The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-06
OPPOSING THE CONTRACT.
THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY TO HAVE
ANOTHER DISCUSSION.

Mr.. Chas. ". west Introduced n HesO-
luton to Dispense With the Ser
vices of a Director Until General
JacksOn's Debt Is Paid-The ResO-
luton TO BE Considered at N Spec
iaI Meeting April 27-servfces of
Director Brandt TO the TeIfair
Academy InvOIVed-A New Bylaw
with Regard TO Delinquent Menu
bers.
The Georgia Historical Society held
quite an interesting meeting last night.
After the election of new members and
the action upon designations of one Or
two members. it was suggested that the
regular business of the society be post
poned until the next monthly meeting on
account of DR.. William H. ElIiotts ad-
dress on Mushrooms" Mr. Charles N
West stated. however, that he had some
important matters to bring up, one of
them an amendment to the bylaws with
regard to members who fail to pay dues
and the other a resolution with regard to
a contract which the board of managers
Of the Telfair Academy had recently
made. After some discussion it was de-
cided that the regular business would be
transacted after DIR. Elliott had delivered
his address,
At the conclusion of DR.. Elliotts ad-
dress Col. George A. Mercer, chairman of
the committee on finance, stated that the
committee had no written report prepared
The committee had met, he said, ana
elected himself chairman, and Judge VII
liam D. Harden vice chairman. and mad
discussed the finances of the society.
Col. John Screven, chairman of the
committee on the Telfair Academy, then
made report upon that institution. He
spoke especially of the work of Director
| Carl L. Brandt in cleaning and renewing
the casts in the academy, and so beautify-
ing them as to make them look as if they
had just come from the hand of the sculp-
tor. Forty-seven of the casts, he said,
had been prepared, and there are twelve
more to be done, including the large
groups, which cannot be attended to this
year.
Col. Screven also referred to the rare
collection of valuable ceramics which are
to be lent to the academy by Mrs Sarah
Elizabeth Gabbett under such arrange
ments as the board of managers may
make. He stated that there had been a
gratifying increase in the number of Wis
itors to the academy since the last re-
port
Mr.. West having referred to contract
that was made by the board of managers
of the academy Col. screven read the con-
tract which stated in effect that the com
mittee on the Telfair academy deemed the
continuation of the services of Director
Carl L. Brandt to the best interests of the
academy, and the committee recommended
that in consideration of his giving four
months each year to the academy he be
| paid $1,000 year in installments of $500
| on Jan. l and July 1. Mr.. West then read
his resolution, which, if the society should
adopt it, would disapprove the action of
| the board in making this contract. The
| resolution is as follows:
Whereas, The Georgia Historical Society
has deliberately declared its intention by
! repeated acts and resolutions to pay the
| present debt to Gen. Henry r. Jackson
/ as soon as the same can possibly be done,
and for that purpose has cut off from its
expense account all expenditures not mat
| ters of necessity, and has declared as it's
| policy that no contract shall be made con-
templating the outlay of any important
sums of money in any other direction;
And Whereas, On the same account the
| society has refused the assistance of the
sum of even $500 to the Art Students
League of Savannah for the purpose of es-
tablishing an art school in the city of Sa-
vannah in connection with the Telfair
| Academy of Arts and Sciences upon the
| ground that the said payment was con-
| trary to its declared intention to pay the
said debt,
| And Whereas, There is no pressing ne
al -
| of the Telfair Academy of Arts and
| Sciences, or for other work to be done
| upon the property Of the said academy of
class which did not exist when the said
acts were done and resolutions passed, it
! is therefore
Resolved, That the contract of the board
| reported at this meeting to have
been made with Mr.. Carl
l.. Brandt, involving the expen-
diture of money be and the same is disap-
proved by this society, and the board is
instructed to adhere to the declared policy
of the society hereinbefore recited.
| Col. w. w. Gordon seconded the resolu-
| ton, and Mr.. West then asked three other
members to join with himself and Col
| Gordon in request for a special meeting
! to consider the matter. Three other mem
bers responded, and then considerable dis
| cusson was entered into as to what day
the special meeting should be held. Under
!
| is required, so the meeting could not come
| earlier than Friday week which would be
! Good Friday. Then Col. Screven, the
chairman. and Judge Harden. the vice
| chairman of the board, are going out of
the city on the following Saturday the
one to be gone a week, and the other ten
| days or more.
Judge Harden explained the reasons
| why it was desirable that both he aud
| Col. Screven should be present on that
occasion, and in doing so he made the re-
mark that the board had been called TO
the bar. Mr.. West requested the chair
to cali him to order saying that such was
| not the intention of the resolution, bus
that the society had the right TO discuss
and approve or disapprove any acts of
the board as 1t might see fit. Judge Har-
den stated that his remark had not been
meant as understood by Mr.. West, bat
that he simply meant to say that acts
OF the board had been called up by mem
bers Of the society.
on account of the fact that Col Screw
en- and Judge Harden will be out Of the
| city, April p was suggested as the lay
for the meeting. Judge Harden SAID,
however, that he could not be in savan-
| s.ah hot