presentation and auditing of an account when said tax shall have been collected. SEC. 47. That no salary of any officer to be elected according to the provisions of this act, shall be increased by any act or ordinance to take effect during the term for which such officer shall have been elected, unless such act or ordinance shall have been proposed at a stated meeting of Councils, and passed at the next or a subsequent stated meeting; and in all cases where the salary of any officer shall not be fixed by law, it shall be fixed by ordinance of the City Councils. SEC. 48. That if any person elected to any office herein provided, shall refuse to take upon himself the duties of such office, he shall forfeit and pay the sum of twenty-five dollars, to be recoverable before any Alderman and paid into the treasury of said city, unless the same be remitted. by the city Councils, who are authorized upon sufficient cause shown, by joint resolution, to remit fines and penalties imposed on persons by virtue of the laws and ordinances of said city; and no person shall be incapacitated from being a judge, juror or witness, in any suit for or against the said city, in consequence of such person being a citizen or officer of the said city. SEC. 49. That all persons now holding offices under the present charter shall hold their offices as they now may, or can do by law, until the officers provided for in this act are duly elected and qualified under the provisions of the same. SEC. 50. That this act and the powers and authorities herein vested in the said city, shall not be impaired, affected, defeated or destroyed by any neglect or omission to appoint all or any of its officers at the time or times allotted for the same, and in case of any such neglect or omission, the Mayor of the said city shall forthwith take all necessary measures to cure and supply such defects and omissions, giving due notice thereof. SEC. 51. That all acts and parts of acts inconsistent with this act, are hereby repealed: Provided, That the repeal of said acts shall not affect any act done, or any right accruing or accrued, or established, or any suit or proceeding had, or commenced, in any civil case before the time of the repeal; and no offence committed, and no penalty or forfeiture incurred under the acts hereby repealed, shall be affected by the repeal; and no suit or prosecution pending at the time of repeal for any offence committed, or for the recovery of any penalty or forfeiture incurred under the acts hereby repealed, shall be affected by such repeal: And provided further, That the ordinances now in force in said city shall continue in force, so far as the same are not inconsistent with this act, until 47. Ibid., Sec. 34. 48. Ibid., Sec. 35. 49. Ibid., Sec. 36. 51. Ibid., Sec. 38. the same shall be repealed, altered or supplied under the authority given to the Councils of the said city. SEC. 52. That the Court of Common Pleas of said county be and they are hereby authorized to appoint yearly a Board of Health, consisting of five resident real estate owners of said city, who shall serve without receiving any compensation therefor. SEC. 53. That the commissions of all Aldermen, expiring before the time herein provided for the election of Aldermen in the several Wards, shall continue for a period of thirty days after the time of said election; and all acts and proceedings had by them by virtue of their office up until said period, shall be valid and effectual. 52. Ibid., Sec. 39. 53. Ibid., Sec. 40. No. 13. SUPPLEMENT To the Charter of the Municipial Corporation of the City of Lancaster, changing the time of holding certain elections in said Corporation and for other purposes. Signed by the Governor, March 22, 1869. SEC. 1. Be it enacted &c., That so much of an act amending the charter of the municipal corporation of the city of Lancaster, and dividing the same into nine wards, which was approved April 5th, 1867, as provides for the election of certain officers therein named on the first Friday of May, and so much of an act to change the time and manner of electing School Directors in the city of Lancaster, and to define the qualification of voters for the same, approved March 16, 1868, as provides for the election of twelve School Directors annually, on the fourth Friday of March, between the hours of one and seven o'clock in the afternoon, be and the same are hereby repealed; and all officers provided in and by said two acts, to be elected on the said days, shall hereafter be elected annually on the second Tuesday of October, and the Mayor shall issue his proclamation to the qualified voters of each ward, at least twenty days before said second Tuesday of October, for the purposes provided in the fifth section of the above first named act. SEC. 2. That the terms of all the officers elected solely by the electors within the corporation, including Constables and School Directors, whose terms expire by the present laws at any time in the year Anno Domini 1869, and the terms of all the officers whose terms expire in the year Anno Domini 1870, shall end and expire on the second Wednesday, after the second Tuesday of October, Anno Domini 1869; and the terms of the present members of Select Council for the Fifth, Seventh and Ninth Wards, shall expire on the second Wednesday after the second Tuesday of October, Anno Domini 1870; Provided, That the commissions of all Aldermen expiring before the time herein provided for the election shall continue for a period of thirty days after the time of said election, and all acts and proceedings had by them by virtue of their office, up until said period, shall be valid and effectual. SEC. 3. That the qualified electors of said corporation shall, on the second Tuesday of October, Anno Domini 1869, elect a citizen duly qualified to the office of Mayor of said corporation; the electors of the Second, Sixth and Eighth Wards shall each elect one person duly qualified to the office of Select Councilman, and the persons so elected shall each hold said office for the term of three years; the electors of the First Third and Fourth wards shall each, on the second Tuesday of October, Anno Domini 1869, elect one person duly qualified to the office of Select Councilman, and the persons so elected shall each hold said office for the term of two years; the qualified electors of the Fifth, Seventh and Ninth wards shall each, on the second Tuesday of October, Anno Domini 1870, elect one person duly qualified to the office of Select Councilman, and the persons so elected shall each hold said office for