The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-12-14
TIE NEW COURT HOUSE.
The Causes of the Delay-The Tenn
porary County OAces.

4Lo NdOSeS Oh Tue O6lay- i 0o rem
porary County Oaices.
The report of the committee on the new
| court house, published in yesterdays MORN
| ING News, attracted considerable attention,
and there was a general feeling of relief
that the matter so long debated has now
assumed definite shape, and that talk will
soon end and work begin
On Wednesday Gov. Gordon signed the
bill, passed by the legislature this week. to
authorize the city authorities to grant to
the county Entertainments upon York and
President streets, for the purpose of enlarg-
i & the lot upon which the new court house
s to be built, and by the time the archite ct
completes the revision of the plans, which
Will require but few days, things will
assume more definite shape, and the
removal of the cou ty offices will follow the
completion Of the Whitfield building.
Judge Adams OF the superior court,
Judge Harden of the city court and the
committee OF the county commissioners
nave advanced the enterprise as rapidly as
possible, but as the general public is always
impatient when new enterprises are can
yassed and wants to know why things do
not progress as rapidly as they imagine
they might, the chairman of the new
court house committee, Col. J. II. Estill
was asked in regard to the matter. He has
answered in a way that will throw light on
thu whole subject, as it outlines the COM
mittee's plans.
Col Estill was asked: "What has been
the cause of the delay with the new court
house projectm
az think he replied, that the commit
tee has been as energetic in the matte
Of the new court house project as
circumstances would permit. At first
there was the question of site
for the building, and when it was
finally settled that there was no chance of
getting the old cemetery, and that the i'm
provements must be made on the site of t e
present building, the committee were divided
as to whether the o d edifice should be re-
modelled, or a new court house built. We
eventually agreed t. at it was to the best
interests of the county to erect an entirely
new building; one that would be
an ornament to the city, and
would serve the purposes of tho county for
a century at least. That question decided
satisfactorily, the next was: where we
should get the money. 1t was determined
funds was by issuing bonds. An election
was held to authorize the commissioners TO
make such debt. 1t was decided that the
county should issue bonds to the amount of
$4,000 for that purpose 1t also took con-
siderable time for the committee to agree
upon general plan of the proposed building
think that we now have all the prelimi-
naries arranged, and it is reasonable to ex-
pect that within three months the building
will be in course of construction.
"What will the new court house cost the
countv?'
THE building will cost over 100000, l
think, but the county commissioners expect
to pay for it without increasing the rate of
taxation, and they don't expect to sell any
| bonds until the last dollar, as it were, in the
county treasury is exhausted. Beside the
| p emium which the bonds will sell for the
| county commissioners expect to save six to
| nine months interest on the loan.
| THIS will add from $1,000 to $50, QUO
| to the fund. It is very fortunate, in my
| opinion, tuat the Whitfield building Will be
| ready just about the time the county will
| require new quarters. It is well adapted
| for temporary use as a court house. 1t will
afford ample room for the two courts and
all the public Offices"
"Wnat Will be done with the county
recordsr'
VI think the plan suggested by Mr.. Pres
ton, the architect, the best, as we'll as tho
only one that is practicable-namely, to
| erect a flreproof structure in one of the pub
lie squares. What should be done to pro-
tect the b }oks and other records of the
courts and the county while the new build
committee no little anxiety. Those records,
| once lost, cannot be replaced, and their loss
would be public calamity and would
cause endless trouble for all
| time to come. No risk should
be incurred in protecting them
| from mutilation or destruction. 1t was
suggested that the vaults now I'm use might
be kept intact until tho new uilding is fl =
| ished There are number of reasons why
tat cannot be done. The principal
objection, however, and that settled
the question, was that in digging
out the basement for the new build
ing, the vaul S could not be made Sc
cure. 1t was finally agreed to ADOPT
Mr.. Preston's suggestion aud erect
small fire proof structure in
one Of the public squares, which could be re-
moved when the new court house is COM
pleted. In such a building the records would
be easy of access to those who are entitled
to examine them, and they ,uld be safe
from damage from fire or falling walls in
the event of fire in the neighborhood. [
did not like the plan at first, as it entailed
what l thought an expense that might be
avoided. Other members of the committee
were of the same opinion, but the more we
discussed it, the more we favored Mr. Pres
tons views 1t is the best plan, think, for
aft ding perfect protection to the valuable
archives OF the county, in the preservation
of which Citizan iS inf nd