The Portland daily press., 1866-11-03

new Police Commissioners applied last night
to Judge Martin to be sworn into Office The
Judge refused to attend to the business out OF
court and there has been. no application jim
court up to this time. The Clerk Of the Court
| is Alfred Mace. He is a staunch loyalist and
will not swear in the new Commissioners
Judge Martin will also probably refuse to swear
| In the new Commissioners unless they agree to
test the question in court before taking possess
sion of the Office to which they have been APP
pointed by the Governor. The old Police Com
missioners will not recognize the appointments
of Gov. Swami under any circumstances ex-
ceP,t actual military force. The Union men
will not come in contact with the Federal
troops. Three-fourths of the old police force
will refuse to serve under Gov Swami. Gen.
Grant is all right, and will do nothing EXCEPT
under positive orders Federal troops will be
sent here from2 Washington before the END of
the week. ,-.-..
Leading Republicans believe that the scheme
Of the President is to have collision while the
United States troops are in Baltimore, and
then charge Baltimore with repeating the scenes
of April, 1861, as pretext for assembling troops
in Washington before Congress meets What
ever proceedings take place before the election
comes off, it will be hotly contested by the
Union men on Tuesday. fl.G .sn -3s
'I BALTIMORE, Nov. q
Gov. Swami returned to Annapolis this af-
ternoon from Washington. There are throngs
of people in the vicinity of the police stations
and newspaper offices, but all remains quiet.
The following is what was said by Judge
Martin, of the Superior Court of Baltimore
city, before permitting the oath to be admins
tered to the new Commissioners appointed by
Gov. Swami:
I'm the matter of William T. Valiant and
James Young, who have applied to be allowed
to take the oath prescribed by the first section
OF the act of 1852, chapter 131, in allowing
these applicants to take the oath required by
the first section of the act of 1862, chapter 13i
desire to be understood as expressing no opin-
ion on the question as to the jurisdiction of
the Governor of Maryland to remove Police
Commissioners who were in office under the
appointment of the Legislature for official mis-
conduct, to the validity of the title of these
applicants to Office, to which they claim to be
entitled under appointment of the Executive
In directing to be administered to these appli-,
cants the oaths required to be taken by them
by the act of the Assembly of 1862, chapter 13l,
the court performs only ministerial duty which
may be discharged by the Clerk. 1t is no evil
dence Of title in these applicants to the Office
claimed by them, but only puts them in cond-
tion to maintain the validity of that title The
taking of the oath prescribed by the police act
is only compliance with the conditions de-
manded by the statute, and without perform
apce of which, the applicants could not be re-
garded as entitled to hold the office of Police
Commissioners or to discharge its duties. Even
assuming that the mode in which they have
been appointed is entirely unexceptiOnable, the
question of their title to this Office cannot be
The latest reports in regard to the Police Com
missioners is that the newly appointed Commits
sioners will make formal demand tomorrow
morning for the surrender to them of all the
station stat IN houses and other properly together ;
demand, it is further said, will be supported
and enforced by the Sheriff with a large posse.
The demand, it is understood, win be refused
and the Commissioners will announce their de-
termination to submit only to the decision of
no Wnr1i i'm ~ Iorn
number of special policemen, which they sup
pose will be superior to any force the claimants
will be able to summon to enforce their demand.
All is quiet tonight, and it is hoped that the
whole matter will yet be settled without any
serious disturbance of the public peace. There
have been several persons named for Marshal
under the new Commissioners, but it cannot be
ascertained that they have yet settled on any
one. H
A very large meeting of Republicans was
held tonight at the Front Street Theatre
Gen. John r. Kenly and ex-Secretary Harlan
were among the speakers. The meeting adopt
ed the declaration addressed to the country in
regard to the existing troubles, and setting
forth the following ideas: We are w7abid-
ing people; we propose to maintain our rights.
Doubts in relation to the construction of any
law should be determined only by the courts
The present controversy should be decided by
the courts. After expressing confidence in the
Police Commissioners, they declare they dep
speak and act dispassionately as well as firmly
and close as follows: f..,'- -...Yt
We cannot refrain from expressing our in
dignatiOn at the action of Gov. Swami in his
attempted removal of the Police Commission
ers. We believe that it will be violation of
the Constitution and laws of the State, and an
assumption of authority which he has no legal
right to exercise, and we declare to the peope
Of the United States what is abundantly shown
by the manner of conducting the investigation,
by the fact that the Judge is a known candi-
date for the Office Of United States Senator,
was himself virtually party to the case, and
by the language of his decision, and by the po-
ltical character of those whom he has ap-
pointed to succeed the present Commissioners
That the object sought was not justice, but to
promote political and personal ends by the
transfer of the power of the State to faction
composed chiefly of those who were sympathiz-
ers and abettors of the late rebellion"
Latest.-The new Commissioners have issued
a proclamation. The old Board regarding it as
an attempt to seduce their force from their con-
troll, are also about to issue proclamation.