The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-08-18
LOCAL MATTERS.

POLICE E.--Durin. fns
Mayors sitting, yesterday, he took oct sion, 10 Al
iude to the official conduct of of the City Aar
men, and to speak of 1t reprehensvely. Accordny
to the Mayor, all Justices transcend their powes
whom they assume to act in the Mayors stead and
they thereby hazard the public peace and order
| After reading notice in the "Dispatch." on the
subject Of "Bail Bonds" Mr.. Mayo fully endorsed
our views. and expressed regret that the Magis
trates to whom he alluded not present TO hear
what he had 10 say. lie then reviewed the opera
tion Of bail bonds, the object Of taking them, and
the wrong the city must suffer If any other justice
undertook to control the police affairs OF The city
while the Mayor was at his post.
Bail, said slr Mayo, means something more than
form-somethng more than the mere acknowlcdg
ment of an Irresponsible party. 1t means that when
| r. man is taken security, he shall not only be
worth the amount for which he becomes RESPONSE
bic, but that his pecuniary condition shall be such
that the justice is satisfied the Commonwealth can
make that amount ont of him at any time within
twelve months if the bond should be forfeited. II
this were not the intention of the law, why go
through the farce of holding violent character to
bail for his good behavior? Why not take his in
diyidual pledge to behave himself and let him go
The Legislature would not have been guilty of the
folly of passing q law requiring O security on a
bail bond, il it had not intended that that securt
should be all that it professed to be-entirely re-
sponsbe for the contract entered into-and if any
justice Knowingly received irresponsible bail he
was liable to an indictment by the Grand Jury for
x
| never taken bail that he did not think perfectly
good, and whenever recognisance forfeited, he
had always sent it to the Hastings Court to be
prosecuted. This the law required of him.
But. continued Mr.. NJ, at least one justice per-
sists in interfering with the police arrangements of
the city, after being freely spoken to upon the sub
Ject, aud ia more than one instance has received
bail that he must have known utterly worth
less. Not many days since, disorierly and trotl-
blesome free negro--Sam patch-was committed to
Jail and sentenced to work upon the streets in de-
fault OF security for his good behavior, on convic-
ton OF assaulting and beating white woman
Ihaf very day, or in very short time thereafter.
the Alderman alluded to, went to the Jail and bail
ed this notorious negro out, taking as his security
man who Is not worth one farthng and against
Whoh there are now executions in the Clerks Office
for nearly 100000 all Of which have been returned
TO the office marked 'no effects" And this is not
the only instance of unwarrantahle interference on
the part OF this Magistrate. Not longer than SIM
day last, man who had been locked up in the cage
ana marked 10 appear at Court, on the charge of
assanlting and beating his wife and threatening to
Kill her. was bailed out by the Justice referred to
without hearing the evidence of the Natchman who
arrested him. and a man taken as security on the
nohd who could not get credit for s10. If these
things are tolerated. what protection does the law
give to quiet, peaceabe citizeus? What guarantee
has any man against the assaults of ruffiaps and
blackguards, if they are to be turned loose on
"straw BAIL" at the pleasure of a Magistrate >
None whatever.
By the charter of the city, there is but one Mayor
and he IS head of the police ami has exclusive con-
troll OF the watchmen. As that head, it is in vain
Tor hl to sit in Court to enforce the laws and pre-
serve the quiet and good order of the city, while
such nnjustitiabe and unlawful interference is per-
sisted ill., and stop must be put to it. lie was al
ways ready. day or night, to go to the station
houses or Jail to bail any one who entitled to
It, and it was just easy for parties to find him as
any other magistrate but in no instance would he
take doubtful worthless bail. and no one need
expect him to do it. In his absence the Recorder
was required to act in his stead, and when the
Mayor and Recorder were both absent then the
duty devoyed upon the Senior Alderman The law
books laid it down indicate and unbecomipg in
one magistrate to interfere with the business of
| another, and he hoped in future that Mr. r. D.
SAN1tY; the Justice to whom he had been al
iudlng would in conine his operations to their e-
gltinate sphere and not interfere with those police
affairs which were exclusively delegated to him.
The Mayor concluded his remarks by instructine
the police officers to let him know in future before
they released any prisoner under their charge by
the order of Sir. s.