09-20-15 SpecialSept. 20, 1915.
Speei~7. meeting of the Town Counoil called
bq Magor A. F. Miller, was called to order bq Pres.
W. W. Bleokmer with all meabers present.
Magor A. F. Miller addressed the meeting,
stating the object of the call and presenting a copq
of the call as follows:
To the Honorable Town Counoil of the Town of
Delraq, State of Florida: Bq authoritq vested in me
bq the Town Charter of the Town of Delraq, I herebq
call a special meeting of the Town Council to meet at
the Town Ball on the 20th daq of September, A. D.,
1915, st 7:30 P. M. for the following purpose.
Whereas one Allan MacNeillq wea formerlq
town clerk, town treasurer and tab assessor of said
town, and on the 28th daq of June, 191b, naidwTowm_.
Council passed a resolution, declaring in effect that
Baid AI,Lan MacNeillq, as the officer aforesaid, had
been guiltq of nonfeasance in office and that he be
removed from office; and bq said resolution he was so
removed from office. Now, therefore, qon will con-
sider whether the resolution aforesaid shall be recYnded
and said Allan Ma.eNeillq restored to offioe, or other
aetion~taken in the premises.
A. F. Miller, Magor.
After reading the order of judge H. P.
Branning the following rasoiutien wea presented: ~(
44hereas, at a meeting of the Council held on
the 28th day of June, 1915, certain charges against
A. MaeNeilly, then town clerk, treasurer and tax eases-
sor were heard and tried by this council and the fol- ''~
lowing resolution read and adopted: "Resolved, that, •-
having duly considered the evidence submitted and the
arguments of counsel, that A. DGacNeilly is found guilty ,,
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of misfeasance and nonfeasance in office sa town clerk ,a
treasurer and assessor of the Town of Delray and that
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he be removed from office."
,,
And, whereas, by a peaemptory writ of mandamus
,,
issued out of the C;_rcuit Court, this council is ordered
to recind its said action and to restore the said
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MacNeilly to office, as will more fully appear from
said writ of mandamus, a copy of which is hereby ordered ,+;
to be recorded in the minutes of this meeting.
'
Therefore, be it resolved that the said :
resolution removing the said Allan MacNeilly from
a
office be and the same is hereby recinded, and the said
A. MaeNeilly is hereby restored to the office of town ;
town treasurer and tea assessor of the Town of
clerk '>
~r
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Delray.
And be it further resolved that the Clerk
of this council prepare an exact Dopy of this resolution
and that the same be served upon the said A. MaeNeilly
by the Town Marshal in eooordance with seotion 44, on
page 22, oY the town ordinances.
And be it further resolved that the bttorney
of reoord Yor the Council in this case be instructed
to prepare and Yile a proper return to said perem-
ptory writ, showing strict compliance therewith on the
part oY this Council.
Lotion by J. R. Cason, Jr•, seoonded by
L. H. Bradshaw, That the resolution be adopted.
Roll Call: J. R. Cason, Jr., Yea; L. H.
Bradshaw, Yea; H.J.Sterling, Yea; W. W. Blackmer,
Yes; S. E. O'Neal, present and not voting.
Carried.
Copy oY Writ.
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE ELEVEDTTH
JUDICIAL CIRCUIT OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA IN AND
FOR THE CCUNTY OF PALM BEACH. IN CHANCERY.
State oY Florida ea rel.
Allan MacNeilly,
iielator.
98
A. F. Miller, as mayor oY
the Town oY Delray, William
W. Blackmer, H. J. Sterling,
T. M. McRae, L. H. Bradshaw,
J. R. Cason, Jr., as members
oY the Town Council oY the
Town oY Delray, Florida,
Respondents.
Peremptory
Writ oY Mandamus.
This cause coming on to be heard upon
relator's motion to strike the return of the res-
pondente, and the same was argued by connsel~ The
Court having heard the argument of counsel is of
i the opinion that the motion should be granted.
It is therefore ordered, adjudged and
decreed that the motion of the relator to strike
the return to the alternative writ, be and the
same is hereby granted.
The respondents having nothing further to
say at bar or in preclusion why the peremptory writ
should not be granted as prayed, and the Court,
having examined the pleadings, is of the opinion and
so finds that the hearing before the City Couneil
at which relator was removed from office, is invalid
in that no legal evidenoe appears to have been intro-
duced to sustain the oharges preferred against the
relator, and that his removal was, for this reason,
invalid. The Court does not make any finding do
this order, however, as to whether or not any cause
does exist which would justify relators removal if
further proceedings were instituted.
It is further ordered, ad3udged and decreed
that a peremptory writ of mandamus be forthwith issued
against A. F. Bfliller, as mayor of the Town of Delrag,
Florlida, William H. Blackmer, H. J. Sterling, T. B6.
BHcRae, Z. H. Bradshaw, J. K. Cason, Jr., members of
the Town Counoll of the Town oY Delray, Florida,
commanding them forthwith and without delay to
re-assemble and to meet as a Town Council and to
recind their action by which relator was removed,
and to restore him to his office, and that due
return be made thereoY without delay.
It is further ordered that this peremptory
writ shall be without prejudice to the mayor and
Town Counoil, however, to take such Yurther action
in the premises as they may deem 3ustifiable in
order to prefer charges against relator, of which
he has heretofore been or may hereafter be guilty,
and the said ~eyor and the said Town Coune~lshall
have the same right hereafter to take such action in
the premises in preferring charges against relator
and trying him upon said charges as they shall elect,
and as they may be authorized under the laws of
Blorida, and that these proceedings shall in no wise
preolude the said ~syor and Town Council from pro-
ceeding against relator under the provisions of the
Town Charter in any way that they shall deem ad-
visable.
It is further ordered that the costs oY
these proceedings shall be didided equally between
relator and respondents.
Done and ordered in Chambers, at Miami,
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Florida, this 29th daq of July, A. D. 1915.
H. Pierre Branning,
judge.
Motion by J. R. Cason, Jr., seconded by
Z. H. Bradshaw, That the Council,ad~ourn. Carried.
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lea. Town ouncil.
t Attest. ~ ~~ /~~.-~ l-~~~
Town Clerk.