The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1840-08-08
AN. ORDINANCE
To establish and regulate Town Guard.

in Council, That four persons shall oe eieciea oy
the Council, who shall constitute and be the 1 own
Guard. in aud for the said Town, in lieu and
nIo,e of the patrol of said Town, who shall per-
form all the duties required of the patrol, by Laws
nf the said State and Town now of force, OF here
ofter to e passed. and shall be subject to all the
nenaties, and shall have all the rights and autho-
rty, of the patrol, and The protection extended to
the patrol, contained in the Laws of the said Town
and State now of force, hereafter to be enacted
>. be it further enacted by the authority afore-
said That the Council shall designate Two of the
said four Guardmen, who shall be Sergeants OF
the Guard, and shall be responsible for the con.
tnuance on duty, and the due performance OF
duty, of the man OIL duty with him, and shall
report to the Recorded, at the end of each calsn.
der, month, all absences from, and neglect. OF
duty by the man of his squad, and of the sergeant
of the other squad, and all violations of the provi-
sions of this Ordinance by them, or either OF them,
and the Recorder shall report the same to the Coun-
Gil at their first meeting thereafter.
In the absence OF any one Of the sergeants, the
man of his squad shall perform oil the dutes and
be subject to oil the penalties of his sergeant.
3. Be it further ordained by the authority afore-
said, That it shall be the duty of said four guard.
men, to assemble every night, at the ringing of
the nine o'clock bell, in the guardroom, which
shall be the south room of the second story OF the
Market House, and while not on duty, shall re-
main in the said guardroom until day light. 1t
shall be the duty Of the said two sergeants to divide
the night into equal watches, and it they cannot
agree thereon then to decide by lot which OF said
watches shall be performed by each sergeant and
the man of his squad respectively 1t shall be the
duty of one of said sergeants, at nine O'Clock
every night, together with the man of his squad,
to proceed forthwith to patrol the streets OF said
Town, according to the laws of the said State and
Town, as are now Of force, or may hereafter be
passed. apd the sergeant shall take one rart OF SAID
Town, and the man of his squad, the other part,
which the sergeant shall designate, in which they
shall respectively perform duty. and the sergeant
shall appoint certain places and times at which he
shall meet the man of his squad, during the said
watch But the sergeant on duty may require the
man of his squad to accompany him to any part Of
said Town, ii he shall deem the same necessary
in the performance of his duty: And so soon as
the term of watch of the squad on duty shall ex-
pre the sergeant on duty shall return to the guard
room and wake up the relief guard, who shall oe
the other sergeant and man. and who shall proceed
forthwith to perform the same duties required above
Of the relieved squad.
For each violation, Of any Of tho provisions Of
this section, the guardman offending, shall be fined
not more than five dollars, at the discretion OF the
Council.
a. Be it further ordained by the authority afore-
said, That the sergeant Of the squad which sha
capture any free white person for violation OF
the laws of the State or Town, shall commit such
prisoner to Jail, and give notice to the lntendant,
and confne all slaves or free negroes captured for
being without legal permit, in the stocks at the
guard room, until next morning eight o'clock, un.
less sooner discharged by the other provisions OF
this clause, and the guardman who made the
sezure, shall give notice to the owner OF such
slave befor. eight o'clock, and if one dollar shall
then be paid 70 the said guardman, such slave or
free negro shall be set at liberty, but if the said
sum of one dollar be not then paid to the said
guardman such freesnegro or slave, shall be forth
with whipped by said guardman, according to law;
and The sergeant of the squad which shall seize any
free negro or slave for any other violation OF the
laws CT the said Town or State, shall forthwith
commit such prisoner to Jail, and give notice 70 TIC
Intendant next morning.
5. Be it further ordained by The authority afor o
said, That on each and every Sunday, one squad
of said guard, shall perform duty from nine o'clock
in the morning, till such time before nine o'clock
at night, as the Council may direct by Resolution,
each member of which squad shall be on duty one
halt of said period; and all slaves and free negroes
seized on Sunday, shall be dealt with according to
law.
6. Be it further ordained by the authority afore-
said, That each member Of said guard shall be fur
nshed by the Council with stout stick and rattle,
leather belt with scabbard attached thereto, and
bayonet, and the sticks shall be so made that the
bayonet may fasen thereon, which articles thesaid
guard shall wear while on duty, under the penalty
Of one dollar for each offence therein: and the said
guard shall be further armed with musket and
sufficient powder aud balls when so directed by the
In,cndant or Council. And in case any one OF
the said guard on duty should need assistance IN
performance of the duties of his watch, he. shall
spring his rattle, when the whole guard both,
those on ,duty'and those at the guard room, shall
promptly repair to his assistance
7. Be it further ordained by the authority afore-
said, That in case Of fire occurring at night. the
fire bell shall be rung by the guard, and the whole
Of the guard shall turn out and patrol tor the re.
mainder of the night in all PARTS of the Town
g. Be it further ordained by the authority aiore'
said, That any one Of the said guard may he re-
moved from Office, by vote OF the Council, and
the SAID guard while on duty or at the guard house,
shall be subject to the orders Of the Intendant, Or
any member of the Town Council.
g. Be it further ordained by the authority afore
said, That each member of said guard shall re-
ceive, out of the Town Treasury, compensation.
at the rate of two hundred dollars per annum, to
be paid at the end of each calender month, by or
der of the Council; and any one of the said guard,
quitting the guard, without the consent OF the
Council first obtained shall forfeit his pay OF tne
then current month; and no member OIL the saio
guard shall quit the service, until after the explra-
ton of two weeks notice in writing to the Council
under penalty of ten dollars.
10. Be it further ordained by the authority afore-
said, That no deputy shall be allowed or received
in the place of any member of said guard, except
by the permission of the Inendant, in case of the
sickness of said guardman, or some member OF his
immediate family, and then only, at the expense
Of such guardman. :,
said, Tha: it shall be the duty of each member Of
said puard to report to the Council all violations of
th;, o,J;nonna bv orp onp of the said puard