Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-01-08
WORK OF TUE COUNCIL.
The City Refuses to Grant the Barracks
Lot "a a site for the New Hall

Lot as a Site for the New Jail.
The City Council occupied the greater
part Of last nights session in disposing of
the ordinance granting the County Com
missioners the lot in the rear Of the police
barracks as a site for the new Jail. The
matter has been before the Council for
long time, and was finally settled last
night in the defeat Of the ordinance by a
vote of to 5. Aldermen Thomas, O'Con-
nor, Derst, Wells and Hamlet voted in
favor of granting the site, and Aldermen
Hamilton, Nell, Hanley, Wilder, Green,
Minis and Nichols against it.
Alderman OConnOr addressed the
Council in support of the ordinance. The
county, he said, had purchased a site for
the Jail on Liberty and Price streets, and
would erect the Jail there unless the bar
racks site, which it deemed more desira-
BILE, could be obtained. 1t had been
claimed that the county had no idea of
erecting the Jail on the Liberty street site,
and that it would not even II the barracks
site could not be secured. In order to be-
come satisfied on this point he had address,
ed letter to the County Commissioners
asking whether they would use the Lib
erty street site in event of their being
unable to secure the barracks site. He
read the Commissioners reply, in which
they stated that unless they could obtain
the barracks site, which they deemed
more desirable, they would begin without
delay the erection Of the Jail on the site
they had already purchased. The grand
jury had declared emphatically that the
barracks site was the more available and
the more eligible site of the two under
consideration. So far as the Objectionable
features OF the Jail were concerned, it
would be the least Objectionable on the
barracks lot because it would be
the most isolated there, and
being in the very shadow
Of the barracks, under every prOtec-
ton which the city could throw
around it, it would be in the safest place.
Some years ago it was urged that the
building of the hospital near the Park
would retard the progress of that
locality, but the prediction had
failed. The Alderman could not see
how the jail, in the style
and manner in which 1t would be built,
any locality, and particularly that in
which the County Commissioners seek to
erect it. In order to satisfy himself as
to the effect it would have on the value of
property in the vicinity of the pro-
posed site he had addressed
a letter to the City Assessors
asking their opinion. He read their re-
VI
that it would not in the slightest degree
effect a depreciation in value. He also
read the opinions of a number of leading
real estate dealers. Among the number
were Capt. George W. Lamar, &. Nc
Laughlin & Son, Kennedy Il Blum, Capt.
Henry Blum and c. II. Dorsett. All con-
CURED in the opinion that the value of
property would not be deprecated, but
on the contrary would be appreciably en-
HANGED by the erection of the jail.
The opinions of these men, capable TO
Judge of the value of property, and I'M
influenced by any personal interests, he
believed, ought to have weight in the
decision of the Council.
Hon. 2. W. Meldrim, with Judge Har-
den, was present in the interests OF prop
erty owners. Mr.. Meldrim asked permits
sion to address the Council. The owners
of property in the vicinity of the proposed
site. he said, believed that their interests
would be seriously affected by the loca-
ton of the Jail there. If the Council should
pass the ordinance before it an injunction
would be applied for to restrain the
county from erecting the Jail on the site
now purchased, and if necessary it would
Re taken to the Supreme Court. If the
Supreme Court should decide that there
was no objection to the erection OF the
Jail there, then the objections to the bar
racks site would be withdrawn.
Alderman Wells-SuppOse the matter
is carried to the Supreme Court and an
Injunction is granted. What course would
be left for the County Commissioners to
pursue then?
Mr.. Meldrim-They would be forced to
select a site somewhere else. l am free
to say, however, that it is a matter of very
grave doubt whether the Supreme Court
would interfere in the matter.
Alderman Wells believed 1t was con-
coded by nine-tenths of the whole COM
munity that the barracks site was the
most eligible and available of any in the
city.
Alderman Hamilton was unable TO dis
cover why the matter had been brought
up again after it had been once disposed
of, unless it was, as he had heard, to put
the Aldermen on record. SO FAR as ne
was concerned personally he was already
on record and unless some new argument
was brought up he should not change his
opinion, The vote was then taken, the
ayes and nays being called as follows:
AYes-Alderman Thomas, OConnor,
Derst, Wells, Hamlet-5.
Nays-Aldermen Hamilton, Nell, Ham
lev, Wilder, Green, Minis, Nichols.
The ordinance recommended by the
Council as a committee of the whole, IN
regard to granting the Central Railroad
the right to build track across the city,
along the wharf front, was passed with
certain restrictions.
Some business of a routine character
was disposed of, among which was the
adoption of a resolution offered by the
Special Committee on City Extension, ac-
cepting the Map of the Extension south
of Anderson street, prepared by the City
Surveyor, and making it the official map
Of that portion of tie city.