The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-31
THEY WANT TO SEE THE BILLS.
ALDERMEN IN IGNORANCE OF THE
COMMISSION MEASURES.

I
! Submitted to Council Before Being
Introduced in the Legislature.
They Find Themselves Very Much
in the Dark on These Mntters-AI-
derman Garrard the Only Member
of the Board Who Knows What the
Bills Are.
The Introduction Of local bills in the
legislature from Chatham county has be-
gun. The bill amending the city's char
ter and giving it the right TO condemn
property for the purpose of opening and
extending streets was introduced yes;er-
day The bill to abolish appeals from the
recorders court and the bill TO straighten
Abercorn street opposite the city pound
lot have also been introduced.
The police commission ana the park and
tree commission bills We're forwarded to
Senator Osborne yesterday by City Attor-
ney Adams and would have been probably
introduced to-day had not the Chatham
members been telegraphed to hold them
up until they can be approve by the city
council.
There Is considerable interest in these
bills, especially the police commission
bills Alderman Garrard, who prepared
! the two bills sent up yesterday,
when asked about them, declined
to give any information as to their char
acter on the ground that it would be
improper to make public the contents Of
the bills until they have been introduced
in the legislator when they will become
public property.
The apparent secrecy with which the
bills have been surrounded brought on an
interesting discussion at the meeting Of
council yesterday afternoon. The meet
ing was about ready to adjourn, when
Alderman Hudson requested some infor-
nation on the subject of the various
city commission bills. 1t was understood,
he said, that these bills were introduced
at the request of council and with its
| approval This being the case, he thought
they sould be read before council before
being forwarded to Atlanta that the mem
bers might have the opportunity of pass
| ing on them. He had heard nothing Of
the bills, he said, and would like to have
| some information about them.
Alderman Hudson's request came as a
| it had been thought better to wait until
| the bills had been introduced in the Leg
islature before making them public. 1t
t mSyio to DC 5 the Chatham fhoP1i menu menu
bers, he thought, to allow them to
Introduce the bills before making them
.
time after being introduced.
Alderman Falligant moved that copies
of all the commission bills and all other
amendments to the city charter be fur
nished to the members of council for their
consideration. The motion was evident
~ regarded with favor by the other mem
bers present One of them remarked
that the general opinion throughout the
city was that the aldermen knew all
about the bills, when, as matter of fact,
they knew nothing about them.
! Alderman Garrard replied that he did
not consider the bills public property un-
til they were introduced in the legisla-
ture. The bills might be changed, he
said, by the members after receiving
them. He had no means of knowing, he
said, whether the bills would be intro.
duced as he prepared them. They might
be materially changed.
Alderman Hudson understood that the
bills We're to be submitted to council fol
for Its approval before being sent to At.
lanta, as 1t was understood that the bills
We're offered at the request Of council.
Mr.. Adams said that he was under this
Impression, and the two bills sent VI
by him had been sent by him as city
attorney and as coming from council.
! As IL was very plain that none of the
members of council were acquainted witt
the bills, except Alderman Garrard WhC
was engaged in drawing them up, anC
that the members were anxious to b'
acquainted with their contents, Mayo
Myers remarked that he had copies o.
! the two bills which had been already
sent up to Atlanta in his desk, and tina
J they could be seen by any member o.
} council who desired to do So
Mayor Myers said, when spoken to OF
| the subject, after the meeting, by Morn
ing News reporter, that there was no at
tempt at secrecy. 1T is not customar.
to make these bills public before thei
introduction" he said. 1t is courtes,
due to the members of the Legislature
} l have copies of the bills in my desk, ant
you are welcome to use them as soon a
| the bills are introduced
, Some of the aldermen, however, want
: ed the bills approved by the council be
fore they are introduced.
The amendment to the city charter CIV
ing it power to condemn property 70
street purposes, which was Introduce
yesterday, is as follows;
An act to authorize the mayor and alder
! | men of the city of Savannah to condemn
/ property for the purpose of widening, eX
l tending or Strengthening any street, lane
way or square in the city Of savannah,
: opening laying out, and establishing an,
new street. lane, way or square within
the limits Of said city; to provide fol-, tn
! method of exercising the right OF condem
, nation; and for other purposes.
Section l. Be it enacted by the genera
! assembly of the state of Georgia, ina
> the mayor and aldermen Of the city 81 "a
! vannah a municipal corporation OF TIM
state. is hereby authorized and empowers
to condemn property for the purpose O
widening, extending or Strengthening an
4 ( street lane way or square in the city o
Savannah, or opening, laying out, ana es
| tablishing any new street, lane, way o
| square within the limits of said city, an
I / ia nav damages to the oWner, or owners
: of said properly incident to the said con
! | demnation. The said municipal corpora
/ ton shall proceed in condemning proper
: tv for the purposes mentioned under tn
, | terms and provisions of an act of the leg
islature of this state, approved Decembe
: | 18th. 1894 entitle IAN act to provide ur
form method of exercising the right c
) | condemnation taking or damaging privat
! / proDerty. and to be found on pages So, 9
. 81. So 81 and 100 of the volume containin
| the published laws for the year OF 1894.
The fact that the property needed b
the said municipal corporation for tn
nurposes mentioned may be owned or use
. bv a railroad, or other corporation sha
! he no bar to the exercise of the right c
| condemnation hereby conferred.
The bill abolshing appeals from the pt
| lice court to the city council has ais
been introduced. The passage of TIL
| hill will make it necessary to take al
| meals from the police court to the SUPP
| Tior court hereafter and will save til
members of council considerable troub
and annoyance. The act to straighte
2 | Abercorn street simply conveys to til
: | CITY that portion of thes treet adjOinin
tbe CITY pound lot at the southwest co,
. ner of the old cemetery where the sire,
e now iuts in al an ugly angle. The stri
is e6 4-1O feet in length by IS 2-1O feet
v1,;dth This change in the street line