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DELEGATE CARSON: That is my exact fear,

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Delegate Chabot.

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THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Case.

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DELEGATE CASE: Mr. Chairman, so there can be

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no doubt about this point, and to answer Delegate

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Hardwicke's statement that section 23 (a) does grant the

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power to amend, I would like to state categorically that it

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does not and that it states only the procedure for amending.

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Section 11 of that article, article 23 (a), says

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"Every municipal corporation in this State shall proceed

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as in this subheading provided in exercising and applying

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the powers for the amendment of municipal charters, which

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are granted thereto by Article 11 (e) of the Constitution."

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So it is very clear in my judgment that muni-

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cipal corporation powers to amend stems not from Article

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23(a), which I grant is preserved, but from Article ll(e),

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which is not preserved.

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Now, Delegate Hardwicke has said that there is

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no reason for the emergency, and I would like to speak to

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that.

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There are many charters in this State, and they