The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-02-09
THEY MAY RESIGN IN A BODY.
THE HOSPITAL NATTER THE LAST
STRAW ON THE CAMEL's BACK.

Q
tated n Discussion of Other Differ
/ ences Between the Members of the
! Hoard. aud COmmIssiORer Carson
I suggested That All OF Them Re-
/ esIEn in "a BODY and Have n New
observation-disclosures Dale and DR..
! Charlton Ready to DO SO.
win Chatham county's five commission.
ers tender their resignation 70 Gov. At
/ kinson? is a question that now confronts
+ the citizens OF the county, and from q
/ consideration OF the proceedings OF the
[ meeting OF the board held yesterday af-
| ternoon It will be seen that the question
[ is a very serious one.
The commissioners met 70 consider the
matter Of the giving Of the county's
( proxy In the Savannah Hospital election
to DR.. W. F. Drummer. DR.. T. J. Charlton.
a member OF the board, having requested
/ that a meeting be called for that purpose
The discussion growing out of this mat
! ter took a wide course and the particu-
lar faults of the department under each
/ commissioner seemed to have been dwell
upon by some Of the others. After about
{ two hours sharp talk and criticism of
one another especially with regard to the
hospital matter but about other things as
well. Commissioner Carson suggested thai
the best way to serle the whole matter
was for the members of the board to re
sign In a body. The suggestion seemed
TO take very well with majority Of the
board. Chairman Dale and Commissioner
Charlton were both ready to hand in their
! designations with the others. Commits
sionor W. F. Chaplin did not see any rea-
son for such a step. Commissioner Ike
hoe thought as ne had been elected foi
four years he should serve out the time
for which he had been placed in office
Thus the matter stands, and the ques-
ton as TO whether the commissioners
Will suit the action to the word. will be
a matter which they will discuss at
later meeting. Should the commissioners
resign there would be a new field for the
politicians sooner than they have here
Iofore anticipated, for another election
would have 70 be held under the laws
within about a months time, and this
might result in bringing the Citizens Club
together again, as there would be more
spoils to fight over
After the transaction of some little rOu-
tine business which came before the meet
| ing, Commissioned Charlton said:
II desire to ascertain on what authority
| the chairman OF this board gave the
countys proxy TO DR.. Drummer to vote In
! the election for the board of managers
! Of the Savannah hospital?"
by the authority of two other mem
| bers of this board, sir" Chairman Dale re-
piled.
"Mr. Attorney" said Commissioners
| Charlton, II would Ike TO know what the
| law is on that subject" Commissioner
/ Charlton wanted to know if the chair
man of the board had the right to vote
/ without the authority from the board
\ given at a meeting of the board, and
! whether he could appoint proxy to cast
the vote.
Mr. j. r. saussy stated that the chair
man could be authorized by a majority
| Of the board to cast the vote by major
| ity Of the board acting independently, not
! in a meeting but acting individually. The
| casting of the vote being a ministerial
/ act II could be authorized by a majority of
the members. He said that the chairman
when authorized to vote could appoint a
/ proxy to cast the vote. On the latter
| point Mr.. Saussy said he had some doubt,
as usually an agent appointed to do a
/ particular act could not delegate his au-
| thority to another, but the chairman hav-
ing himself certain power as a mem
Der of the board, on being authorized to
| cast the vote of the board might APP
point a proxy and 1t would be for the
managers of the election to decide upon
the validity of the appointment.
Mr. Saussy said that a majority of the
members of the board could author
ze the chairman to appoint a proxy. He
| further stated that he had not been asked
whether the county had a right to vote
at this election nor whether the chairman
| could appoint proxy. The chairman had
| simply asked whether he could cast the
vote of the county without authority from
the board, and whether meeting of the
board must be called to authorize him
to vote.
Can this board act officially without
stated meeting? Commissioner Carson
asked.
Yes Mr. Saussy replied 'it can do so
when there is an emergency or a need
for 1t, and the action can be ratified at a
regular meeting"
That is one point" Commissioner
Charlton said, land now what right has
| this board to vote2'
That is another question" Mr.. Saussy
said, and Mr.. Dale will have to answer
that. have never been consulted on that
point, but II you desire my opinion will
! give 1t to you. Only members Of the Sa-
vannah hospital can vote. This is a mat
ter which will have to be settled by the
charter"
Mr.. Saussy then went into a history
of the chartering of the institution. show
ing how the charter was amended in 1872
so that persons contributing $40 or more
to the institution have the right to vote
at the elections. He said there was nothing
IN the charter authorizing persons to vote
by proxy, and whether they could do so
was a matter to be determined by the
mana gers Of the election
Then you hold" said Commissioner
Charlton, that the chairman acted within
his power, and without having a meet
lng?'
Yes" said Mr.. saussy, that's NV
opinion
Mr.. Saussy stated that he did not tb,nl,
the action would require ratification nv
the board before hand, under the cir
cumstances. The performance. he said
was a legal one. and the commissioner
could act in a case Of emergency bv con-
sultins one another and without HOLDING
a regular meeting.
Then would like to ask, Mr.. Chair
man, Commissioner Charlton said
what emergency required that action ~
Il saw the advertisement on MONDAY