the term of three years, from the second Wednesday after the second Tuesday of October, Anno Domini 1870. SEC. 4. That so much of section twenty-five, of the act of incorporation of March 20, 1818, and so much of section eleventh of the supplementary act of incorporation of April 5, 1867, as would appear to render persons holding certain offices ineligible as officers of the corporation, be and the same are hereby repealed, except as refers to aldermen and members of the Legislature of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; and hereafter, no District Attorney, Sheriff, or other officer, except member of Congress and member of the Legislature of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, shall on that account be ineligible to hold any office of the corporation, or any office filled solely by electors of the corporation. SEC. 5. That at the election on the second Tuesday of October, Anno Domini 1869, the qualified electors of the corporation shall, in the manner indicated in the act entitled "An Act to change the time and manner of electing School Directors in the city of Lancaster, and to define the qualifications of voters for the same," approved March 6, Anno Domini 1868, elect twelve persons duly qualified to serve as School Directors for two years, and twelve to serve for three years, from the first Thursday of November following, and on the second Tuesday of October, Anno Domini 1870, and annually thereafter, the qualified electors as aforesaid shall, in the same manner, elect twelve persons duly qualified to serve as School Directors, for the term of three years, from the following first Thursday of November. SEC. 6. That the name of the Mayor, together with all the officers provided by this act, to be elected annually on the second Tuesday of October, shall be written or printed on one ticket, separate from the State and County officers; said ticket shall be headed "City Officers," and shall be deposited in a box provided specially for that purpose. SEC. 7. That from and after the passage of this act, the Mayor or any other officer receiving a salary from the city, shall not receive more than one-half of any fees from the county of Lancaster, for the arresting and committing for vagrancy, drunkenness and disorderly conduct, and no fees for such cases dismissed on account of no cause of action. SEC. 7. That if any member of Select or Common Council shall absent himself from three successive meetings, thirty minutes after the hour appointed, without reasonable excuse, his seat shall be declared vacant; and from and after the passage of this act, if a vacancy occur in the Select branch for the cause herein named, or by death, removal from the ward, resignation, or any cause during the term for which any member shall be elected, the same shall be filled for the unexpired term by their body. SEC. 9. That hereafter the City Treasurer, instead of being elected on the Wednesday after the city election, as is provided in the twentyfifth section of the act of April 5th, 1867, shall be elected in the manner in said act named, on the second Wednesday after the second Tuesday of October; and he shall hold said office for one year from the first day of November, in each and every year, and until his successor shall be duly elected and qualified. SEC. 10. That the Mayor is authorized and required to apply so much of the fund arising out of the sale of market places and privileges on the streets, as may be necessary to clean and remove away all offal and dirt on the streets and square, where such market stands are sold by the city. SEC. 11. That the Street Commissioner, under direction of the Mayor, is required to remove, clean and haul away all dirt and offal on said streets and square on each and every market day, who shall have authority to employ as much force as the Mayor may deem necessary. SEC. 12. That section twenty-seventh of the act of April 5, 1867, be and the same is hereby repealed; and that the terms of office of the three Auditors of Lancaster city shall end and expire upon the passage of this act. SEC. 13 All laws or parts of laws, so far as the same may conflict with or are repugnant to the provisions of this act, are hereby repealed. No. 14. FIRE AND LIFE INSURANCE.1 FIRE INSURANCE. The caution and care of the citizens of our city and county are fairly exemplified in the many Companies for protection from fire, both in the city and the county. In the county we have the "Lancaster County Mutual," the "Farmers' Mutual," "Northern Mutual," and one in the northern part of the county, without a Charter, the members being joined together agreeing to pay their respective shares of losses sustained by their neighbors (belonging to the association.) This form of Mutual Insurance, dates its origin from about the year 1609. It is said that about that year a proposition was made to Count Anthony Günther von Oldenburg, in Germany, that as a new species of finance, he should insure the houses of his subjects against fire, each paying for $100 valuation, $1 yearly. The Count would not accede to this scheme although he thought it might be well if a company of individuals could be formed to insure each others' houses, but he doubted whether it could by him be "honorably, justly and irreproachably instituted without tempting Providence, without incurring the censure of neighbors, and without disgracing his name and dignity." The New Mennonites do not insure their property, it being contrary to the discipline of their Church, but when any of their members sustain a loss by fire, it is made up by contributions from the members. The first Stock Company, the "Lancaster City and County," was chartered in the year 1838, with $200,000 capital, and located in Lancaster, of which the late James Evans was President, and John Zimmerman, Secretary. After a few years of prosperity, financial troubles overtook the country, and the Company having lost a large amount by the old Girard Bank, it was deemed advisable to wind up its affairs, which was done in 1846. During the year 1868, it was resuscitated and is now apparently doing a good business. In 1854, the "Inland Insurance and Deposit Company," was chartered with the addition of an Insurance Department, and is still continued. In 1861, the "Lancaster Home Mutual," was chartered, and has been brought to its present prosperous condition, mainly by its first and only Secretary, C. H. Lefevre, Esq. In our neighboring town of Columbia, we have the "Columbia Insurance Company," Stock and Mutual, and 1 Contributed by Hugh S. Gara, Esq. |