No person, firm or corporation shall give to any City officer, employee or agent, nor shall any City officer, employee or agent be permitted to accept, receive or solicit from any person, firm or corporation, any free pass or free transportation or free gift of the same, for himself or other person, on any railroad, streetcar or traction line, or any free gift of any water, light or heat, or any badge, ring, watch or other thing of value, from any person, firm or corporation having any franchise or contract from, under or with said City, or from any other officer, agent or employee of said City, or from any other person whatsoever, who may in any way or manner, be affected by the performance or non-performance of any official duty or obligation by such officer, employee or agent of said City, and the acceptance or solicitation of anything herein forbidden, shall be absolute ground of removal or dismissal from office, by the Council in the case of an elective office, and by the appointing power in the case of any appointive office. Provided, however, this shall not apply to the employees, officers, agents, surgeons, physicians and attorneys at law of any interstate railroad company, who receive passes incident to their services to such company.
The Circuit Court of Berkeley County, upon petition of ten voters of said City, shall have like power of removal of all officers, employees and agents as given in this Act [Charter] to any City officer, in any way or manner; provided, that the Health Commissioner and all policemen and firemen, together with the Chiefs thereof, shall have the right to accept, and street railway companies shall have the right to give such Health Commissioner, policemen and firemen, free transportation over any street railway in said City, while in the performance of their duties. (Acts 1915, Municipal Charters, ch. 6, Sec. 58; Acts 1923, ch. 81)