sue and be sued, to implead and be impleaded, to defend and be defended, in all courts of law and equity, and in all actions whatever; to purchase, receive and hold, lease, sell, convey and dispose of property, real and personal, within and beyond the corporate limits, for public purposes, for the use of the inhabitants of the city, and to improve and protect such property; and to do all other things, in relation thereto, as natural persons. § 4. The municipal government of the city shall consist Municipal officers of a mayor, and city council, composed of one alderman from each ward of the city: Provided, that if, at any general municipal election, a majority of all the voters at said election shall, in such manner as the council may prescribe, vote in favor of a representation of two aldermen from each ward, then the council shall be composed of two aldermen from each ward, and the council shall order a special election for the additional aldermen. § 5. There shall be a city clerk, a treasurer, a street commissioner, an assessor, a collector, a marshal, a chief engineer of the fire department, and such other officers as the council may deem necessary, from time to time, to appoint. § 6. The mayor, aldermen, treasurer, street commissioner, and all other officers of said corporation, shall be elected by the qualified voters of said city. The 7. An election shall be held in said city on the third City election. Monday in April, A. D. 1861, and at the same time in each year thereafter, to elect a mayor, clerk, treasurer and street commissioner, and aldermen in the proper wards. person having the highest number of votes, for the respective offices, shall be declared elected. At the election in April, a. D. 1861, aldermen shall be elected in wards number one and two, as now constituted; and the aldermen now elected from wards number three and four shall hold over during their full term. 8. The mayor, clerk, treasurer, and street commis- Term of office. sioner, shall, respectively, hold their offices for one year, and the aldermen for two years. All the other officers mentioned or provided for in this act or by ordinance of said city, shall hold their respective offices during the pleasure of the council. Officers elected to fill vacancies shall hold for the unexpired term only. 9. In case the people should fail to elect any of the officers herein required to be elected, the council shall forthwith order a new election for such office; and when any vacancy shall occur, by the death, resignation, removal, or otherwise, of any officers elected by the people, except aldermen, such vacancy shall be filled by a new election, within |