Williams v. City of Newport

JUDGE PEYOE

delivered the opinion oe the court.

The city council having been empowered to organize and maintain a fire department, it necessarily followed that the power of selecting the officers to control that department belonged to that body, there being nothing in the city charter to prevent its exercise. They fixed the term of office of the chief of the fire department at two years, his salary to be at the rate of $50 a month.

He was also, ex officio, one of the board whose duty it was to make and enforce such rules as might be deemed necessary to operate this department of the city…