206 DAVIS 



Washington," and that the city should be divided into three 

 divisions or wards, as then divided by the Levy Court, with 

 power in the council to increase the number of wards in its 

 wisdom. The council was provided to consist of twelve mem- 

 bers, elected annually by the qualified voters, and when elected 

 the twelve were to choose from their number by joint ballot five 

 to constitute the second chamber, the remaining seven to con- 

 stitute the first. The Mayor was provided to be appointed 

 annually by the President of the United States, and the cor- 

 poration was given usual municipal powers. A somewhat 

 unique provision was " that the by-laws or ordinances of the 

 said corporation shall be in no wise obligatory upon the persons 

 of non-residents of the said city, unless in cases of intentional 

 violations of bye-laws or ordinances previously promulgated." 

 By its terms, and in imitation of the very wise practice of the 

 State of Maryland at the time, the act was limited in force to 

 two years and to the end of the next session of Congress there- 

 after. By the supplementary act of February 24, 1804 (2 Stats. 

 254), the original act was continued in force for fifteen years 

 from the end of the next session of Congress ; certain additional 

 powers were given the corporation ; the Levy Court was de- 

 prived of the power to impose any tax upon the inhabitants of 

 the city, and the constitution of the Councils was changed by 

 provision that future councils should consist of two chambers of 

 nine members each, to be chosen by distinct ballots, and that any 

 vacancy should be filled by the chamber in which it should 

 happen by an election by ballot from the three persons next 

 highest on the list to those elected at the preceding election. 



The Charter of the City was radically changed by the Act of 

 May 4, 181 2 (2 Stats. 721). By the terms of this act, after the 

 first Monday of June of that year the corporation was composed 

 of a Mayor, a board of aldermen and a board of common coun- 

 cil, and its corporate name was "The Mayor, Aldermen and 

 Common Council of the City of Washmgton." There were 

 eight aldermen, two from each ward, and twelve common coun- 

 cilmen, three from each ward, and all were elected by ballot by 

 the qualified voters, the former for two years and the latter for 

 one year. The Mayor was elected annually by ballot by the 



