The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-12
Committees Report Rela-
tive to the City Sealer.
Mr.. Grinnell Calls it a Rebuke,
Mr.. Tanner Says 'TiS'nt.
Mr.. Pettis Believes That ALPS Well
That Ends Well.

The special committee on the investiga-
tion of the affairs of the city s~ealer's
department held its last final meeting in
the series OF farewell sessions this after
noon at 3 o'clock.
Chairman Tanner had previously drawn
up a report which he submitted and after
much discussion and various amendments
the committee finally adopted It's report
aud 1t will be submitted tomorrow at the
special meeting of the City Council.
Councilman Grinnell Of the investigat-
ing committee said yesterday that he was
sorry for Mr.. Pettis but that the investi-
CATION was absolutely necessary from the
nature of the case. He pad himself adj
vised the city sealer TO call for an inves-
tigation and accompanied the suggestion
with the intimation that IL Mr.. Pettis
did not ask for II he would. IL viii be re-
commended that the gentleman from the
Fifth Ward was the one who first intro
duced the matter in the Council
MIR. Grinnell also intimated that the re-
port would be nothing more serious for
Mr.. Pettis than a reprlmand for negligent
ana unwise methods OF conducting public
business and that there Will be no direct
charges. Tue reprimsnd Is to be accom-.
panied by a recommendation that here
after the city sealer receive a salary of
SlEtO per ytdIs IN bndlA his NtDulN lt
ceive $500, while the fees of the office are
10 be turned into the city treasury.
Mr.. Tanner said today that he would
not admit that the report Is in any sense
to be a reprimand. The chairman of the
committee Is favorable to the official
whose methods are supposed TO be under
investigation and he claims that the re-
port will only be considered a reprimand
by those w no are ~prejudiced against Mr..
Pettis. In his opinion the report is a
plain statement OF facts that are not det-
rimental TO the sealer and hat every mem
her of the Council must put his " con-
struction upon il.
Mr.. Pettis himself is rather nervous as
to the final outcome, but takes consider
able comfort in the combination of two
circumstances, which he believes in; that
there Is TO be no reason furnished by the
investigating committee for his emoyal
from Office ana that without some such
reason he must hold over until next jan
uary according TO the ordinances. His
term expired in January aud ordinarily
he would have been a candidate for re-
election with other city officers on inaugu-
ration day. January o. The election, how
ever, was passed at that time for the al
legged purpose of waiting until the man
ner Of compensating the Incumbent could
be changed from the fee system to the
payment of a liked. salary.
That was not the only reason, however,
as il is now known that in the Coun-
Gil caucus on the saturday night preced-
ing Inauguration Mr.. Pettis was charged
with Irregularities and letters were read
at that secret session complaining OF his
method of doing business.
However, as before intimated, City Seal
er Pettis has hopes. He has been given
to understand that while his system is de-
plored he will not be removed for cause,
and his lawyer tells him that he can't.be
removed in any other way for the ordi-
nance declares that he shall be elected i'm
January.