The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1856-04-16
THE DAILY DISPATCH.


THE DAILY DISFA CIi'
wednesday Nisrnins, April 40 IsS ..--
Meeting Of Dogs In Oppssitisn - the f"'
xte Law.
A large and respectable meeting OF sne "1p.y
ing dogs Of Richmond was held on Sa'afe-y go
nv the lisbt Of the moon, the object being 70 81.
press the sentiments of the CANINE eonA".A'' "
a.. -. q. -.,.,o, "a an ordinance recently pass.
"A r.or,,,no all dogs going At large to be nauzsed,
-, ,.n.,,v ~ death Neptune, of Monroe Ward,
- ..,,.a a the chair and Mere, Of Jefferson,
rn. chairman having explained the object of
.,o meeting. said be should be happy to hear an
.xnrs,.;on of sentiment from the leading tax. pay
era Of that assemblage. crisis had arrived IN
the affairs of their race and the sooner they join
ed issue with the City Council, tie better For
his part, be felt like joining issue with them oy
seizing the corporation in It's most sensnive part
II any dog had any thing to say, now was the time
70 say Il for the muzze would soon be clapped on
and an end be put to free discussion. '..ae
Cassius. n lean dog from jefferson Ward, then
addressed the meeting at some length He said
he considered the ordinance ordering dogs to be
muzzled as in direct antagonism with the spirit OF
free institutions What becomes Of the boasted
liberty of speech The dogs OF Richmond would
soon be In as degraded a condition as the editors
Of Paris. Some dogs, 1t is true, are ill-natured
and so are some men. Why not muzzle all the
two legged Snarleyow's who go growing and snap
ping through society," AS to muzzling all the
dogs Of 3 place because some might 60 mad, he
thought You might as we'll send all men to q lunatic
asylum, lest some should become crazy and do
mischief.
The speaker urged other objections. He said
taxation and representation ought to go togetnef
The dogs 1t is true do not claim seat in the City
Council-thsy have not got to that yet; but tney
do desire to be represented on the streets IN fAir
weather.
They ought to have the privilege Of meeting TO-
gether occasionally, exchanging saiutations' ana
consulting over the interests of their kind; but
how could this be, if they we're never permitted
to 60 out doors9 Moreover, if dogs contribute to
the public treasury, they have right to its bene-
fits If the money drawn from them helps to pave
the Streets ought they not to be allowed the privi
lege of the pavement Besides, this ordinance is
an invasion of the rights of property OF the citizen
as well as the personal liberty of the dog. The
legal right of man to dogs was acknowledged by
the courts, but what is a right without the means
of exercising itf What was the right of property
to dog worth, if the dog was to be shut upf Just
what right to q horse would be worth, if not per-
mitted to leave the stable. A dog must either pine
away for the want of air and exercise, or, if he
should put his nose out doors without muzzle,
must die of strychnine. Oh, shame
Pompey,a portly dog from the West enc, remarked,
with dignity that his principal objection to the law
was that it made no distinction between the differ
emit classes of society. 1t is true that we live un
fo., IS n,Ht h,,k r.,
sure it would make every dog laugh in that as
sembly to pretend that these were anything but
forms. Our masters, he was quite certain, est
mated mans value in society, not by his sense
virtue, but by the amount of taxes he paid into
the treasury. AS for fellows who didn't pay taxes
who had but little property to be taxed, 1t was
matter of surprise what they were created for
He contended that such standard of valuation
was as worthy of dogs As men, perhaps more So
He looked upon this ordinance as a species Of So
cialism, Radicalism, Red Republication unfit for
the Southern country. It degraded the respecta
BILE and taxpaying dog to level with the half
starved and plebeian ours that roam at large, liv
ing upon the community and paying no taxes. He
had no objection to cur-tailing the privileges OF
such creatures; indeed in his opinion, neither poor
dogs nor poor men, (if he might be allowed to
quote from a worthy gentleman Newton Hll)
ought to be permitted to live What motive was
there for Improvement among dogs-what incen.
tive to patriotism-if those who have some stake
in society are reduced to the level of those who
have none2 For himself, he was one of the oldest
taxpayers in the city, but, unless this ordinance
was repealed he should feel it his duty at once to
sell out his property and emigrate to Constant
nople.
COMMITTEES of three consisting of Tray,
Blanche and Sweetheart, was then appointed
who reported series of resolutions, embodying the
principal points embraced In the remarks of the
various speakers and disdaining all design to be
dogmatical, yet earnestly invoking the City Coun-
ell to repeal the unjust and odious ordinance.
The chairman made few remarks in conclusion
which he hoped the reporters would duly notice
He said he was afraid that, when he first addressed
the meeting, he had spoken under undue excite
ment Upon a sober second thought, he would dis
suade his friends from any rash rebelious act He
trusted every individual present at this meeting
would respect the laws, and not make any assault
upon the members of the Council. He was willing
to admit that tho error of that body of the
head not the heart He therefore invoked his bro
Their dogs not to bite any one except q visiter to
their own house, nor 60 mad and ineculate any boz
dy with the hydrophobia but their own masters
such being the obvious intention and purpose of
the law. He did not wish to speak evil of digni.
ties he would concede that all the embers of the
City Council were Sir Oracles and when they
oped their mouths, let no dog bark. But four
legged animals had sensibilities as well as two
legged ones. Moreover, the dog had been the con-
slant friend of man; his very name was synoni'
nous with gratitude and fidelity; indeed, in both
these qualities, he is superior TO his biped owner
Besides, there were many human failings to which
dogs were not subject They did not desert
friend who had done them ninety-nine fayors, be-
cause he was unable to do the hundredth. They
are sometimes given to fighting, but as a general
rule, they don't collar and bully only weaker ami
mails, and then COVER like slaves when fighting
dog comes along. They never get drunk; never
whip their wives; never make large fortunes by
failing in business; never desert their trust nor
abscond with it to parts unknown. They were, it
Is true, little disorderly when q number of than