Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1866-11-07
The Difficulty in Maryland.
GOV Swami removes the old Police Comm issi oners
The new ones are arrested and imprlso ned

The new ones arrested and imprlso neo
Gov Swann,sof Maryland, ,on last Thurs
day, decided, as was anticipated.to remove
the Police Commissioners of Baltimore for
alleged official misconduct, and appointed In
.heir place James Young and VIM. L. al
liant. On Thursday, the latter named gen
tlemen made their appearance in the Supe-
rior Court and asked TO be sworn in as Com
missioners In allowing the applicants to
take the oath prescribed by the law, Judge
Martin said he desired to be understood as
expressing no opinion as to the jurisdiction
of the Governor or the validity OF the title
of the new appointees-that the Court was
ronly performing ministerial duty which
might be discharged by the clerks. On Sat
urlay forenoon the new Commissioners ap-
reared at the Marshals office, and present
ed to the clerk of the Board a demand for
| the surrender of the Station houses, Mar
shal's Office. fire alarm telegraph and police
force, which was not complied with, and
request to see the old Commissioners was
also refused Messrs Young and Valiant
then proceeded to the Sheriff 5 office, evil
dently for the purpose of calling in his aid
and that of his posse They also had sworn
in and attempted to use police force. At
later hour, the State Attorney for Balti-
more county made application before Judge
Bond for bench warrant for the arrest of
Messrs. Valiant and Young, to which the
Judge made the following reply
1T is your duty to bring to the notice of
the Court the very grave facts you have just
mentioned; it is the only tribunal here
charged with the punishment of crime and
| the preservation of the peace. Whatever
| power it has for these purposes, should be
Immediately invoked and exercised TO pre-
vent the violence which you suggest is con
| templated. 1t is not our duty to determine
the questions in dispute between those claim
| ing to be officers and police Commissioners,
but it ought not to be truthfully said that
| in a government SO long established as that
of Maryland, the only way to obtain posses
sion Of an office is by force of arms. The
| Courts are open; an appeal to them can be
speedily heard, and all official rights deter
mined. This course must be pursued. An
array of force for any purpose OF tins KIND
is an unlawful assembly; the parties enga-
ged in this are guilty of breach of the
| peace, and must be Immediately arrested.
| All the power of this Court should be ex-
ercised with vigor and promptness to pre-
vent such a violation of law, and the pubic
peace ST all be preserved at all hazards. The
fact that persons claiming, rightfully or
wrongfully, to be Police Commissioners, are
about to place persons on the streets as po-
lice officers, charged with the duty of pre-
serving the public peace, is calculated to
alarm the public mind. The dread of col
lision between the two forces and OF ulti-
mate armed conflict, will fill the minds OF
peaceable and order loving citizens with ter
ror. 1t is impossible that this should be al
lowed if the law can prevent it, and the
warrant you ask shall issue. -
A warrant was accordingly prepared, and
subsequently the new Commissioners were
arrested and sent to Jail in default of S25,
900 bail Sheriff Thompson who admitted
that he was summoning posse to aid the
new Commissioners, was also brought before
Judge Bond and in default Of $25, 900 bail
committed to prison, on a charge of con
tempt of Court in refusing to obey the orde
of the Judge forbidding him to swear in tn,
posse Some new police officers, who made
their appearance on the streets, were alsc
: arrested 1t appears that under the Law
creating the Board, the Commissioners hav'
the most ample powers. They can, in al
emergency, increase their force without lin
it, can call out the militia if they deem i
expedient. and can summon the sheriff ant
his posse, who are subject to their orders
1t was under this provision of the law the,
proceeded to make the arrests, &C.
Several detachments of regular troop:
, were ordered from Washington by Genera
Candy, who is in command at Baltimore
Late on Saturday afternoon, the Genera
sent for Mayor Chapman and the other Po
lice Commissioners, desiring to be informed
of the condition of affairs and of their abil
ity to preserve the peace of the city. Th
Commissioners informed him that they haC
an extra force on duty, had closed all tn
taverns and grog shops, had arrested al
disorderly persons, and fully expected to b
able to prevent any outbreak. With thi
statement the General seemed to be entire
, ly satisfied, and the Mayor and Commission
ers returned to their offices.
The Latest.
y The old Commissioners Triumph-They will cor
r duct the Election