The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1862-10-03
OFFICIAL.
LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES,
Passed at the Second Session OF the
Thirty-seventh Congress.
PnhIic--No.140.

AN ACT to amend an act entitled San act to create
Metropolitan police district of the District of
Columbia, ana 10 establish police therefor
approved August six, eighteen hundred and six
ty-one.
Bet enacted By he Senate and House Of Repre.satd-
ives of e United States of AfHerca M Congress asse-
bled, That the act entitled 4" act to create
Metropolitan police district of the District of Col
umbia, and to establish police therefore," aP-
proved August six, eighteen hundred and sixty-one
be and tho same is hereby amended as follows:
SEC. !. And be Il further enacted That all proper
ty, money alleged or supposed TO have been felo-
niously obtained or which shau be lost or aban-
dOnsd aud which shalt be thereafter takon into the
custody Of any member Of the Metropolitan police
force, criminal court OF the District Of Column
bia which shall come into custody of any Justice
of the peace. shall be- by such member or justice,
or by order Of said court given into the custody of
and kept by an officer appointed and may be remov-
ed by the Board of Police, known as "property
clerk Of the Metropolitan police district and all
such property and money shall be particularly reg
istered by said property clerk in a book kept for
that purpose, which shall contain also record of
the names of the persons from whom such property
or money was taken, the names Of all claimants
thereto, the time OF the seizure, and any final dis
position OF such property and money Whichever
property money shall be taken from persons
rested, al shall be alleged to have been fcloHious
" obtained, to be the proceeds Of crime, and
Whenever so brought with such claimant and the
person arrested before magistrate for adjudi-
cation and the magistrate shall be then and there
satisfied from evidence that the person arrested is
Innocent Of the offence alleged, aud that the pro-
perty rightfully belongs to inn, then said magis-
trate may thereupon, in writing, order such pro-
perty or money TO be returned and the property
clerk 1.-The have il, TO deliver such property
ey to the accused person himself, and not to any
attorney, agent, or clerk of such accused person.
If any claim to the ownership of such property
money shall be made on oath before the magistrate
by or in behalf Of any other persons than the per-
arrested, and the said accused person shall he
held for trial or exa ination, such property or
money shall remain in the custody of the property
clerk until the discharge conviction Of the per-
sons accused. All property or money taken
ema felOuiOuSlV oil
of being the proceeds Of crime and for which there
is no other claimant than the person from whom
such property was taken, and all lost property
ing into tho possession of any member of the said
Metropolitan police force, and all property and
money taken from pawn brokers as the proceeds
Of crime, or by any such member from persons sup
posed to be insane, intoxicated otherwise in
capa0le of taking of Themselves, shall b.
transmitted as soon as practicable to the properte
clerk of the Metropolitan police district TO be duly
registered and advertised for the benefit Of all per-
and parties interested and for the information
Of the public as to the amount and disposition Of
the property so taken into custody by t police
All property aud money that shall remain in custo-
dy Of the property clerk for the period of six
months without any lawful claiment thereto, after
having been three times advertised in public news
papers, shall be sold at public auction and the pro-
ceeds of such sale shall DO paid into the policeman
fund: Provided, That horses and other animals ia
ken by the police and remaining unclaimed for
twenty days may be advertised and sold upon ten
days public notice, and all perishable property to
be sold at once. If any property money placed
in the custody Of the property clerk shall be desir
ed evidence in any police other criminal court
such property shall he delivered to any officer who
shall present order to that effect from such court
such property, however, shall not be retained in
said court, but shall be returned to said property
clerk, to be disposed of according to previous pro-
visions Of this act. And the annual compensation
For the pay of a commissioner and incidental
expenses under the ''act for the codifcation and
revision Of the laws Of the District of Columbia"
of said property clerk ms alsO-the clerk who
shall hereafter be known secretary of the board
Of police,) and shall be twelve hundred dollars
anah I mon IL
SEC. 2. Aad be 10 further enacted, That it shall be
the duty of the Board OF Metropolitan Police toset
apart sanitary police company, to consist of not
exceeding ten persons, who shall be selected from
among the police, and to assign to said company
such especial duties, blythe rules aud regulations,
may be publicly advantageous, and also to APP.
