The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-01-30

The objections which have been urged against
the Police Bill, now before the Legislature, are OF
entitled to weight only in so far as they are
sensible and honest Although, in our Judgment,
the arguments of the opponents of that measure
are utterly weak and inconclusve, we are never
theless compelled to think they are more forcible
than sincere. Were they simply illogical, they
might still command respect, but they deserve
and should receive none, if they have been merely
advanced to serve a temporary purpose, by men
who would tomorrow deny the facts and dissent
from the conclusions they maintain to-day. II
they do not truly believe that which they would
induce others to accept and rely upon as true,
they need not wonder that their protestations are
listened to with scornful silence To test the in
tegrity of mems opinions, it is usual to compare
them with those they have avowed within q COM
parativey brief period and under reversed cir
cumstances. If we find them to have advocated,
when in one place, views which they have
promptly repudiated in another, unless they can
give good reasons for their inconsistency, we may
draw our own unfavorabe deductions from their
conduct. 1t is in this way that we have arrived
at our present estimate of the integrity and fair
ness of those who so earnestly laboring to
defeat the Police Bill. They profess now to be
terribly troubled lest the Legislature should do
something illegal, and nothing concerns them
more than what they call the interference of this
Act with the unquestionable constitutional rights
of the GOVERNOR, MAYOR and SHERIFF. The par
tsans and the party press unanimous in insist
ing upon this objection which they have pertina-
ciously pressed in every quarter They tell us
the
tenth section of the Bill usurps the Constitutions
functions of the Sheriff and of the conservators of tae
peace created by the Constitution
1.-The Sheriff is by law and by the Constitution high
executive officer, charged especially by virtue of his
Office, with the conservation of the peace his baili-
wick and to enable him to execute his duties he is
ed with the right at his discretion of summonng the
posse comdtus to his aid This places his disposal the
whole power of the county city which his juris
dicton extends"
Such is their view of the powers of the SHERIFF
OF this city. Again we are told that the sixth
section
"usurp the constitutional prerogative the Cover
nor to order out the military and omnpo-
Board
1.-THE ninth section of the second Article Of the Consti
tuition makes the Governor the Commander in Chief and
vests him with to call the militia repel inva
Of the laws.
This confdes these delicate and dangerous preroga-
uves to his discretion If he is to call the militia for
those purposes he must judge finally and exclusively
the existence of the contingency which he entitled
to exercise this pOwersubect to his responsibility to the
people for its abuse"
Such is their opinions of the prerogatves and du.
ties of the GOVERNOR of this State We do not
propose to discuss the validity of the PROPOSE
lions. We did that repeatedly many months ago,
when we asserted that the officials last named
were clothed precisely with the authority which
these extracts so broadly admit them to possess
But we confess we do stand amazed at the hardi-
hood with which those who strenuousy denied
all this a little while ago confess it now. Our
readers familiar with the facts. Last autumn.
when the Reformers too deferentially approached
the MAYOR with the demand that he should afford
them adequate protection at the polls, and the re-
quest that he would accept their aid and sugees-
tons in making such preparations as were neces-
sary to guarantee them their lawful privileges and
the safety of their persons and lives he arrogantly
repulsed them. When they turned to the SHER-
IFF, who was charged especially by virtue of his
"office with the conservation of the peace and
who had ''at his disposal the whole power of the
County or city, they were denounced on the
hustings, belied by the MAYOR, and maligned by
the press They sought, it was alleged, to usurp
the city government, to induce the SHERIFF to ex-
ercse unheard-of and illegal powers, and to wrest
the law from its acknowledged meaning that their
party purposes might be thereby forwarded and
the obsequious STATES ATTORNEY endorsed the
disreputable and senseless Interpretation that par
alyzed the constitutional functions of the SHER-
"IFF." Does this community believe that these
were honest errors, that they were only misera-
BILE shifts to nulfy or evade the laws, such
as have in fifty other instances been so falsely
and foully practced2 1t did not suit the purpose
of these people, then, that the Sheriff should act,
and they denied that he was charged or empowered
to preserve the peace-but it is for their advantage
now that he should be something more than
cypher, and 10 he has "at his disposal the whole
power of the county or city" 'The constitu-
''tional prerogative of the GOVERNOR" too, is now
'usurped.' He is the proper officer 'o call out the
militia 10 ''enforce the execution of the laws"
Has the Constitution been changed then since Mr..
SWAMI, advised and supported by his whole
party, said to Governor LIGoN ''the constitutional
'sphere assigned to you as GOVERNOR of the State
''ot Maryland, and to me MAYOR of the city of |
Baltimore, is believed to be sufficiently defined, u
and proceeie, to define himself to be the absolute
ruler OF this city? 81 should claim. I" he said |
by virtue oil my commission, the privilege of the |
Initiative in any demand which | might con-
"sider necessary to be made upon your Excellencv
''for your aid and corporation in preserving the
f'peace of the city," 81 must be equally frank in