The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-07-26
r. At meeting of the Council held oa the

cral hundted citizens OF the city, was presented,
asking that M Pieasanis be Ieiustated Captain
AT The Night Watch, oT thai poll be opened In |
each ward IN order mai the people may re-eiect |
him This petition was read aud referred 20 the |
COmmitlee on Police.
And al a meeting OF the COuactl held on the 2ist
instaLt, the Chairman OF the Committee on Police
presented the following report
The Committee on Police, ia whom was referred |
the petition OF VIM Tayio,, John NJ Higgins and |
Others, astiag The couaeii 10 reinsiate Captata
James Pieasabts to the office of Captain ot the
Night Watch, or that poll be opeaed In each |
waId In order thar the people may elect bia,, re
spectiuliy report
That the Lhalter does not provide for filing |
vacancy in the Office. of Captain OF The Night
Watch by an election. They also report that
there only 45? signatures TO the petition, and
OF these II are not on the Assessors books and
two signed twice, so that there were only Ala vO-
teIs on the petition, and Ii there We're more, the
committee are Of opinion that u would not justify
them in recommending 10 The cOuncu To change
their action. They the retOre respectfully re-
commend To the Council ihe rejection ot the pray
er Of the petitlDaeTs.
They also recommend TO The Council In order
that the citizens may fully understand their aolloa
In this case, that the communication Of the Mayor
and the action of the coancii on this subject, to-
geter with this report, be published twice in each
| OF the daily newspapers OF the city.
Respectfully submitted,
VI H,LL,
Chairman Committee Of Police.
Richmead, July Sist, 1864.
The report was read aud adopted by the Cdun-
ell by ayes aud noes, az follows, TO wit:
Ayes. --Messts Ctop.oa, tiatehdrid, Deacon,
Grittin, Giazebrook, Hill, Randolph, Richardson,
SlOkes and ScOtt-l0
NOes.-hfessrs EpPs and Walker-2.
n w MORTON, ChambeTlaiB,
aud LleIk 0f CoHRcti.
(HAMBERLAIs's OFFcr,
Richn,Oad, May -, lst4.
At meetiag OF The COa0cti, held ON The l.Hh
l day OF Juae, o54, the fol 0xing communic aIton
tv.,tt hfs rit
1 10 vii;
RICHMOND, June g. 1864.
10 III, President aud Members If III. Cry Co.nc,i
Very eaIty la the morntug GA Inc iitit May CO..
when a very large Yankee fofce, uadeT the com
| mand ot Gen Sheridan, was very aear the city ot
l Richmond, and when every citizea who could bea
| arms was called upon 10 uO 81, | received \ mes
sage from the Secretary at War, desirag 90 see me
| at his Office. imnedia ateiy called upon hial Whel
/ he a1uesled me 10 have asseasbitd aPaa the Ospt-
toi square, as speedily as could, all the pO.iet
fOIce uader my contIOi capable Ot bearing arms
l aud 60 Aeep them uP0u The Capitol square. Wnh
,his Il quest promptly complied by having iht
| whole night aud day po Ice assf Inbled at thf
| City Hail, when l told them the object Ut ny
| convening them, aud where they were 10 be sta
l toned, under my authority, and there 10 remaiI
| unit discharged by me. They were then posted h
the Capitol sqaate rs distiact oTgaDiz iiion. VI
| that day, while there assembled, aud at tint
! when the equaIe WAS filed with large eOHc0ufst
OF persons. thiak about two O'Clock 10 the day,
was called on by John ) Green, ia the City Hall
II
| Capitol square by The police. [ was SURPRISED
| at the question, and asked him what he meant
! when was told that some Of the night watc
| were there playing cards. l Immediately 0Tdere
him to go and order them 10 discontinue Il
that such conduct was a disgrace 10 thensclve
aud to the ciy. 1 heard no more Of IL until
, | later hOar IN the day, when was Informed tha
/ n controversy had taken place o0 the Square te
| tween Captain Pleasants and Mr. Seal, upO
{ | bhe subject OF the watch paying cards on IL
8 Square. sent tor MT Seal 10 know what 1t mean
whea Mr. =. al came before me aud was asked VII
= was The diticulty between htsnseif and CAPITA
Pieasants, he Informed me that Captaia Pie asan
n l had appr0aced him upon the Square and said
him that haunderstood he -eai) was going 10 pf
e sent him beiote the Grand jury for playing Car
upon the saaats 70 wasa be, seal to use
that The mayor had forbid their playing cards
q l the 4 kouare.o At which CapiaiR rieasanIs .
