The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-08-13
1T DOESN'T MAKE THEM GOOD.
JUDGE FALLIGANT-s Signature on
GRAND JURY BILLS.

They Had no Alternative Hut TO
Refuse Observation-Disclosures
ter Lnmar's Charges Against the
County Engineer Laid ON the Ia
observation-disclosures kehoe Wanted
Them Investfgated-Thc County
Decides to DO About Twelve Miles
of Paving With Augusta Gravel
Frank Ganney Also Had some
Charges Against the County EnEt-
neer, But They We're Tabled, Too.
Even the signature Of the judge Of The
superior court doesn't count for any ming
when il comes 20 the payment " bills Tor
lunches and carriage hire for grand jurors
as was demonstrated yesterday al tho
meeting Of the county commissioners.
Two bills which were formally turned
down By the county commissioners. one
for SIS for meals for grand jury commit
teemen and feed for horses. and another
for $3.50 for lunches for grand jurors, The
famous hard boiled eggs and apoiInaris
bill. were returned to the commissioners
yesterday marked Approved, r Fail-
CANT. Judge"
Does the judges signature add any
weight TO the billy" Mr.. J. A. G. Carson
asked Of the county attorney.
None whatever" Mr.. Saussy replied
1.-THE judges signature adds nothing TO
the weight Of the bill. There IS no law
authorizing the county to pay these eN-
penses OF grand jurors and there is no
reason why the commissioners should take
any different action from that they have
heretofore taken"
Mr. Saussy stated he had asked Judge
Falligant IL the county commissioners
would be held in contempt II they failed to
pay the bills after his signature had been
attached to them. Judge Falligant, he
said, replied that such would not he the
case. that he had no intention of taking
any such action as that, but merely ap>
proved the bills to see whether it would
be considered that It had any effect In
the matter.
1t appears from this, the grand Jurors
are in as bad a fix as ever so far as
getting lunches and carriages is concern
ed. The commissioners decided on mo-
ton Of Commissioner Carson, seconded
hy Commissioner Chaplin, that they would
not pay the bills. They stated as their
opinion that under the law they had no
option in the matter, as there Is no stat
ute authorizing them TO pay such bllls.
The charges Of Frank Lamar, eX-quar-
termaster OF county convict camp NO. ],
against County Engineer w. A. Dayton
were read before the board by Clerk }.
W. McIntire, and there was quite "a DIR
ference Of opinion among the members
of the board with regard TO what should
be done The charges as has already been
stated in the Morning News, consist OF
general allegations of intoxicauon ana
neglect of duty, with alleged speclnc IN
stances of conduct on the part OF the
county engineer in that connection, unbe-
coming an officer of the county, ana CON
duct which was detrimental to the coun-
tvs interest and welfare.
After the charges were read Commis-
sioner kehoe introduced an order proVld-
ing for an investigation of the charges
made by Mr.. Lamar, and also Tor an IN
Vestigation OF the conduct Of the county
engineers office since Oct 3, 1880, the
time of Mr. DaytOn's election, 10 the pres
ent date. The order provided also for
the summoning OF witnesses mentioned
by Mr.. Lamar to prove the charges as
stated. For this order Commissioners Car
son introduced a substitute providing that
there be no investigation and that the
charges be laid on the table.
Commissioner kehoe then made a state
ment with regard to his order, saying that
on account OF the reports OF derehcton OF
duty in the county engineers Office, IL
was only justice to Mr.. Dayton that the
matter should be Investigated. He embod-
led provision for the investigation OF
the entire work under MIR. Dayton, he said,
for the reason that there appeared TO be
derelctiOn on the part Of some one, as
very expensive gang Of employees on the
county dredge had been allowed to remain
idle for two out of three days, during
which they should have been at work.
This instance came from his personal OBJ
serVation he stated. The employees of the
county, he said should be held strictly
accountable for their duties and services.
Commissioner Chaplin viewed the matter
in the same light as did Commissioned
Carson. The charges, he said, were not
preferred by Mr.. Lamar until after the
latter had been discharged by County En-
gineer Dayton, and until that time he
had no fault to find. Commissioner Chap
lin said he would not have been averse to
investigating the charges had they been
brought by Lamar before he was discharg-
ed.
Commissioner Carson said he simply
opposed Investigating the charges. He had
no objection, he said, to investigating the
work Of the engineers office, bat thought
under the circumstances there was no
reason for investigating the charges
against Mr.. Dayton Commissioner Chap
lin seconded the substitute and it was
passed, Commissioner Kehoe asking that
his vote be recorded on the minutes as
against ii.
Commissioner Carson then suggested
that Mr.. KehOe make whatever charges
he had TO make and that an investigation
DE held on them. This Commissioner Ke-
hoe refused to do. He said ne mad no
charges to make and as long as his order
had been turned down he would carry the
matter no further.
Then it was that another petition on
the same line was sprung. Frank ID. Calf
ney made complaint that the county engi-
neer was using proscriptive methods to
compel the guards at the convict camps
to buy their groceries and provisions from
his family grocer, whereas many of them
formerly purchased their stuff from him.
he asked that the commissioners COM
pei the county engineer TO stop prostitut-
ing the office for his own interests. Mr.
hehoe thought these charges should be
laid on the table along with the others
as long as the commissioners had determ-
lned not to investigate any of the charges.
lie did not care TO make the motion, how
ever. on motion of Commissioner Carson
the petition of Mr.. Ganney was laid on
the table
The committee on roads and bridges
was authorized by the board to make ar
fangements TO pave with Augusta gravel
Bay street extension and the Augusta
road to the four mile post, the Louisville
road to the five mile post, and five miles
on the Waters road and Estin avenue
rms makes about twelve miles of paving
mat the committee is authorized TO make
arrangements for, and it is likely that it
VIII be done with all possible despatch
II Is stated that the Augusta gravel will