point not exceeding three surgeons Of police who
shall receive an annual compensation Of three hun
drcd dollars EACH and discharge such duties may
be required Of them by the board of police. The
metropolitan sanitary company is hereby empow
cred under such distribution Of power and duty
may be made by the rules and regulations, to Wis
# and make inspection Of all ferry hoats manu-
factories, slaughter houses, tenement houses and
edfces suspected of or charged with, being unsafe,
and TO attend to such other matters relating TO
health as are complained of and entered upoh the
complaint-book kept by order Of the board, and to
take all necessary legal measures for promoting the
security of life or health generally, and upon in
said boats, manufactures, houses, and dfces aud
to make report of inspection and action in the pre-
misses to the Board Of Metropolitan Police. When
said board shall be satisfied by such report,
that any terrybOat, mandatory, slaughter-hoIlse
tenement-house or edifice, is maintained that
any other act is being about to be committed in a
manner prejudicial to the lives or health of the
public, It shall, after due entry upon its minutes OF
the circumstances, cause complaint to be ma e,
founded upon such report and circumstances, be-
fore any magistrate Of the Metropolitan police dis
trct, who shall in a summary way gpOn sueh com e
plant made under oath, issue his proper warrant,
reciting therein the name of the member or menu
bers, Of the Metropolitan sanitary police company
for the arrest of the person in charge of said ferry
boat, mandatory slaughter housu, tenement.
house. and n
tn may b. derogatory to the public health, TO TIL
end that he may be brought before such magstrat,
and the complaint OF insecurity of the life health
Of the public so made be duly Investigated accord
ing to the law of examination into misdemoanors
If said magistrate shall be satisfied, a summar,
hearing thereof that such charge Of insecurity o
the lives or health Of the public is founded reas
enable aud probable cause, he may, by his order ii
writing command any such forry-boat to ceas
running, or any business in such mandatory o
slaughter-house to cease, or impose such fine a
by law, may be attached to such offence upon IN
person so offending, until the of complain
aforesaid shall be removed TO the satisfaction @
the Board of Metropolitan Police.
SEC. 3. And be further enacted, That any mem
Der of the METROPOLITAN Police force or if any tw
or more house-holders shall report in writing, un
der his or their signature, to the superintendent
the Metropolitan police force that there goo
grounds (and stating the same) for believing an
house, room or premises within said Metropolita
police district to be kept or used as a common gan
ing house, common gaming room, common
gaming premises, for therein playing for wagers
money at any game of chance, or to be kept or use
as a bawdy house, or for LEVIED and obscene publ
amusement or entertainments, or as house of pro-
titution, or for the purposes of prostitution Ii
deposit or sale of lottery tickets of lottery pol
cies, 1t shall be lawful for the superintendent ,
Metropolitan police 10 authorize any member
members Of the police force TO enter (be same VIII
shall forthwith arrest all persons fhaH6hfound OF
fending against law, and seize all ipplcments
gaming or lottery tickets, or lottery poiices, al
convey any person arrested 70 the nearAt polio
magistrate and bring tho articles so sainsd to tn
Office Of the Board of acknowledgements
shall be the duty e the said superintendent Of Il
Metropolitan police force to such srrestt
persons to be vigorously prosecuted, andIsich art
ces seized to be destroyed, and such rod Nj hon
to be closed, and not used again for sHcb pniawf
purposes. <.-eaR.
Sec. A. And be further enacted, Tha bar
of Metropolis Police shall possess poV .fyf ge
eral police supervision and inspection Yer all
censed pawn rokene licensed vendors, licens,
hackmen, and cartMen, dealers secondhand me
chandise, inteligeAce Office keepers, auctionecrs
watches and jewelry, and suspected private banl
ing houses, and other doubtful establishment
within the said Metropolitan police district; al
in the exercise and furtherance a, said supervise
may from time to tmo empower members of q
police force fulfil such spscial duties in the afor
said premises may be ordained by the Board
Metropolitan Police. The said board may dire
the superintendent to empower any member of q
Metropolitan police force, whenever such memb
shall be in search of property feoniously obtain
or in search of suspected Offenders to examine Il