Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-01-04
THE ASSESSORS RESIGN.

They Retire from the City's Service in
Justice ssto Their lf-Respect"-Iheir
designations Accepted and New Asses
sOrs Appointed.
The action of the City Council, in set
ting aside the returns of the City As
SCISSORS and fixing a new basis of taxa
ton for the coming year, aroused a great
deal of excitement, and met with vigor-
GUS opposition on the part Of taxpayers IN
the city.
In accordance with the resolution
passed by the Council on Wednesday
night, directing that new assess
ment be made, a conference was
held yesterday evening between the AS
SCISSORS and the Committee on Assess
ments. The committee read the resolu-
tiOn referred to directing revision OF the
returns. and requested that 1t be made.
The Assessors in reply stated unless the
report of the committee in which the as
sessment they had made was character
lied as irregular. unequal and eXces-
sfvc'' be annulled and the language re-
tracted. and the ordinance carrying
out its recommendations be repealed,
they would have nothing further to do
with the matter and would refuse to con-
Z
The committee claimed that their report
was lust. and the language used was ex-
pressive of their judgment, and that they
would stand by il, having nothing to re-
tract and no apology to make.
At the conclusion of the conference the
resignation of four Of the Assessors-the
full board except Mr.. Kent-was rendered
to the Mayor:
SAVANNAH, ga. Jan. 3, 1854.
Han - .MVU9F. .NTTTnuIh.
SIR-In view Of the recent action Of COun-
Gil, as embodied in the published reports Of
the Committee on Assessments, ana IN view
Of the attitude of that committee IN our IN
terview, with them this day, we deem IL
due to our own self-respect to decline
further service as Assessors Of the city. and DO
hereby resign. Yours respectfully, N
ROBERT ID. WALKER.
JOHN G.. TAYLOR.
i. Il. ARMSTRONG.
JOIN NJ. WILLIAMS.
a meeting OF the Council was called at
) O'cIock, in obedience to a petition signed
/ by four Aldermen, in order that Immediate
/ action might be taken upon the report OF
/ the committee and the designations OF the
/ Tax Assessors. On the assembling of the
/ Council the Clerk read the report Of the
/ committee as follows:
The Committee on Assessments having met
| the Board of City Assessors and Informed
| them Of the resolution Of Council that they
| should revise the assessment Of 1888, and the
/ Board of Assessors having positively refused
I to do this unless this committee annulleQ lne
/ report of the committee and repealed the
/ ordinance reported TO Council December %,
1883. and passed at that meeting, this com
mittee il unwilling TO admit that there was
I any error in their report, and refuse TO comply
| with the demand of the Assessors.
After considerable discussion as to how
| the vacancies should be filled the commit
tee offered the following:
/ WHEREAS. Il. d. Walker, John G. Taylor,
/ B X. Armstrong and John NJ. Williams, CITY
| Assessors. have resigned;
Res0Ired. That Charles II. Dorset, Francis
I Blair, Thomas Daniels, w F. Chaplin and A.
| Kent. freehOlders, are appointed to revise the
assessment rs provided for in the resolution
! OF Council adopted January >. 1884. A ma
/ jOrity OF the freeholders may act.
Alderman Hamilton arose, after the
resolution had been discussed at length,
and said that while In consultation with
his personal wishes he would remain
silent, yet as an Alderman he was
called upon to express an opinion
publicly before the Council. He
was opposed to the whole matter Of OBJ
tanning a new assessment. He could see
no necessity for the appointment of new
/ board of Assessors. The Council have
shown by its action that it had no
use for the old board, and a new board
would have no assurance that their work
would not be ignored and their returns
the board just resigned. In regard to the
assessment, concerning which there had
been so much said, he had never yet seen,
nor had pointed out to him the glaring
irregularities and inequalities which it is
said to contain. He had seen nothing and
heard nothing, and been shown nothing
which he believed to be a sutfi-
cient reason for setting aside the
work of five men chosen for their qualiti-
cations, their judgment and estimated
ability to assess the valuation of city pro-
perty. He was satisfied that their as
! sessment was more regular than
that of 1879. If it was too
| high. let it be scaled down,
and decreased by revision instead of in
creasing by a fixed per cent. on old as
/ sessment, which was more irregular and
unequal than the one sought to be equal
lied. He doubted if a new Board of
Assessors would serve if appointed, and
| if they should they would have no guaran-
tee that their iabOrs would be approved.
He was opposed to the resolution.
After considerable further discussion
the resolution was voted upon and adopt
ed.