Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1813-03-08


I sance- Oh no. you do not pretend to create
naSiseeria authority. You could not ever
make master of Police with some of the isS,r,
| attributes or justice of,he peace, wi,hou, !,
| Legislative sanction. Whit then do YOU I'M
| aertake to ord:.inl That a. b. and C. when
| at IRE, " shall have power to order every
Person present, whether white, black, citizen
OF srongeT, to do whatever Messrs A. B. & e.
.l,inS proper; whether it be 10 pull down or
dow up an house, or any other thing; and for
olSooedience OF their order, to- command the
oHender, as you are pleased to style him, to be
| arrested by the constabies, watchmen or serge
ant and conveyed to the guard house or cage,
&c, It would be an injustice here 10 oDii; your
niSh and digniiied sanction 10 this law, viz /:
,he squirting OF dirty water on all who will not
De SO silly as to obey YOU. Nothing surely can
e1hioit stronger or more ludicrous con-
trast than the assumption of that high power
which Claims at the hazard OF their brains,
ehe services oimeH from every quarter of the
weird; and that pitiful last resort for its en-
.oreement, the contents OF filthy puddle. /,
MIR. FIRE Warden, by virtue of my supreme
anthority, by the worshipiui Common Council
OF kichn,ond in me vested, commaud you
dow up that house; If you refuse, command
.nst you be immured in prison; but if you
w s not agree to go to jail, command that the
oirtlest puddle in the town be exhausted upon
yon; This is not unlike scene in the Poor
soidicr Monsieur Bagatelle and Patrick. Bag.
lmenacing) "Me will, me will, bccar me viii!
rat. resoiuteiy) You will what! Bag Me
Viii go brush my masters coat" But, to
be serious, gentlemen, how did it ever get into
your brains, that free born citizen of Virginia,
charged with crime or misdemcanor, or
with any description of offence known to the
| common law, or TO any statute of the country !;
Passing peaceably in the street of our metropo
lis, couitt>by any person under Heaven be ares
TED and hurried to Jail Blu, especially persons
not known and recognized officers OF the law,
but number of private individuals merely
who are informed by certain gentlemen, not
| having authority to do this, that they may at
will, PROSTATE in an instant, nay, that thay may
| annihiate all Natural and political liberty
| With what astonishing facility have you lcaped
over the bill of rights, which in its seventh.
section provides, "that no man be deprived
| of his liberty, except by the law of the land,
| or By the judgment Of his peers," ami which
| says AGAIN in the 18th section, F" that the pee
pie have right to uniform, gsvern,nent :,
How have you gotten over the act of the legis-
lature above mentioned providing, 60 that no
| freeman shall be taken or imprisoned, &c bu.
by lawful judgment of his peers, or BY the law
| of the land ~ The power of commitment is
strictly and properly judicial :: it belongs TO
| judges and justices, as conservators of the
peace, or from the necessity of nstituting ju
| dicisl enquiry and it belongs 20 them alone,
except so far as the representatives of the poo
| pie at large may delegate it tokparticular off.
GERS. II the mere fact of incorporating the
| town bestowed this authority on every branch
| of its government, why was the act of Assem-
I'bly passed to Cloathe Aldermen Of the Cit,
| with the power of magistrates aud why did
| yourselves predecessors, do the useles,
thing OF asking the Legislature to vest in your
| police officer the power of examination & com.
| mitment The answer IS plain, your authorities
are enumerated and limited by the severallaws
| in regard TO the corporation, and the Legisa
| ture by declaring in those laws what you maj
| do, have thereby unequivocally pronounced
what you shall not do. 1t is rather singular Too
that ut the very period when this curious pro
dnction OF yours was on the anvil, the Legisa.
lure were sitting in your gerry faces nay, they
had before them at or near the same time pro.
| positions or suggestions from yourselves, on
tho police of the Gig. Was this subject, al
| important to every citizen, the right Of person
| al liberty, too insignificant, to be numbered
with those on which your propositions were to
| operate! No. You had more prudence than
to hint 60 the legitimate guardians OF our rights
the purposes at present attempted il might
| have brought in lieu of your desired object
pains and penalties on such bold invasion OF
| natures best gift. As 10 your Police Master
| and Watchmen, the former a cypher, the latter
4 bulSuhCS, thcy aud
jects for your authority; and you would do
| well to see that they do their duty. l have
long since despaired of protection or advantage
| from either !; the Master Of Police whose
proper sphere is the streets, lanes and corners
ofthc City, never but once laid NY eyes on
| in my section Of the town, and to shcw the ex
eellence Of the Watch, attend to the following
facts; tbcyone very dark night accosted me ut !
few feet distance with this question, :" are YOU
white - No farther trouble did they giv,
| themselves TO ascertain tlie object they had o
this stupid and impairment enquiry, and
1 passed on. Another more impressive com
mentary on their utility is furnished by th,
great numberof robberiss, (and these by house
breaking, from which noise must be produced
that never fail to be the consequences OF ever
dark night. In fine, gentlemen, let me recon-
| mend to you the serious re consideration of yoir
remarkable ordinance: IL is not graduated fol
IN q climates aud depend upon it, an attemp
to enforce il will blow up fame more diff
cult of extinction than any we have ever wit
messed.
CIYIs.
FRoM THE LoSDo& GAZETTE.