The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-06-15
LOCAL sMATxHH6.
rIasT. PAoK.-Our readers will always md
varsity of fresh news %. the FIRST page.
c.fTY COUNCIL.


Tn. regul.r ruonth1y meeting Of this body was
held At o'c ock, yesterday evenins-rressn' I'm.
.,a.n.mv.r. and Messrs. Hill, Dimmock, Mills
Saunders, Haskins, Denoon, Allen, Robinson an1
Darlington After the presentation OF sewers, PC
tisions and reports OF minor importance .n1 1A-A
man Of the Finance Committee presented report
Of the receipts and Disbursements during tne pass
wear. which we will eudeavor to present 'omof'
row. c;.
Mr.. Robinson, Chairman OF the Police Comm"
Zoo preseuted report with reference totne May
ors communication concerning the lateindignanon
| meeting. which was read and unanimously adopted
as follow, viz:
The committee of police respectfully report
that they have received paper signed by the
MAYOR. which is herewith presented. II this
paper had been simply what the. Council re-
nuested by the second'of its resolutions adopt.
ed on the 10th of May, 1852, TO wit: detailed
statement Of what was done by the Mayor, or
by others, on the night of the 7th of that month,
at or near the Governors house, we should
have little to do on this occasion. But in re-
spending to the request contained in those re.
solutions, Unanimously adopted by the Coun-
cil and approved in a large meeting OF citizens
| il has pleased the Mayor to express, in regard
| to his relation to the Council, views which ap.
| pear to us 10 be alike erroneous and uncalled
| for. Those views he has seen fit TO publish
| If allowed to pass without comment, the exam
pie of the Mayor may operate badly upon other
officers OF the city elected by the people. We
| propose, therefore, to indicate the position
which, in our judgment, the Council occupies
and should maintain.
the Council, by the 33d section of the char
ter, may adopt measures to suppress riots"
| and by the 54th chapter of the Code, has, un
| der the 18th section thereof, general power
| to protect the property Of the town, and its in
habitants, and preserve peace and good order
therein.
Under the same 18th section, it may keep
town guard, and though the Captain of the
Night Watch is elected by the voters, yet, un.
der the SD section of the charter, the Council
may prescribe his duties and compensation,
and remove him from Office for misconduct or
neglect of official duty. Ii may. under the same
| section. and under the 18th section of the 54th
chapter of the Code, appoint other officers,
define their powers, and prescribe their duties
and compensation.
Under the 18th section Of the same chapter,
the Mayor is to exercise such control over the
officers of the town, other than the Record
er and Aldermen, as may be prescribed by the
officers of the town.
The ordinance ofthe 28th of November, 1850,
concerning the police of the city, prescrlbes
what control may he exercised over the police
by the Mayor. Under this ordinance he may
direct the number of watchmen to be allotted
any night to any district; he may prescribe
rules for the employment of the six watchmen
not allotted to a particular district; he has d
general superintendent and control over the
police; and he is from time to time to make re.
port to the Council of the state of the police
with such suggestions for its improvement as
he may see fit. There having been no report
containing such suggestions, we have RICH,
to suppose the Mayor had none to make which
he deemed worth reporting
The ordinance as passed by the Council ma.
king it the duty of the whole of the police TO en-
deavor TO preserve the good order and police
of the city, and secure its inhabitants from per
sonal violence, and their property from loss OIL
injury, and that ordinance giving to the Mayor
general superintendent and contr6l over the
police, we think that such a tumultuous as.
semblage as occurred on the night OF the 9Th
} ult. at or near the Governors house furnished
very suitable occasion for written commu
nicaton from the Mayor to the Council giving
detailed statement of what occurred there on
that night-such statement as the Council
, might publish for general information. As
! however, when the Council met, it had not the
/ benefit Of any such communication, and We
j desired TO be accurately informed as to wha
had occurred and the manner in which the
) duties of the Mayor were performed on the
occasion, we do not see what better or less ex
ceptionabe mode it could have taken for OBJ
!, tanning such information than to pass the reso
j luton which it did, requesting from the Mayor
! such detailed statement as it desired.
We consider this request ofthe Council al
an exercise of no more than its rightful power
and compliance with it on the Mayors part
as the performance only of his duty. Ye
the Mayor, instead of simply complying will
it, has taken upon himself to say that he re
CARDS himself as no further responsible to thu
, Council in his official capacity than he hold
: himself to be to any other number oil respecta
: bic citizens of the town.
We are surprised at such position being
taken by the Mayor. He should have re
membered that the Council has powers which
s other respectable citizens have not; and tina
/, for carrying into eifectits powers it may maxi
a ordinances, and bylaws consistent with tn
. laws of the State, and prescribe fines, or othe
4 punishment for violations thereof. He SHOULD
,. have borne 10 mind that the Council is empow
q cred TO grant compensation to the Mayor
\ that by the very ordinance which regulates hi
| control over the police such compensation ha
J., been granted; and that the same power whc
o has granted this compensation may repeal oil
o suspend the grant.
Passing from the views of the Mayor, as {
> his relation to the Council, (which seem I
: call for some resolution such as we shall re
! commend, we find in his communication bu
i. little else that we deem it material to remar
o upon.
b While we have no doubt he entertained tn
8 beliefexpressed by him, that at one time ther
= were four or FIVE hundred persons in the yare
: we have information from others that the nun
Der was much smaller.
Whether or no the assemblage was termina
ted as promptly as it should have been, is
. question about which there is still room "a
!. difference of opinion. At the same time W
q are ready to concede that the Mayor acted q
5 the time as seemed to him under the circun
. stances to be best.
e He is mistaken in surprising that under tn
law OF the State, relating to riots, he was fri
to call on the rioters 10 arrest themselves;
his duty was, Tin the name of the law"
) command them to dispenser" and ifthey di
h not thereupon Immediately and peaceably dis
perse, then he was TO command assistance.
any white person present, on being require
to give his assistance or depart, tailed 10 oi,e,