Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-12-20
MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS.
COUSCIL REFUSES TO GRANT THE
SITE ASKED FOR THE NEW JAIL.

ing the police barracks De sofa LOT Tue
purpose Of a site for the proposed build
ing.
The board was called to order by the
Mayor. Present: Aldermen Hamilton,
Thomas. Nell, Hanley, O'ConnOr, Wilder.
Green, Minis, Nichols, Wells and Hamlet.
The Clerk read the minut es, which
were confirmed.
The Committee on Accounts reported
that they had examined bills against the
city amounting to $13,O47 81, and recon-
mended that they be passed for payment,
except a bill of s. for a seal to be used by
the Health Officer. which the committee
did not deem a necessary expenditure.
THE NEW JAIL QUESTION.
The Committee on Public Sales and City
Lots presented the following report, which
was received as information:
SAVANNAH. GA. Dec. 70. 1888.
To the Honorable the Mayor and aldermen Of
the CitV If 4S1UGnnQh:
The Committee on Public Sales and City
Lots to whom was referred the second appli-
cation Of the Commissioners OF Chatham
county for the sale to them of the land adjoin-
ing the police barracks Tor the purpose OF
erecting new jail thereon. beg leave to say
that they have had the matter under cOnsid-
Grafton and have agreed not to submit spe-
eial report to Council on the SUBJECT. 1hey
recommend that Council take acton upon the
application at this meeting, but before doing
50 they suggest that the property owners IN
the immediate vicinity OF said site be allowed
another opportunity to protest, II they desire
to do so, against the granting of said applica
ton. The committee cannot agree upon a re-
port. and are unwilling to submit two reports
on the subject. They are satisfied that the
board are perfectly familiar with the reasons
in favor of and against the sale, and can de-
termine the question without any report from
the committee. Respectfully submitted,
II. j. O'CONNOR.
Chm Com on Public sales and CITY Lots.
The City Marshal reported the service
of notices for repair of sidewalks upon
certain parties. The report was received,
and the Marshal instructed to repair the
sidewalks in accordance with the Ordi-
nance.
RESTRICTING THE USE OF FIREWORKS.
Alderman Green offered the following
ordinance, which, by unanimous consent
of Council was read a second time and
put upon its passage and passed:
An ORDiN ANCE to amend an ordinance enti-
tied an ordinance to prevent the firing of
sky rockets. wheel rockets. Roman candles,
serpents, fire crackers, and other fireworks,
or Of any other articles or thing containing
gunpOwder, Illuminating powder, or other
explosive or decorating substance within
the corporate limits of the city, except in
the extended portion of Forsyth Place and
in public squares, and there only, during
five days before and ten days after Christ
mas uay ana the 4In Jay OF july IN Cdcu
and every year, and to prescribe the penal
ty for violation of this ordinance, passed
in Council Dec. y, 1880.
SECTION /. Be It ordained by the Mayor and
AIdermen Of the City If SacdHRdh. and Il is
hereby ordained By the authority 0f tie same,
That the above recited ordinance be, and the
same is hereby amended so as to restrict the
firing of sky rockets, etc, as set forth IN said
ordinance within the enclosure known as the
extension of Forsyth Place and in the public
squares south of Liberty street.
The ordinance heretofore in force al
lowed the display of fireworks in any
public square in the city. As protection
to the cotton warehouses in the lower part
of the city and the cotton in the streets, a
petition was presented, and in response to
its request the ordinance restricting the
firing of any kind of fireworks to the
squares south of Liberty street and the
Forsyth Park extension, was passed.
THE SALARY OF THE MAYOR.
Alderman O'COnnOr offered the follow
ing ordinance fixing the salary
of the Mayor for the coming
year at $500. In making the
reduction from $4,000 to $4,000, Alder
man O'COnnor stated it had been done at
the express request of the Mayor. With
the unanimous consent of Council the
ordinance was put upon its passage and
passed.
interested in the Market asking that the
Market be kept open all day until the oath
inst. was granted.
Several petitions for permission to
make sewer connections were referred
to the Committee ON Streets and Lanes,
with power to act.
A petition asking an amendment of the
ordinance prohibiting the use Of yelOci-
pedes i'm any Of the streets or squares of
- s.TFv Trr7 n no ~ of Gn
that the riding of children's and boys BIZ
cycles and tricycles in the streets and
squares shall be permitted, and the riding
of bicycles and tricycles of any size in the
park extension. The petition was referred
to the Committee on Streets and Lanes.
A petition from leading merchants to
abolish the income tax, was referred to
the Committee on Finance.
The Clerk was authorized to advertise
for an election for Clerk and Sheriff of
the City Court, to be held at the first regu-
lar meeting of the Council in January.
Alderman Thomas called attention to
the fact that the Council had adopted, at
its last session. a resolution changing the
hour of meeting from S O'Clock to 1870,
and the required notice of one week hav-
ing been given under the rules of the
Council, he called for a vote. The resOlu-
ton to change the hour was lost.
Alderman O'COnnor moved that the
Council consider the application of the
County Commissioners for the purchase
of the new Jail site adjoining the police
barracks. The petition was placed before
the board and declared open for discus
sion.
Alderman Hanley believed if the Council
should decide to sell the property at all 1t
should be sold at public cutlery and
knocked down to the highest bidder, and
should not be sold direct to the County
Commissioners or anybody else, without
giving the public an opportunity to bid
upon it.
Alderman Hamilton believed that a
fatality had hung over the Council ever
since the present board was organized.
1t had been struggling with financial
problems. and one thing and another, the
whole year. The matter of the Jail site
had already been before it, and, by a very
decided vote, had been disposed OF. He
believed that decision a final one. Since
it was voted he had heard no argu-
ment convincing him that it would be
best to grant the site asked for. The matter
had been fully discussed and voted upon,
and he therefore moved that the petition
be laid upon the table indefinitely. The
reading of the petition was called for, and
after being read, permission was granted
Hon. w. ID. Harden to address the
Council. Judge Harden reiterated his
made several weeks ago in OPP
position to the granting of the site. He
believed, with other citizens, that the city
should have a new Jail. The County Com
he stated, now own a
a place set apart and dedicated
to Jail purposes. 1t was granted the
county without the slightest objection.
Since it was granted the city had grown
and residences had been built in its vi
cinity and around 1t, and now those who
owned property in the neighbOrhood were
anxious to get rid of the Objectionable
object. He sympathiZed with them, but
i'm getting rid of it they had no cOnstitu-
tional right to depreciate the property of
other citizens by so doing. He saw no ar
gument in the petition in any way con-
him that the change of site would
be advisable and an advantage to the city.
If the Jail was to be an ornamental editice
and desirable building, and a structure
that people were going long distance to
see. let it be built upon the site of the
present one. The statement that the pro-
ceeds of the sale of the present site would
aid materially in erecting a new building,
he considered no argument. The matter
of police protection he looked upon as
no sufficient reason for the change of
site petltioned. The fact that the
Jail had been for the past hundred
years distant from the police station was
no argument favOring its removal under
its walls now. The police he did not con-
slider a garrison and a body of men, in
existence for the purpose of protecting
the Jail. If change Of site was to be
made let il be to some unobjectiOnable
ut rarsic