q nIied with excitement: 3" You may take my con
o. pIIments 10 the Mayor aud tell HIN will pi'
2 e | cards whenever ID please aud wherever l d
I' was Mr. Seals FIRST staIemeut 10 me Ia my upp
;, Office. This statement was reatiirmed by Mr 6e
q | Oh oath In the Mayors coaH room, where ii
matter was publicly iaQuired Into, except Mr. Sc
!. ,heH said he coudnv say positively iha, he tCa
p | Pisasants) used the void s-damn." | deem
;. proper 10 say that Captain Peasants denied q
= statement In the Mayors court, but did not de-
- MS playing cards on the Square. And Ms ney
u had the slightest reason TO doubt the Integrity
= ver.city Of Reuben I Seal, believe this sta
1t ment, and should do II uaconfrmed, but one
the &aIc0me0 pftSthb (JdmeS htnut0tl 01S
l. formed me that he heard the same language.
MT stokes, Of your body, and Mr. Samuel Eli
- the Clerk OF the MAJ ket, were present and WI
Il ! ne ssed much OF this most unotfceT Ike c0ndu
ON the part OF one Of the police OtceTs Of this ei
kc and the Chairman OF the COMMITTEES OF Police
| tended the examination before me, aud can dou
"a less correct any er0f that may have fallen II
IN in INV recollection Of the facts proved, all OF Will
- are n0t stated here, especially the statement ma
" by Mr Ellis, whom desire the C0uncil 10 ha
= befusc thesn, Or any COMMITTEES 70 whom they IA
thisk puoper TO eoaieI this subject, f ehe Coua
he deem IL necessary. Tbls conduct of Capt. rte
ns ants rcquises c0mHseai froas we, except "a
er that N - not the Erst instance OF tasub0tdtnal
- that induces sae 10 believe confidently that,
al Capt Pieasaats 10 elected by the people ss well
a. myseif, he believes that he ts not aOdeT my G.
10 troll or authority, eitheg never having read oS
ttseiy forgotten the chsrter Os The Police OfdiaaI
OF the city.
- newly anseaded chatter, page'3o. 70 ihe 7th sect
so OF the o,diaance coacesnias ppice, where Il !
be found thst u 70 the dUiy Of every police Oh
n 10 prevent, Instead Of committing, enences assl
ed Inr isWs Of the Commonwealth aad otdtaance
cir the city And - am The head Vi tue poatc'
ha the city, deem Il my tmpestons duty 20 prev
;n. the recurrence Of 30 disssaeefut scene as
s "a playing Of esIds upon the Capitol fquare BY
Cd par oi the police o this city. especially upon
aa 0ccaaion 10 this, sad 20 cause the Wttaes
! VIA saw Il 10 he sumnoned 10 aitead 20 stss
he dsnce before the next grand jury hasias iasis'
ne Afier shs heasias Of this matter, aad the exss
=. ~, nasioa Of these proofs ordered the discAasg
eo the six walchmen easased In the card plal
ne lhes e. and said - had 10 authority 20 reasov
IA saspena Capt PiessaRls, wou Sepost him
Ter | hs conduct 10 the couheil f0E theiS action
ed was at the uaae ssssesaed 10 NE ~ ksatiel
or staAdlag by that these men wese uadeI ahe b,
that they were these under military aath0sily,
nut mine, aad whelhes | mteht NOT suspend
=. execution 0f that iudament, aad let the execu
sA- af Is await the aestou u the Couuch. How u
By mea, os say Of them, GOT The impression, wi
nna ! tAea Cor sas hTss un.c came 20 my kRowlea
AZ. kuow not. Il could R0l have heea from aapi
IN said OF ala, bus yielaea 70 the sugassston
geaiieman, aad have n0s vet eIeeGsed The q
hut shati da "; for, upon mAturs VI nect0s,
not zee how this can jasltfg 0S mtsigsts this
oat aasseas sf law, osdss aaA decensy, wese IAsI
I've DER that .keltsf.
sutt have just seen Af aamuel Ellis aPos
Vill streets, (ahuxt sen ocl0ck q aag,l and thou
In lh0a6hs AAA dksstaes geeetscsts,A 0f q =
him ~ sepeAs - We uhal ~ saed Neca 49,
- ieet Wae unAss ny e1nmtnattne " sns -
- eONss b00na, aa1 teaGAsmiuu uhAl ~ taea 49,
Ne thefa naIe --EAna etaanante kfeatbt exetteoi