The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-02-05

see what disposition the city fathers
would make Of the resolution 10 revoke
the licenses and franchises Of the Brook
l!h CITY and Atlantic Avenue Railroad
Companies.
After considerable routine business had
been transacted. Alderman Walsh sent
up 10 the desk a preamble and resolution.
accompanied by 5000 petitions, praying
LOT us passage, demanding the revOca-
Goh OF the franchises and license Of the
brooklyn City and Atlantic Avenue rail-
Ioaos The preamble recited that the
common council Of the city of Brooklyn
mad given TO the Brooklyn City Railroad
Company and the Atlantic Avenue Rail-
road Company leave TO construct, main
IAN and operate certain surface car
INES ny means Of animal power through
various streets and avenues Of Brooklyn
Tor the accommodation and benefit of the
c.uzens ana tax payers Of the city, and
mad by legislation Of Jan. u. 1892, granted
the companies leave to change their mo-
i've power from animal to electricity,
ana that since Jan. 10, 1885. the compa-
MES have failed to operate their lines,
ana nave placed whatever cars have been
operated in the control Of unsk.lled. in
experienced and incapable motormen.
Many accidents have followed and peo-
pie have been killed and others injured
through the action Of the company.
Following the preamble was the follow
ing:
Resolved. That the said permission and
consent heretofore granted to the Brook
lyn City Railroad Company and the At
lantic Avenue Railroad Company of
Brooklyn their successors and assigns,
Tor leave to maintain and operate a sur
race railroad through and upon various
streets in the city Of Brooklyn. and the
resolutions adopted Jan. Il, 1892. grant
ing permission and consent to the said
Brooklyn City Railroad Company and
the Atlantic Avenue Railroad Company
OF Brooklyn, their successors and as
signs for leave to change their motive
power and horses to electricity. be, and
the same and each and all of them, are
hereby revoked and withdrawn.
In moving the adoption Of the foregoing
Alderman Walsh said that the companies
had violated their franchises and the state
law. They had heaped abuses upon the
heads of their employees and imposed upon
them outrageous hours Of labor. The en-
ployer and employees have rights that must
be respected. IT was now time to give the
poor iaborer a chance. The board of al
dermen. he said, had the right to say
whether or not a corporation could oper-
ate cars in the city of Brooklyn that were
a menace to its populace, and he hoped
the board would exercise that right For
two or three weeks the destiny of the city
had been in the hands of three men, and
they had brought disgrace to the fair
name of Brooklyn.
Speaking Of the proceedings instituted
in Albany to revoke the charter of Presi-
dent Lewis road. Mr.. Walsh said that
they. in no way interfered with the pro-
posed action of the board of aldermen. If
the state courts should revoke the char
ter, by virtue Of the city's franchise and
lincenses, the companies would still have
possession of the highways in the city.
The state proceedings did not cover the
ground. he declared so it was better for
Brooklyn to attend TO its own affairs. The
alderman concluded by expressing the
hope that the board would pass the reso-
luton and put an end TO the despotic power
exercised by the railroad presidents in
the city for the past three weeks.
Alderman Carrie opposed the resolu-
ton, declaring that the board had abso-
lutely no power to annul the franchises
1t was absurd he said, to take action that
would Inconvenience 100000 inhabitants
Just to please a few thousand. There are
10000 unemployed non-union men in the
city, he said, and he thought it would be
more fitting for the board to try to help
them than legislate for lawless few
thousand. The companies had honestly
tried to operate their cars. but were pre-
vented by the violence of union men. The
remarks of Mr.. Carrie were greeted with
rounds Of misses from the rear benches.
Several other aldermen expressed the
opinion that it was only buncombe to
ADOPT the resolution, inasmuch as 1t was
unconstitutional and will not help the
strikers, and was more likely to do harm
than good. The board, they declared, had
no more right to deprive these companies
of the right to operate their cars than
d,d they have the power to issue edicts
for the union. They might just as well
try to tear down the stars as to stop the
operation of the trolley lines by the re-
vocation of franchises. 1t was finally
suggested that there was no harm in pass
ing the resolution. and, if necessary, let
the courts decide the right of the board
of aldermen in the premises. On motion
the resolution was then adopted by a
vote Of 10 to s. The resolution now goes
to the mayor who, it is expected, will
veto it, The board, to pass it over his
head, will need a two-th.rds vote.
CAR RIMS INTO A RIVER.