Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-03-15

the board by the firm on the policies
held by it and cancelled by tho spe--
cial committee.
Wanted Money Refunded.
MI. hawkins then introduced n res.
olu,ion. signed by himself ana
Mcssrs. Allen ana Sibley. directing the
city clerk To write Il letter to the
ilrm OF Barrett and West demanding
that 1t refund $303.25 TO the board
this being the amount of premiums
paid the firm by the school trustees
ON the policies recently cancelled.
rms resolution was lost by Il vote OF
live ia three. the signers being the
only ones to vote for It's passage. Mr..
Barrett was excused from voting.
Mr.. Barrett then made Il motion
mat the letter from Attorney General
Anderson o the special insurance
committee. which had previously bern
read by Mr.. Allen, be placed on the
official records of the meeting. MIR.
Allen arose and while hc was on his
feet he and Mr., Barrett had quite a
lively tilt
The difficulty begun with Mr., Bar.
rctt leaning across bench with n
finger pointed at Mr.. Allen ana de.
handing if he, Mr.. Allen, had not
promised him he would refuse TO can.
Gel any insurance policies until he
had received Il written opinion on the
subject from Attorney General An
derson on the subject. Mr.. Allen re.
piled i'll the affirmative, whereupcn
Mr.. Barrett said that he, Mr. Allen.
evidently had looked upon the rcr.
sonal letter from Mr.. Anderson as his
opinion as attorney general, rs he
hau acted In the insurance matter
after receiving the letter. which had
previously been read before the
board.
Attorney Rnuersons Letter.
There followed spirited discussion
between the two trustees, which was
ended by Mr.. Barrett making mo-
ton that the letter from Attorney
General Anderson TO tho insurance
committee be placed on the records
OF the meeting, which was carried.
Messrs. Hawkins, Sbley ana Allen
voting nay on the question.
Following Is Attorney General An.
derson's letter.
February 1G, 1907.
Messrs. Joseph w. Allen. c. l.. Sibly
ana j. II. Hawkins, Committee from
Newport News School Board, New.
port News. Virginia,
Gentlemen
your communication of the 18th IN.
slant handed me by Mr.. Hawkins yes.
terday evening, has been considered.
AS stated 10 Mr.. Hawkins, the At.
torney-General is not authorized or
required TO advise the local school
boards OF the. State upon ans.r ques-
ton.
AS yoiI will see from Chapter 1876
of the Code, he Is only authorized.
upon questions OF the kind indicated
IN your letter or any other. to ad.
wise some general officer of the
S;uto government or some State
Board ut the Capital.
AS matter of courtesy, and writ
ing personally and unofficially, | will
LAY, upon one of the questions Won
ask, because | do not regard IL as
debatable. that 1t Is impossible for
me To conceive Of any grounds. upon
which 1t could he reasonably claimed
that n policy of insurance issued un.
der the circumstances which you men,
tlon would be void or voidable at
The election of the insurance com.
pany; that is ITO say, that the insur.
ance company could escape liability
upon 1t, for the reason that its agent
who was member Of your board,
made Il commission out of 1t.
OF course. II a contract of insrr-
ance was the result OF corrupt
agreement between the agent of the
insurance company and the board of
which he is member. made without
the knowledge of the insurance COM
pany, or without It's express or i'm
piled sanction. the insurance company
could repudiatc any such contract,
upon ascertaining that it has been
betrayed hy its agent by corrupt
agreement between It's agent and ne
members of Il board; but nothing of
this kind Is suggested by the facts
stated In your letter, nor from what
] know of the members OF your board,
do suppose that any such condition
or things would be possible.
Very truly yours,
WILLIAM II. AMBER SON.
Before the meeting adjourned and
after Mr.. Hoskins had left the hall,
Mr. ibi2y arc'ogizel to the board for
the language he had used. saying
at the same time that he felt conf.
dent that every member of the board
agreed that he was justified in say.
ing what he did.
Additional Funds Needed.
Chairman Harrison, OF the finance
committee, submitted the following
report OF the funds available by the
- m to December /, 1907:
Cash In hands of city treas
urer ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. S,901 13
Unsolicited city fund Cap
proximate) ............. 1890 90