ements, for waterworks, sewers,
street-lighting, etc., may take more money than it would be prudent to
assess upon the community for immediate payment. In this case it would be
desirable for the community to have the power to issue bonds.

Again, with increase in population there is an increase in the number of
disputes over private rights, and temptations to crime become more
numerous. Hence the need of one or more courts having jurisdiction greater
than that possessed by justices of the peace. The conditions necessitate
also an increase in the number and the efficiency of the police. And to
render the police efficient it is necessary that they be under the
direction of one man, the same one who is responsible for the carrying out
of the ordinances of the council, namely, the mayor.

A community organized to comply with the foregoing requirements--divided
into wards, having a council made up of aldermen from those wards, having
a council authorized to levy taxes at its discretion, having a municipal
court, having regularly employed police acting under the direction of the
mayor--is a city, as the term is generally used in the United States.

Another reason for establishing a city government is frequently potent,
although unmentioned. The pride of the community can be thereby indulged,
and more citizens can have their ambition to hold public office gratified.

How Organized.--A city may be organized under general law or special
charter from the legislature. Large cities, and small ones with _great
expectations_, usually work under a charter. But the custom is growing of
organizing cities at first under general law. Then if a city outgrows the
general law, grows so that it needs powers and privileges not granted
therein, it may properly ask the legislature for a special charter.

As a type, the principal provisions of the general law of Minnesota are
here given, as follows:

"Whenever the legal voters residing within the limits of a territory
comprising not less than two thousand inhabitants, and not more than
fifteen thousand, and which territory they wish to have incorporated as a
city, shall sign and have presented to the judge of probate of the county
in which such territory is situated, a petition setting forth the metes
and bounds of said city, and of the several wards thereof, and praying
that said city shall be incorporated under such name as may therein be
designated, the judge of probate shall issue an orde