The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-07-20
THE MAYOR TO Be BOSS.
His Complete Control OF The Police
Under The Proposed Ordinance.

Sergeants And Privates to be APP
pointed or Dismissed Whenever It
Appears Expedient, Without A
Hearing-The Council Not Likely to
Pass the Ordinance without Amend
ent-InvestiRation Of the Police
Department Urged-Other Matters
Discussed.
Alderman O'Brien introduced Mayor
McDonough's new police ordinance in
council yesterday afternoon. The ordi-
nance proposes a startling departure
from the present manner of appointing
and discharging officers and privates of
the police force, and proposes to place the
power in the hands Of the mayor to appoint
or discharge any sergeant or private at
any time, with or without cause, when
ever it appears to him that such officer is
no longer necessary to the force, The
ordinance reads as follows:
An ordinance to repeal 50 much Of an or
dinance passed Nov. %, 1881. as provides for
the appointment of sergeants of police and
to repeal so much of ordinances passed
Jan ., 1859 and May p, 1871 as provides for
the appointment Of privGtes OF police and
to repeal section 1862 of acDonelTs code
requiring policemen to be tried in the po-
lice court for breach Of good order, disci-
pline sc.
Section l. BE it ordained by the mayor
and aldermen Of the city OF Savannah in
council assembled, and it is hereby ordained
by authority Of the same, that the portions of
the said above recited ordinances alluded to
and contained in sections 149 31S and $40
MapTlOup1l'g ODD
and the following substituted therefor:
The sergeants Of police shall be ap-
pointed by the mayor on rec
ommendatiOn of the chief of police.
subject to the approval Of council, and shall
hold their office during good behavior and
capacity to discharge the duties Of their office;
provided, nevertheless, that upon rocommen-
datiOn Of the chief of police the mayor may
discharge any or all of the said sergeants
whenever in the opinion Of the mayor the ser
vices of any or all OF the said sergeants are no
longer desired for the police service, said dis
charge to be with or without cause and sub
ject to the approval of council.
sec. ,. The privates of police shall be ap-
pointed by the mayor on recommendation Of
the chief of police, ana they shah continue in
the employ OF the city as privates Of the police
force during good behavior and capacity to
discharge the duties Of the'position; provided,
nevertheless, that upon recommendation of
the chief of police the mayor may discharge
any private of the police for violation of any
of the rules or regulations of the police de-
partment or of any of the city ordinances, and
may, on the recommendation of the chief of
police, discharge any private, with or without
cause whenever in the opinion of the mayor
his services are not necessary for the police
EafarV
Of the aforesaid, that the mayor and alder
men Of the city of Savannah shall always
have the right to discharge any or all of the
sergeants and privates of the police force,
whenever in the opinion Of the board, such is
desirable, or q reorganization in the said de-
partment is necessary.
Sec. 3. Be it further ordained that that
portion of the ordinance passed in 1880, and
contained in Section 800, MacDoneus code
which requires that policemen shall be tried
in the police court for breach of discipline,
good order and violation Of rules and regula-
ttons be, and the same Is hereby repealed
The last section of the ordinance is the
repeating clause.
The aldermen were we'll aware that the
ordinance would be introduced and mani
Tested no surprise at its propositions.
ALDERMAN DIxoN's RESOLUTION.
Alderman Dixon had prepared the fol-
lowing resolution upon the subject. 1t
appeared to be a counter-move to the
mayors ordinance, and read as follows:
Whereas, In his annual report for the year
1892, his honor, the mayor, called attention to
the need of Improvement in the police ser
vice.
Be it Resolved, That his honor, the mayor.
together with the committee on police, be
and they are hereby requested to make a
thorough investigation of the department
and report to council such recommendations
as may improve the service.
From expressions of members of the
board after the meeting, it is evidently
the intention of the police committee to
make a thorough investigation of the po-
lice department, and see what fOunda-
tiOns, if any, there are for the charges
made against the department by the
mayor in his report. The members of the
police committee appear to think that
there is room for reform, and they are
willing to have a thorough investigation
They do not appear, however, to take
very kindly to the mayors plan for
improving it. The idea seemed to be that
there is too much of the One-man power
in the new ordinance.
IL ullSub NOIh al IIBUJ WIN Mayor
McDonough," said one alderman, but
how about the next mayor that comes in?
And with new mayor and a new chief
of police, these two might fire every man
in tie department, if they saw fit"
1t is not very likely that the new ordi-
nance will pass. IL will not do so in it's
present shape, at any rate.
There were only two members
of the council absent from the
meeting Aldermen Wells and
Cam, both of whom are absent from the
city. Those present were: Mayor Nc
Donough Aldermen Dixon, Screven.
Myers, Folliard, Mills, Harris, Haines
Mcmillan, O'Brien and B0han
The usual amount of routine business
was transacted. A number of applica-
tons were made for payment for articles
destroyed by the sanitary department,
which were referred 10 the health and
cemetery and finance committees.
THE CHRIST CHURCH RAILING AGAIN.
The committee appointed to confer with
the Christ church authorities for the pur-
pose of securing the removal of the rail
ing at the back of the church on Dravton
street, reported that the church 6uthori-
ties had agreed to the removal of the
railing so as to allow of the widening Of
the side walk.