The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-05-21
LOCAL MATTERS.

city OF hIchInoUd ASsenDtel ahA "~'
in. to inquire and report on offences com uii''eu
within the cornoration limits. Previous 10 re-
firing to their room, Judge Lyons addressed
them follows:
Tho In.y which the law imposes upon y
Grand Jury are at all times important, aio
the responsibility for the TUT ana TAI III VI
charge OF those duties Is, u posp nrro,,nd Ms AT
hv the circums taDces when saIiouhu ="
nraeent This community, in common VIZ
The whole State is excited ana arouse e ~ 81
preparations for connlct WIZ .nd as a
Ia Goverurnent At Washington ana as
LAT change has been recently made In our
ohJig.tions to that Government, as Wen as W
our own, / think it is proper that sio i,..
,rass To Won my own opinion OF the ftlttlohe
ttya now hold towards the present United
states When the Convention OF Virginia, IN
l-s8. ratified and adopted the CONSTITUTION on
tho II States they expressly declared, In 'he
name and on behalf of the people OF virginia,
that the powers granted under tue saiu
Constitution being derived from tue leopie
of the United States, might be resuLheu
by them whensoever the same shoulo ue
| perverted to their in Jury or oppression Al
ter remaining member OF the Federa Union
| for nearly three quarters OF q century: Tue
| naople of this Stat became satisfied that thr
movers of the Government had been perverted
| TO their Injury, aud would be USED LOT tneil
oppression and the destruc ton OF their Iiguts,
and therefore, in the exercise OF their sove-
| rni,n novyar and by the action of their dele
| gates in Convention assembled, dissolved theif
| union with the other States under that Coh-
| stituLiOu. and abSOtfcu US from Ola al rt'0|
| to the United States. Virginia thus became
| once more a separate and independent power;
| aud he first duty OF her people Is 10 her anu
| her Government. a.,
tyranny OF the Federal Government, VlndIc-
| tive and barbarous war has been commenced
| against her and thousands OF her gallant sons
have rushed to arms to defend her-to deIehu
| you-yOur families - your MONIES ana your
| property, from the blood thirsty nercenarles
OF the North. -. a.,oa
| Your own soldiers have left their hresides
| and families trusting TO you, III part, 10 pre-
| larve u-ace and good order here, ana 70 pro
tect them from the worst of all enemies, tIai
| tors at home who could give TO The Federal
| officers Information touching the aclion OF the
authorities of this State, or the mo yements OF
the troops and thus aid the Federal IoVern-
ment in this unholy war of cong ues and sub :
iugation, and perhaps cause the destruction Oh
treason is the breach of that fidelity and
allegiance which is due to the sovereignty OF
| the State from its citizens ana persons under
| it's protection, constituted by such acts OF re-
| Sistsnca or invasion of that sovereignty rs the
state, or its authorized representative, may
| prescribe ,a,
The Legislature of Virginia has defined
| trasson The Judge read the chapter on
| reason 1886 page of the Code 1t is unne-
cpssary first to ascertain who are enemies,
| within the meaning of the statute. by the
| term enemy is understc a foreign power,
| owing no allegiance TO our Government, ana
| in open hostility with our State
ANY citizen or resident OF Virginia, there-
, fore, who now adhrres TO the United States
giving the Government thereof, or It's Officers,
Aid and comfort, is guilty OF treason. nr-
uishiug information or Intelligence, money
arms mInuniton, provisions, or any assist
ance whe Their gratuItousIy or LOT reward IL
giving aid aud therefore committing treason
| Even the attempt to do any OF these thugs
though uns successful, will make man guilty
| Of treason.
| ,-autiou and uunishm ppt OF this and sont
- other crimes, has passed the following OIdi
| iGc":
..That in addition to the powers now yestHt
in the county courts, they shall have poWe
4 to establish a regulir police force, who, belnt
first qualified by taking the oath. OF hdtiity u
It | this Common wealth, and to discharge the du
| ties dpvoiytd upon them, under TINS OFdi
uonce shall be authorized to apprehend aux
u carry forthwith, before justice OF th
Il peace for the county, any person "hon tue,
Shall have lust cause to suspect has Violate
st any law of the State in regard to tamperin
Ia | with slaves incItng Them 10 rebel or max
insurrection, or TO escape from their owners
81 | or has attempted to commit any such offence
Il | or uuy person whom they shall nave Just c;tus
| 10 su Sract ia concerned in any manner III coun
selling aiding or abettihg, the Government o
e. | the United States or any olicer or ag-h
thereof in any invasion or hostile ~, aet nc
against this Commonwealth, or any OF is cit
izens acting under the proper authorize
es thereof, against the Confederate states
n, America, or any OF them, or OF any siaYenOIn
be y. no shall by letter or otherwise, comm
III nicate to the said Government OF tn
- United States, or any officer or agent thereo
IL directly or indirectly, any information touch
- Ing the action of this Common wealth or il
authortt ties other than as the same may L
authorized by them, or any OF them ana
bring all such persons before justice OF IL
he peace OF the county, to be dealt with accort
ing to law, and the provisions OF this Ord
nance.
ed 80. Anv person who shall commit any o
| fence for which person may be appTehende
'u' under the first section ofthis Ordinance, sha
nv be deemed guilty Of felony, and shall be puI
ished in such manner AS the laws now
force prescribe ProUided, That any impri
on1nent prescribed by existing laws in sue
Y g cases shall be in the peni house,
IN BY examining the list of offences enun
sb rated and the definition OF treason which
have given, you Will observe that nearly all
m Them Arr. included under the head of treaso
lat when committed by q citizen or resident
Ter Virginia but when committed by persC
of who owes no allegiance to the State, they WI
be punished in the manner prescribed by Il
Ordinance.
its The Judge then instructed them TO II
=: criminal jurisdiction of the Court, Wnicn
limited to feonies committed within the cit
~ or within one mile OF the city, and enum
5o6 | rated the list of felonies, and Charged the
80 upon the importance Of presenting al perso
;ch who had tempered with slaves, or advis
w. them TO rebel, or aided them 10 abscond tn
"a although we had reason TO be proud Of Il
his fidelity of our slaves, yet justice to them
,Sa we'll to the comm unity required US 10 nu
"a ish severely every person who attempted
los create rebellion and dissatisfaction amo
an | them.
nd After some remarks upon the formalit
,av necessary to be observed III finding indit
ments, the jury retired
''a't Beauregard Rfes.-Lynchburg has dc
3D. nobly in the present war. Besides sendi
self already FIVE or six Kindred men to fight I
lue battles of freedom, three more companies
to now formed there, and only wait the order
W: W, march to the scene of action. These are in'
gss pendent of the Beauregard Rifles, splenC
not company, which arrived in city yesterd
J. via Danville cars. The Rifles have pecul
red cap, by which they may be distinguish
TER The company numbers SO, exclusive of
Ilce officers. They were met at the depot by
lst Regiment band, and escorted to quartz
Will The commissioned and non-commisSioned
DER fcers number twelve, making the whole nu
hat Der 100. Their names arc as follows: c.
nav tain, Msrcelius Norman; lst Lieut., BID
l.. Woodson Cd Lieut., Ferdinand c. HUT
Sd Lieut., Joseph B. Smith Orderly Sergea
ks C. r. Phelps; ID Sergeant, John J. Sh
maker; Sd Sergeant James X. Read; 4th S
pa geaut, Ed. Ii. Norman; LIST Corporal, Hel
ur- D. Yancey I'd Corporal Aug. Leftwich;
s Corporal, John Hurry; 4th Corporal, c.
ac BuTch.
,im Ubare IN 6,I n y a Officers The M