The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-13
CHAIRMAN GRAYSoN'S LETTER.
RETURNED TO HIM BY MAYOR MEL
DnIM WITHOUT COMMENT.

The lfGltcE SnAERAe ~
Members of COunciI-The Finding
of the Fire Commission Also Dis
approved of-Inmediate steps For
the Impeachment of the Commits
sioners Looked FOr-AIdermen
Guckcnhcimcr and Reid Express
Their views on the Situation.
gIn~or McIdrim Out of the City
Yesterday.
The letter from Chairman W. L. Gray
son of the fire commission, transmitted
to Mayor Meldrim with the report OF that
body upon the investigation of the charge
against Fire Chief Mcguire IS again in the
hands Of Commissioner Grayson-at least
it is supposed to be.
Mayor Meldrim did not retain the letter,
and it will not be presented to council as
a part of the commissions report upon the
case. After a perusal of its contents, and
a conference with members of the city
council, 1t was decided 10 return the letter
10 the source from which it came. 1t Is
evident therefore that no attention will be
paid to It,
DAVIS Morning News. 1t was apparent
from a perusal of it that it was rather a
salty document intended as a criticism up
on the actions of council in the matter. 1t
was considered, 1t is said, that the com
mission had gone little too far in the
matter, and for that reason no doubt, the
letter was sent back.
Mayor Meldrim was out Of the city yes
ferday, having gone to Atlanta for the
day. A member of council, however,
gave out the information that the letter
had been returned, and said that with re-
gard to the report council would, after de-
liberation, act as it thought fit.
THAT letter was a piece of impudence
and impertinence," he said. land am
surprised that 1t was written. I think
the proper course was pursued with re-
gard to it, as 1 do not consider that any
attention should be given 1t. With regard
TO the report, it is plainly seen by what
motives it was actuated. What council
will or can do In the matter however, l
am unable to say. The Impeachment of
the commission will undoubtedly be con-
sidered, and whatever we can do legally
to bring about the ends desired will prob
ably be done. / would not be surprised
to see the matter get into the courts be-
fore 1t is ended"
The meeting of council to receive the
report of the fire commission and decide
what steps council shall take in the prem
Uses will be called early this week, per-
haps tonight. The members of council
appear TO be unanimously of the opinion
that the time has come for decisive ac-
a,,1 xrr4fl ~ fsfr4g -.
porizihg with this matter.
Alderman Guckenheimer was seen yes
terday by Morning News reporter and
asked for his views as to the course which
the fire commission had pursued in finding
the chief innocent of the various charges
brought against him. 1t was plainly to
be seen that Alderman Guckenheimer was
not feeling any too favorable toward the
committee for having sent such a letter
to Mayor Meldrim as was published in
the Morning News of yesterday. and he
had no hesitancy in saying that he deem
ed it an unwarranted one. In speaking of
the present situation, he said:
1t seems to me that there is an ineon-
sistency between the finding of the fire
commission ana the evidence which was
adduced before the committee Of council
OF course. it is understood that the i'm
parchment of the fire commission will fol-
low. Yet l understand it is claimed by the
friends of the fire chief, that the commits
sion is the creating of the state legislature
and not the council, and cannot therefore
be impeached by the council. But such Is
not the case. The commission. per Sc, is
the creation of the legislature, but the
members of the commission We're appoint
ed by the mayor and confirmed by council
and are therefore subject to that body It
is my opinion that council has a perfect
right TO proceed to impeach the members
of the fire commission II 1t be found that
they have deliberately gone in a direction,
entirely outside of that which the evidence
pointed out to be their duty In the prem -
ises. However, I will say further, that if
they have acted as the evidence directed
that they should act, which l do not think
they have done at all, then / do not be-
lieve of course, that there is any ground
for Impeachment.
IN answer TO your question as TO how
the council would stop the fire commits
sion from further acting, in case the COM
mission should be impeached. I Will say
that there Is more than one way of doing
that. In the first place, council has pass
ed the usual ordinance, apDropriating so
much money for the use Of the commits
sion in carrying out their work Council
could repeal that ordinance and then the
commission would have 10 suspend. be-
cause they would have no funds at their
disposal"
'Wen, but what would you do about
carrying on the business which pertains
to the fire commlssion?"
That would be quite as easy as the re-
pealing of the appropriating ordinance. -
continued Alderman Guckenheimer. "A
mass meeting of citizens could be called
and that meeting could appoint an emer-
Sency committee to take the place Of the
IRE commission until other provisions
could be made. Understand that am not
experimenting that matters are coming 10
any such pass as that, but IN case they
90. II can be seen that council will be
perfectly able to take care of itself in the
matter. Officially, ! have never received
any intimation that the letter published in
the Morning News to-day, as communi-
cation from the commission to the mayor
has ever, in fact gone to the mayor; hui
II II has. hope council viii be called to.
gether soon though that Is solely with tho
mayor. / am decided in my opinion that
the hre commission did not act in accord.
anee with the unimpeached evidence which
was given them to decide the matter
upon
Alderman w. r. Reid, who returned e
the city last night from Nashville. was
spoken to about the matter and expressed
himself somewhat upon the same line a,
alderman Guckenhelmer.
The only thing for council 10 DO now ,