The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1897-11-06
GREENVILLETIMES
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1897
AN ANOMALOUS CONDITION.

ktlNlbl 70 q AbAANA 'FN'AA''AN'N
condition of affairs. Our in
formation Is that the state
ment by our correspondent is
correct. That Mr.. Sillers, the
attorney of the Board, was not
present at the condemnation
made on Sept, Goth, nor that
on Oct. 18th, both Of which
COMBINATIONS were important,
involving the property Of a
number of citizens, and the
payment Of a considerable
amount by the Board, Mr.
Jayne representing the Board
on one occasion, and Mr. Wat
son on the other. An impor-
tant condemnation was made
on or about October LIST by the
Board in Issaquena county,
the awards aggregating large
sum. In the absence of Mr..
Sillers, Captain Parish repre-
scented the Board.
The Board has held the fol-
lowing meetings and made
condemnations since Septem-
her 9th without the attendance
of their legal adviser, viz:
September Goth, September
Both, October 18th, October
18th. The condemnstions
made involve valuable proper !
ty rights, the meetings held
transacted important business.
That of Sept. Both examined
the secretary and treasurer
and chief engineers reports of
the affairs Of the Board for
the preceding year, and made
recommendations to the Gov.
ernor as to legislation needed
for levee purposes, a matter
that seems to lie peculiarly
within the province Of the le- ,,
gal adviser of the Board.
There may be some valid
unknown to us, /
of the failure of Mr.. Sillers to
discharge the important duties
so manifestly incumbent upon b
him in the above instances. We .
know of none other than the I
inconvenience of quarantine b
restrictions, but they did not s.
prevent the other employees, f
.he President, secretary and n
treasurer and engineers from a
attending to their duties, nor y,
he members of the Board from tt
Mr.. SilIers' own county, al, sc
hough not paid employees, st
rom attending meetings Of the P
Board.
We do not mean to criticise tn
he ability Of Messrs. Jayne. 10
or Parish. who repre- W W
ented the Board in the in ~ ~
tances named, nor to say that IN
he Board suffered for lack of ve
7gaI advice necessary at the d.
MEETINGS held without the at tn
enhance of Mr.. Sillers; but to-
he reason for retaining by the SCI
ear an attorney is that the the
'oard is supposed to need sit
gal advice; and the reason by
n retaining any particular at s So,
,rney is that he is supposed D''
} be peculiarly fitted to adj
.se the Board on legal points, d
i'd to represent it in litiga- ma
on; and it is his opinion and yer
srvice that the Board is en- VA
tied to, and not that of "any his
putable lawyer" he
The most important Iegisla- the
N that has arisen in connec- hin
IN with the affairs of the of
oard recently, Judging by exc
e amount involved, is a 'ucl
suit that has been auu
ID in Bolivar county in the Owe "a
me of Of the Board against a "a,
2 Y. & NV. Ry,Co., involv- con,
Z, according to our informa- ions
n, the title to about 10000 Jet
'es of land. to e
The attorneys who filed this pers
l are Mr.. H. c. Watson hy9'
.rtner Of the president of the won ",
ard Mr.. Thomas S. Owens, "
rtner Of the attorney of the n rl't
ard) and Mr.. Fontaine w v
es. State
Jpon what terms these gen fcaii
zen represent the Board homo
minutes do not show 1t oitlze