JOINT RULES AND ORDERS

OF THE

CITY COUNCIL.

ARTICLE I.

Committees.

SECTION 1. At the commencement of the Municipal Year the following Joint Standing Committees shall be appointed by the presiding officer of each branch; provided, that either branch may determine to choose them by ballot, namely:

1. A Committee on Finance,-to consist of the Mayor, two Aldermen, the President, and four members of the Common Council.

2. A Committee on Accounts, -to consist of two Aldermen and three members of the Common Council.

3. A Committee on Public Property,- to consist of two Aldermen and three members of the Common Council.

4. A Committee on Water, to consist of two Aldermen, the President and two members of the Common Council.

5. A Committee on State Aid and Soldiers' Re

lief,-to consist of two Aldermen and three members of the Common Council.

to

6. A Committee on Fuel and Street Lights, consist of two Aldermen and three members of the Common Council.

7. A Committee on Fire Department,- -to consist of two Aldermen and three members of the Common Council.

8. A Committee on Highways, -to consist of two Aldermen and three members of the Common Council.

9. A Committee on Printing, -to consist of one Alderman and two members of the Common Council. 10. A Committee on Burial Grounds, to consist of two Aldermen and three members of the Common Council.

11. A Committee on Ordinances, to consist of two Aldermen and three members of the Common Council.

12. A Committee on Claims, to consist of the Mayor, one Alderman, the President, and two members of the Common Council.

SECT. 2. On all Joint Committees, of which it is provided that the Mayor shall be a member, in case of the non-election, deccase, inability, or absence of that officer, the Chairman of the Board of Aldermen shall act ex-officio.

SECT. 3. The member of the Board of Aldermen first named on every Joint Committee, of which the

Mayor is not a member, shall be its Chairman; and in case of his resignation or inability the other members of the same Board, in the order in which they are named, and after them the member of the Common Council first in order shall call meetings of the Committee and act as Chairman; and in case, from any reason, any Joint Committee shall not have been assembled within three weeks from the reference of any matter to said Committee, the member of the Common Council first in order shall call meetings of the Committee.

SECT. 4. Joint Standing Committees shall cause records to be kept of their proceedings in books provided by the City for that purpose. No Committee shall act by separate consultations, and no report shall be received unless the subject thereof shall have been considered in Committee actually assembled.

SECT. 5. No Chairman of any Committee shall audit or approve any bill or account against the City for any supplies or services which shall not have been ordered or authorized by the Committee.

SECT. 6. No Committee shall enter into any contract with, or purchase, or authorize the purchase of, any articles of any member of the City Council or of any member of any Municipal Board of the City. (Gen. Stat. 1875, Chap. 232.)

SECTION 1.

ARTICLE II.

Ordinances, Orders, etc.

All By-Laws passed by the City Council shall be termed "Ordinances," and the enacting style shall be: "Be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Somerville."

SECT. 2. In all votes, when either or both branches of the City Council express anything by way of command, the form of expression shall be "Ordered "; and when either or both branches express opinions, principles, facts, or purposes, the form shall be "Resolved."

SECT. 3. In every case of an Ordinance or joint order, or joint resolution or an amendment thereof, agreed to in one Board and dissented to by the other, a conference may be had at the request of either. Committees of Conference shall consist of three members on the part of each branch of the City Council representing its vote, and the Committee appointed for the purpose shall meet as soon as convenient, state the views of their respective Boards for and against the measure or amendment, and confer freely thereon. Their report shall be made in writing to the branch asking the conference, and may be either accepted or rejected; but no other action shall be had except through a new Committee of Conference.

SECT. 4. When either Board shall non-concur in any Ordinance sent from the other notice thereof shall be given by written message.

SECT. 5. Every Ordinance shall have as many readings in each Board as the rules thereof shall require; after which, the question shall be on passing the same to be enrolled, and when the same shall have passed to be enrolled it shall be sent to the other Board for concurrence; and after its passage to be enrolled in concurrence the same shall be enrolled by the Clerk of the Common Council and examined by a Committee of that Board; and on being found by said committee to be truly and correctly enrolled, the same shall be reported to the Common Council, when the question shall be on passing the same to be ordained. After its passage to be ordained it shall be signed by the President and sent to the other Board, where a like examination shall be made by the Committee on Enrolment of the Board of Aldermen, and the same proceeding thereon shall be had as in the Common Council; and when it shall have passed to be ordained in both branches it shall be signed by the Mayor.

SECT. 6. No enrolled Ordinance shall be amended.

SECT. 7. No vote by which a joint order, or resolve, or Ordinance has been passed in its final stage shall be reconsidered by either Board after the same has been finally acted upon in the other Board,