The time allotted for this paper will permit only a brief statement of the tendencies manifested in recent municipal legislation. For this purpose, it may be well at the outset to state the classes of municipal legislation. In the first place, there are the constitutional provisions relating to cities which determine the general powers to be exercised by the legislatures and the cities respectively. Next in order of rank are the municipal codes and special charters passed by the legislatures and the charters framed and adopted by the cities themselves.