The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-02-21
TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO.
GROUND-RENT LOT OWNERS AP-
POINT a COMMITTEE.

Last Nights Meeting at the City f2
change-Dr. Falligant Reviews tn
City's Action. K. saussy's speech
P. J. O'Connor's Plan-A Committee
of Seven to Prepare some Plan an,
Report to Another Meeting - Mr.
Fawcstt's Resolutions.
The ground rent lot owners. to the mum
Der of about $50. held a meeting al the cit
exchange last night lasting two hou s, anS
committee was appointed to devise SOM
plan Of procedure to resist the taxation OF
the ground rent lots.
Isaac G. Haas was made chairman of tn
meeting and A. r. Fawcstt secretary. n,
one seemed to know who called tn
meeting or what were its objects
hut after tie QUESTION had been pu
direct to the chair BY Mr.. Ehlen, Mr. II 4as
replied that he understood that Messrs.
Fawcett and Nendel composed the commit
tee who had issued the call, but the object:
h ad not zen fully disclosed. He thought
however, that the object was TO consider
the proposition made by the city council 70
discount the pure hase money due, and give
fee simple deeds to those who desired to
avail themselves of the proposition
GEN. LAwToN's OPINION.
Gen. A. r. Lawton was called upon and
in a few brief remarks he discussed the
compromise. He was conservative and
declined to give legal opinion. He said, how
ever, that if the city council can tax the
ground rent lots, and means to tax them,
he thinks the proposition an exceedingly
liberal one.
Remarss were made by Robert McIntire,
Joseph Ehen, H. j. Thomasson and Others.
MIR. Mclntire thought it was arbitrary in
the council to enforce the payment of taxes
on the ground rent lots. They were ex-
empt from taxation long before he was
born. 1t has been custom for years not
TO tax hem, and custom, Mr.. McIntire
thinks, makes law. 1t would not be fair,
just or honest, he said, to break faith with
the ground renters now.
Mr.. 1homasson said that he has lease on
ground rent lot which he holds as a rep
resentative of the les ee. The lease was
dated in 1879, The lot has changed hands
and has been sold two or three times for
ground rent, but never for taxes.
THE CITY'S PLAN.
Mr.. Fawcett said that the city does not
seek to compel the ground renters to pay
the balance. 1t is going to tax them and
make the ground renters pay the ground
rent too, and offers a discount to those who
will pay the balance.
Mr.. Ehlen said that it would be an abom-
Unable act for the city to go back on its
contract. 1t has no right to compel the
payment of the taxes. Ii il wants to be
liberal, be said, let it remit the balance due
on that class of property and then tax.
DIR. Falligant explained why the city of
fered reduction, and he reviewed briefly
the reasons why the lots should be tlxed.
The ground renters, he said, were the first
n l. EaTN a A..l..
preme court by them, and the court held
that the title is in the grou d renters, and
where one of the lots was sold for default
In ground rent, it was held that the city
could only retain the balance due it, and
the remainder from the proceeds of the
sale should 60 to the ground rent lot owner.
Mr.. sAUssY's ARGUMENT.
j. R. Saussy, Esq, made an ingenious
argument requiring an hour in its delivery
he reviewed the history of the ground rent
lots from the time the legislature of Geor-
gla, at an early day, removed restrictions
giving the city, which was badly in need
OF money, the power to dispose of the
public commons. He argued that the
city has no right to tax, that the
title is in the city, aud that no court has
ever held to the contrary. The instruments
of writing, he said, are leases, and ground
renters owe nothing but ground rent, and
nothing more can be eXacted of them It
Is an inyiolate and perpetual contract made
nearly 100 years ago, and the city made the
contract IN sound principles of law and
finance. The clause in the lease that the
ground rent lots are ''only subject
to suca assessments and burdens as are com
mon to lot owners" he argued, refers to
such burdens as paving, sewerage, etc, and
not to direct taxation, and that while all
taxes hUrdQrC II a. as NOT ii <lot Ill
burdens are taxes.
Mr.. Saussy expressed the opinion that the
city council does not seriously entertain the
proposition OF taxing the property, but that
lts action thus far has been a device to OBJ
tam money, ard he held that the city has
no right, and never had, to tax the ground
rent lots, and never will have the right to
break Its own contract, and he expressed
tae belief that no court will 50 hold.
BIT OF ADVICE.
Mr.. Saussy concluded by stating that
every ground renter should act on his own
judgment, and he might take advantage of
The clty's offer If he desired TO own the lots
IN fee simple, but not because the lots are
taxable, for, he added, ''the ground renters
can snap their fingers al taxation"
There were many sallies of wit in Mr..
Saussy's speech, and several amusing
references to the city council, and Alder
man Falligant in particular. as the moving
spirit in the effort to tax the ground rent
lots. While DR.. Falllgant's name was not
brought out the illusions were so patent
that all understood them, and the grouud
renters laughed at his expense at eact
reference put in a serio-comic way. Dr.
Falhgant was summoned from the room by
a messenger before Mr.. Saussy con-
cluded his remarks, and one of his charac
teristic rejoinders was unfortunately lost
and regre fully so by not a few of thosC
present, who believe that the ground rent
ers should share in the burden Of taxation.
A COMMITTEE APPOINTED.
The following resolution by Waring Rus
sell was adopted:
RESOLVED That a committee of seven be an
pointed by the chair TO devise a suitable plal
ana report TO called meeting to be held mex
Tuesday evening.
The chair, in pursuance of the resolution
after the meeting adjourned appointed the
following committee: C. NJ. Gilbert, chair
man; David r Wells, Warning Russell
Robert McIntire, A. r. Fawcett, .Jobr
Lynch, and John NJ Williams.
The following substitute by Mr.. Fawcett
70 Mr.. RusselPs resolution was Withdrawn
Be it resolved, BY the owners of ground rent
lots, in meeting assembled, That we resist In tn
courts the collection of taxes on ground rem
lots, and TO that end committee Of five be an
pointed by the chair, he 10 be chairman I,
engage counsel and collect from the holders o
said lots fund sufficient to carry 1t through
the courts. and to get the said fund, to be col
iected pro rata on the value of the ground-ren
lots, and to get the signatures of all holders O
said lots, so we can all work in unison.
Mr. Haas 70 cd hat he