Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-02-10

DdDers.
headed " Mechanics, workingmen and others,
attention, >" meeting was held nj Temperance
Hall last night, the object of which was The dis.
CusSion OF the new Code Of Laws The me.tirg
was called to order by Mr.. James w Dunawin,
who nominated Mich. Callan, Esq as Chairman,
carried; and Mr.. Lewis Newton was chosen sec,
retary
On motion Of Mr.. Dunawin persons ob,ec,ino
jections, for refntation.
The meeting was addressed on the mar, of tho
directors, first, by Mr. Wood who stated that At
iate nertng oil the citizens al this place he had
expressed himself la favor Of the proposed Code
and his determination to vote for II but that
since thatyneeting he had ex amined and come
almost 10 tue conclusion that be would go against
H. he objected to the large amount of fees given
To the marshal Of the District He also wanted
the Levy Court TO be elected by the people One
OF The eodiners bad stated that the new law In
relation 10 expulsion from the hools had special
reference to the county outside the CITY, III II
related TO any one sc hoOl, IL was wrong in every
sense of the word He objected TO the superin-
tendent OF asylum being appointed for life term
He thought that the said func nv should he
appointed for a term of years
In relation 10 the Sunday musement provision
the speaker had not been satisfied at the former
meeting with the explanation Of the codifers; he
did not believe in Furnishing the boy who went
fishing on Sunday, with fine, and letting the
servant or fcotman OF the rich church-goer clean
his horses, drive his master to church and wait
outside Tor him, go scot free. He believed there
wa. more attained by good works than by PRAYER
lie believed the Sunday law, as proposed in the
new Code, was an arrangement to suit the rich
and not the poor man The speaker remembered
scene which trans pired one Of our CITY hotels
one sunday, whe a party of persons were in the
baf drinking gin slinys, or some other kind az
sings when the drinks had been swallowed
one OF the patty threw down a piece of money far
PAYMENT whereat the baIkeeper gave him
i h1owlny WINK, ana gentleman present, hieh
CITY functionary, responded by saving .'We ell If
am In he way of business Transaction I'll
clear nut - Thus this Official winked at a {. ans
action which was against the law
He was opposed also to the law In relation TO
marriage, and stated sci les of objections i'm this
connection, which Were more mirth- ptoyoki no
.han al gnmenfitive The law. he said oug bit 10
have Deem 40 plain that common men could nm
de'stand IL, without three or four cudiaers to
explain it.
Mr.. w. reviewed the law In relation to me.
cbanics, aud urged that there was not clause
In the new Code for tneir protection in aDy way
OF form. The law in relation to bawdy. houses
he thought, was ridiculous; why did not the cod.
treted victim OF mans viilany.
Tney could form societies TO send missionaries
TO convert mullet headed Africans who had moi
tnIee ideas above d monkey; but no civilized
christian law makers had thought Of the wants
OF their fellow white creatures at home who
had no place Of refuge wherein to Law their
heads Ia relation to the provision made for con-
Nicts discharged from the penitentiary by pa don
OF the Executive, he thought Ii was the very
worst In the whole Code He thouy ht an az
count should be kept with each prisoner during
Connucuicnt IN the pcnlSntidry and that when
discharged he should be paid the full amount of
his earnings, and come forth is d man and not a,
aoeggar-a ripe subject for the renewed commits
sion Of crime.
Mr. Wood concluded his som-wb,, ls,o,h,,
remaIks, and MIR. Jos III Bradley, senior, wa.
called to the stand at MIR. Woo Is request to ex
plain the proposed law in relation to riots
Mr.. b. stated the object for which the citizens
were called together on this occasion. He held
that the safety Of this country rested on the la sis
OF the Christian religiOn-he did not speak of
mr. n FA-Ax Int hat, a.
which was the true foundation of government
They had met to deliberate upon thai which was
the foundation Of our every inter st He knew
no party or sect, when they Were meeting to.
gether as brothers to provide for the government
OF all The speaker had written that law i'm re-
lation to riots himself, and was proud to have
written IL There was no law which belonged
TO this District providing for the calling out of
the military; II was time there was There was
no law providing for the reading of the riot act !:
II was high time there was. The provision Of
the new Code in relation to riots must be taken
as whole, aud not picked to pieces in order to
proper understanding of 1t.
Mr. b went IN 10 read the section from the
new Code in this relation, after which be COM
mented upon IL at length, asking IL the proposed
law was not a wholesome one, and one calculated
to restrain the ruthless Passions Of bad and un-
propounded by DR.. Clayton, Mr. B went ON TO
state that In ca<es Of insurrection the President
OF the United States was compelled to call out
the military. The proposed law eonp. lied the
Mayor TO exhaust all other authority before call
Ing for the regular military In of riots First
every effort must be made by the Mayor, the Mar
snail the Magistrates and Constables to qnell the
riot tina. proving inc Mc acious, then the District
militia must be called upon, and then they must
not fiTe upon the mob without full aud sufficient
notice to dsperse
When the necessity eristsd for the military tn
lie called upon, the speaker would stand by the
authorities 10 the very Last. As the rio. law now
exists, there Is no eXigency short Of insurr G.
ton, giving power To call out the military The
subjects President fa m
Peaehment should he dare order out the mill
tdfy without the clearest proof of the civil au-
thority being first exhaustt d; he must have clear
proof
No law is worth astraw ualess we have judges
and Jurors TO enforce 1t. The execution of the
law is often oppressive. Tue speaker did not
wish to Ge consider as rejecting upon any in
dlyidual, but az speaking In view OF a great
principle Now one man selects the Jurors for
the courts In high party times, man clothed
with the power To suIIIIlun les will, without
being conscious of IL, Summon those b-lonying
TO bis political party Ii there were not hing else
In the Code 20 recommend IL, the chapter ia re-
ldtion 10 the SumInoning of j1res a chaptrr
which was founded on the best principles of JUS
tee IL was not that one man was dressed i'm
bFoadeioth and another in homespun that We
were to ind fault with this Code; we must COM
promise fOI the best public good We must moi
expect to have laws to suit every ones mind in
every respect, but those which will effect the
greatest public good.
Mr. Bradley spoke at considerable length on
the subject Of tue provision Ia relation To slaves
and free negroes. In relation to Juries, the pro-
posed law provided for the selection OF one hun
dTed aud nifty citizens and househoiders out OF
all The citizens OF the District, and they take turn
50 as not 10 have the same for two successive
terms no jury 10 serve after once serving, until
the whole shall he exhausted.
MI u sntrratrd the people to consider we'll
upon the snbj-ct under disc ussion, and to read
and understand for themselves. They could vote
FOL itwith their objections attached their votes
and then when those objections became known
let them 60 before Cong fvss and have proper re-
wishing Of the objectionable parts by Congress
Mr. concluded, and Mr.. James Wise mount
ed the stand and stated Sever al objections to the
Code. He regarded the adoption thereof or
It's rejection as matter involving much interss,
TO the CITIZENS that be moved a committee of five
gentlemen Ce appointed from this meeting TO
yisit the Pfesideat and ask him to extend the
time for voting on the Code to sixty days.
fhe motion being seconded, the question was
put, and the motion carried unanI m1uSly
The meeting W as then addressed by Capt p.
Levy, who Proceeded TO state d long series Of OBJ
jections 10 tine Code; but the audience apparently
satisfied by the motion of Mr.. Wise for q COM
hiaee TO petition the President tn extend the time
On its adoption 10 sixty days, rapidly thinned out
and In lew minutes The Hall was pretty we'll