The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-14
CHARGES WILL BE PUSHED.
IMPEACHMENT OF FIRE COMMITS
SIONERS TO BE RESUMED.

Charges Strong Now as They
Were Six Months Ago-HOpe to Sc
cure Impeachment of Commissions
ers and Removal of Fire Chief
What the Charges Are.
| The question of what is to be done with
the fire commissioners is likely to be one
of the matters for consideration at the
next meeting of the City Council. The an
nouneement in yesterdays Morning News
that the Supreme Court had decided that
the commissioners were eligible to i'm
parchment by Council, the authority to
! impeach being an incident to the corpora
ton, furnished a topic of general interest.
Had 1t not been for the interest in the
news of the action of Congress upon the
question of war with Spain, which exceed
ed that in all other questions, the fire COM
missioners matter would very likely have
been the common topic. The war talk COM
! PEELED it to take a rear seat The only
thing which at present appears likely to
postpone action by Council in the matter
of the Fire Commission is this same war
cloud II war should be declared natu-
rally everything would give way for the
time being TO the preparations for this
momentous event. ia
One circumstance which, would tend to
postpone action in such case is that both
! Commissioners Nell and Grayson, who are
the two commissioners aimed at by the
! impeachment are officers of the First
Regiment of Infantry. Mr.. Nell being
lieutenant in the Cadets and Mr. Graysou
in the Republican Blues. The Council
would hardly be so ungallant as to under
take to impeach men who were rsking
| their lives in the service of their country.
Barring war, however, it seems likely
that the commissioners will. have those
charges to face in the immediate future.
| Mayor Meldrim is out Of the city, but sew
| eral members of Council who were seen
about the matter, said they knew no rea-
son why Council should nor take up the
matter and push it TO a conclusion. AL
derman Charlton said this was his opin-
! ion, though with the Carter court martial
| on his hands and the possible interruption
| of the regular course of events by war, he
| did not see how it would be possible for
| him to give his attention to the matter
| just at present. AS Alderman Charlton
was prominent in the investigation of the
| charges against Fire Chief Mcguire last
fall and has taken an active interest in the
| differences between the Fire Commission
! and Council 1t is not likely that Council
win proceed without his assistance.
| Aldermen Hull and Guckenheimer ex-
| pressed themselves,as satisfied that Coun-
Gil would take up the charges and dispose
of them. Both Aldermen HUI and Guck-
enheimer consider the charges sufficiently
| serious to warrant the impeachment OF
| the commissioners.
Alderman Hull said that such action
might have some effect upon the insur-
ance situations AS the main demand of
! the Southeastern Tariff Association, rep
resenting the insurance companies is for
the removal of Chief Mcguire. and as the
| impeachment of the commissioners would
| inevitably result in the chiefs removal,
the Insurance interests would doubtless
be willing in such case not only to restore
the old rate, but to make, still further re-
| auctions.
Chairman Grayson of the Fire Commits
sion, when seen by Morning News re-
| porter, declined to be interviewed.
There is nothing for me to say any
way, said Mr.. Grayson. THE matter
rests with Council as to whether it will
take action. l was not SO much surprised
at the decision, as l knew that there was
| considerable doubt about the point as TO
| Councils right to try for impeachment
We will be ready to answer when the
charges are made"
Chief Mcguire said he preferred the
| commissioners to do all the talking just
now.
City Attorney S, b. Adams was naturally
much pleased to find that the Supreme
Court had sustained the position taken by
him, Mr.. Adams had based his conten-
ton largely upon the point that the au-
thorlty to impeach was an incident of the
corporation, and that it was not necessary
that the power be specifically stated in
the act.
AS soon as the remittur in the case ar
rives from the Supreme Court the Coun-
ell will be at liberty TO proceed in the
matter, Mr.. Adams said. Charges against
the Fire Commissioners were drawn up
and presented TO Council by committee
appointed for that purpose last October
The commissioners were cited to answer
the charges and date set for the hearing
On the day before the hearing was to be-
gin Mr.. A. A. Lawrence, attorney for the
commissioners, secured a restraining or
der and temporary injunction from Judge
Sweat of the Waycross circuit. The case
was taken before Judge Falligant on
motion to dissolve the restraining order
the claim being made that it had been i'm
properly issued Judge Falligant declined
to dissolve the order and the case was
taken to the Supreme Court with the re-
suit as announced.
The charges against the fire commits
sioners are misconduct and Oppression T.,
office. Chairman Grayson is charged with
writing an insulting and offensive letter
10 Mayor Meldrim, in communicating the
result of the investigation of the fire chief
by the commission, and causing the same
to be published. The commissioners are
charged with misconduct for retaining In
office John e. Mcguire, although advised
that he was an unfit and Incompetent
person to discharge the duties of fire chief
IL is charged that although il was brought
to their attention that the fire chief had
been under the influence of liquor on sew
eral occasions that they had neither dis.
charged nor suspended him.
The commissioners are further charged
with oppression for failure to give promp,
trials to John c. Henderson and A. T
Kiernan. who had been suspended by the
chief for alleged violations of the rules of
the fire department. They are CHARGED
with misconduct because they ignored a
respectful request addressed to them bv
John c. Whtner. Charles e. Dox and w.
L. Chaplin. committee representing the
fire insurance companies doing business in
Savannah. calling attention to the unfit
ness and incompetency of Fire Chief Ma