The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-01-24
BOODLERS NAY CREEP IN.
WHAT Z Lax ENFORCEMENT OF
-EE CrTTsLAWs Nay LEAD TO.

Po.-.s .o- tte New Aldermen
n s..1--=7 W. has besa going over the
uszes q 80 ~ c-ds very carefully and
H. re --5sca-c=s and r1l=s governing
RIA +r.-s O.. aldermen expresses surpriss
-1s- in m ts-s = al -h= satsguzr1s thrown
s.--a-.5 .-= -.-7 70 prevent t1= members q
the bari t--- ing directly Or reno.e.y
INTEREST," b 3 rs-1l-ary way with TIE city,
TIA. t-5-sa- Is Z dollars are paid annually
% IS -a1 .--z
walk 20 .--eg-i.y q re Individual
-1=rfe-s e. c.--L Is u. sought 70 Be
"a id .- c-s5aa. t1s attorney SAYS that
liz AK, T. t-----z re or-lca-c@5 and
n - |5- -.- q .=--l-L e Ire people IS
r ~ h. -.e-5 .g--1le z-1--mel' else
where rt g.. e taE-ty = encouraged 1e-e il
NAV at--- frL..= rsl1D. ursc-uC llcus men
n r.-.- z- .---Ie y Z=- On TIE lizard from
r,-5-a-ar- -T@ Re cl,a1 tie fact that
. - a5l55 -s always Ero Wig one, and al
W. may 9-4F 10 e little us first year,
q. grows a-Es- and larger until after
swa.le ,s= as opel ard Ulco1ceale1-
T = u. -a-v sal -A=- re took the pains
>. Ill. hack -e- --e a---lus- allowed dur
icg TIE la5. ~ years. a-1 found that there
ygas e g~s..- -l al Ok by the city %
Eaer-L q --s 1szr1 .2st year t1al the
previous year. sri he si1sd, II you viii
take ~ pain, - g over the ACCOUNTS you
WI A11 =: So
For tie lsst f9ur months ct 1887 there
WIS paid rs-..y and indirectly 70 mem
b-rs II the bari q aldermen less than
81 ~. ana f,r ne last four months Of 1855
over $40
GCARDIy5 AGAINST COLLISION.
Section ~ Of the city code does not even
rya-n.t Al alderman = Be surety for any
ofsicer or employe Of the city, ''or IS surety
u a-Y person subject Or liable % pay
money or i other du.y % said city"
Section 70 pr llDits any ofticer Of coun-
eli or any person holding appointment
un3 r cJ1--I.. Hl-l alF salary annexed
thereto, T. BE- concerned directly OF indi-
r-ctlF il any c7a-rac- With the city council,
IL agents gT Office :. Or n any contract or
eagagemel. Il q pecualary character IN
q, nI-a tie city is directly OF Indirectly
c5acer1ed TINS 5 emphasized by
rue T. which provides that no bonds
shall 1e acc pted where a member OF the
Ioarl Is security. As there was evidently
some dJuo. whether section rs included
the mem jers Z tle board # aldermen aui
a. = was believed that public policy re-
1Iired tla- hey s1Culj have no p-c1nlary
.lteTes, 90 conflict wItn an absolute disin-
te-e~t-l.e-s il passing upon accounts due
ON toe CITY - the individuals, rule Il
was al Il-L as q cl1cbl1g safeguard
again. clI-c-IlZ interests between the
members Z the C luHcil On the one hand
and ,1s c..y on tie other. Rule IA Is as fo.-
low:
PROHIBITED FROM PECCyIARY INTEREST.
40 member 4 this board shall be
directly or Indirectly lnterest ed IN any con
tract, o1i-e " q po-a-nent 70 be made with
or derived from TIE board, anu which shall
have annexed 70 It any pecunlary advan-
taEs IT euglume1C.
This rule vas adopted in March, 1885. and
TIE lEsc c7uucl and the present council re-
alOpysi j.. IL enforcement VIII dis courage
interruptions men from IS airing to become
aldermen from pecuniaIy motives, "a d, I"
added the attorney who has been prescott
i1g his researches into he new clde, the
enforcement Of the rule in spirit and letter
VII insure a pure administration and inure
20 the interests Of good government, such
as are contemplated by the le in question:
There Is another abuse, said tie attor-
ney, and that Is tine sscres session. L IS
not a caucus. That application is a subter-
fuge. Il IS Q star casmber proceeding
against public policy, and Justlfles the sls-
plc!0n that the council IS d ing something
that 1t Is afraid for the public TO know
that II desires 10 conceal something from
tie public which the public ought 10 know.
1t IS clearly in violation Of Rule IL, pro-
vldiDg for open sessions.
STAR CHAMBER SESSIONS.
Here the lawyer opened to page As Of
MacDoneIs code, and read the rule, which
is as follows:
"Rule l6. Open Sessions.-The doors Of
the council chamber snail, on all occasions
during the sittIngs II council, be kept open
nor snail any citizsn be excluded therefrom.
nor shall the door, on any occasion be closed
but upon a vote Of a ma orIty Of the mem
bers present, or upon the occ tslOn Of cOun-
ell res living itself into a committee Of the
whole
Continuing, the attorney said that the
PROVISIONS requiring a alOrlty vote OF the
council 10 Close the doors, and in closing
the doors when resolving the council
into m Al.tee Of the whole,
were ey.deatly placed there only to
meet extraordinary exigencieS, such IS
when tle public apprehension might be
unnecessarily increased by the open dis
cussIol Of a threate ed visitation Of an
epidemic or riot; that in such
cases council might wisely close it,
doors and consider IN secret session the
best methods for providing against threat
ened dangers and allaying public excite
NEST. thing else viii justify a violation
II the 8 iric and letter Of rule 10, which was
deemed so essential in its operations as 70
place b. with but t. o other Of the twenty
five rules Of council in the category 4 rules
that may not be dispensed with save by the
unanimous consent Of the members
present.
ONE MAN CAN COMPEL OPEN SESSIONS.
1t Is held that it requires no changing of
the rules, as rule Is IS plain enough, only
wanting TO be observed, AID that To enforce
its Observance 1t only wants one brave man
TO refuse his cpusen TO dispense with IL,
and upon the objection If any member q
vote cannot be taken to 90 into secret ses-
sion, end hat beng the only way a secret
session can be held-by a majority of the
members preSent-the session must be open.
1t is also b. Id that it is an indirect way OF
avoiding tue public eye by meeting in the
mayors Office, adjoining the council cham
Der, as the business is ia fact transacted IN
tue mayors Office. wren It should be trans
acted in the cou ell chamber. whereas the
business is merely ratified tuere.
1t is argued that the claim that the secret
! caucus is held 10 facilitate tho business of
| the council and save time IS not an lngen-
uOus one, as the same conferences and ar
Guments OF interest to tue citizen aud tax
payer, would not require gre ter time IN
open session than in secret caucus, which
latter Is jusdfable only where ques-
lions Of party may arise II the
BODY if politically divided, and that if time
enters into the subject the council might