Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1852-06-16
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

MUNICIPAL AFFAIRs.-1is Honour, the May
or and the City Council, are now fairly at issue.
As there is no telling how or when the war may
end, we deem it just aud proper to the bellige-
rants, that the public should be advsed of the
cause which has unhappy brought about this
state OF affairs, as well the present progress
of the contest. On the night of the 9TH of Nav,
the Indignation meeting assembled at the City
Hall. After general outpourng of the viaIs of
wrath on the head of Gov. johnson, the meeting
adJonrned-the orderly and peaceably disposed cit
izens retired towards their homes, the riotous and
dlsorderly, comprising fragment, to the
Capitol Square, and subsequently, to the grounds
in front of the Governors Mansion. Here, it is
alleged, some of those assembled, gave vent to
their indignation by indulging indverse sepulch-
fa gfoans and other manifestations of displeasure
al once improper, awful and unlawful. The
MAYOR OF the city happening to be in the neigh
borhood' observed the tendency of the popular
current, anddescrying mischefafoot threw him
self i'll the breach, and by his own individual exer-
tions not only stayed the popular current. but sue
ceeded in giving it another and more pacific di-
rection The boys dispersed quietly, without at
tempting the nfiction of any injury upon person
OF property; the "boys of larger growth" who
stood by as spectators, and who composed a large
majority of the gathering, followed the example
OF the riotously disposed, and wended their way
homewards- hour afterwards anothng
but silence, to be heard' round about the
Exec utive Mansion.
The affair, however, created some sensation
throughout the city the following morning. The
''groaners" were speedily magnifed into nu-
merous and furious s'mob;" and by 10 o'clock, the
hour at which the Legislature convened, popular
Indignation against the '.rioters,' as they were
styled ran pretty high Several explosions took
place in both branches of the Legislatures and a
proposition to remove the seat of Government was
gravely brought forward in the lower House. A
public meeting to denounce the ''rioters," was
called at the City Hall, and that grave and dign-
fed body, the City Council, was summoned to
convene for the purpose of taking action suitable
to the occasion. We'll, the meeting assembled
and alter voting down the preamble and resolutions,
prepared for the occasion, adopted series of reso-
intlons censuring those who had SO fur forgotten
what was due to themselves and to their city, as to
offer wanton insult to the Governor of the State
Inc Council also met in solemn sesshn and de-
termlned to probe the whole matter to its CORE
They adopted strong preamble and resolutions.
which they caused to be communicated to the
meeting Of citizens, then in session. One of
the resolutions adopted by the Council called for
Hgnt ana Tor the purpose OF securing that much
needed element, the Mayor of the city was re-
quested to furnish detailed statement of what
was done by him and others on the night in
question. Several days afterwards the Mayor
caused to be published in the city papers, detail,
ed statement of his action touching the late dis
orderly proceedings, in which he took OCCASION to
say that he regarded himself as no farther re-
sponsible to the Council in his official capacity
than he held himself to be to any other equal
number OF respectable citizens Of the town.
But the Council take view somewhat diff
ferent from that entertained by his Honour,
relative to this matter of responsibility; and
for the purpose of enforcing their view of
the question, have authorised the Committee
OF Police to bring in an ordinance ssprescribing
that the compensation fixed by the Council for the
Mayor, or any officer whose duties are prescribed
by the Council, shall be in consideration of his
performing those duties in manner approved bv
the Council, and giving such information in rela-
ton thereto the Council may from time to time
request; and prescribing further that whenever the
Council considers there is failure in such per-
formance or failure to give such information
the payment of the compensation may thenceforth
be suspended at its pleasure
But the Council appear not to be satisfied with
the detailed statement of the Mayor in other
respects. They say: ''While the Mayor no doubt
is sincere in thinking there were a or 500 persons
In the Governors yard, yet information from
others states that the number was much smaller
If the Council possessed superior means of infor-
nation in the premises, why call on the Mayor
for detailed statement?'' The Council like
wise say that the May or sis mistaken in suppo-
sing that under the law of the State he was first
to call on the rioters to arrest themselves" and
then go to show precisely what was meant by
the ambiguous language of the New Code.
Thus stands the case at present. The reader
can now properly appreciate the position of the
parties. We shall, from time to time,
as the contest progresses, endeavor to keep pace
herewith. At this stage it is almost impossible
to determine which banner victory will perch
The People will probably be forced at last to de-
eide between the parties.