The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-11-03

: E11IFll11Is
able without amp ttffak<r lBouiFy into the
evidence Of Official misconduct n the late
election u y tsue that ths. conmission-
ers, through their counssl, have, 70 somc
extent, retraced their steps, and announced
their willingness to appear and answer any
questions the Governor might have TO pro.
pound bnt ] do not understand that they
have yielded the point OF Jurisdiction, to
which they still adhere. Their action In
decliningto respond to the summons of the
Governor places them in the attitude Of
State officers, made by law subject to his
direct supervision, treating with contempt
the power specifically delegated to him by
the Legislature, and the still higher power
conferred by the twelfth section Of the
twentieth article Of the Constitution, to
stake care that the laws be faithfully exc
cuted."
How Is the Governor, It may be asked,
representing the sovereignty Of the State,
to discharge an imperative duty imposed
upon him by the organic law, In conflict
with rebellious officers, setting his authority
at defiance, and denying his right to hold
them accountable. for official misconduct,
or paIpable violation or neglect of their
duties! The police law invests these COM
missioncrs with almost absolute power,
fearful in its scope In the hands Of design
Ing men, without Q check somewhere to
protect the public interest. The Legisla-
ture never intended any such thing. The
State of Maryland Is at this very moment
threatened with invasion by armed hordes
from other States; military organizations
have been formed In the city Of Baltimore
for the open and avOwed purpose Of resist
ing the authority Of the Jaws. No single
step, so far rs am informed up to this
time, has been taken by the police board
to suppress this tendency to anarchy and
rebellion. now SO threatening, and to excite
riot and bloodshed among our people.
1t is we'll known that, 50 far rs the action
Of the Governor is concerned, no pretext
has been furnished for these revolutionary
proceedings. Is. the, Governor, to whom
by the law, to rest quiet and see the laws
of the State violated-the rights of the
citizen trampled upon-the public peace
.disturbed-the State invaded by armed
revolutionists, in completely with those
whom the police board are encouraging by
their apathy-and make no effort to pro-
tect the dignity of the State against insult
and outrage But the Legislature did not
leave to implication this power Of the CO.
vernon to examine into the conduct of the
police commissioners in the discharge of
their official duties as State officers. The
law expressly provides, in reference to
these particular officers, that "for official
misconduct any of the said commissioners
may be removed by q concurrent vote
Of the two houses of the General Assem-
bly,, or by the Governor IN The recess thereof"
1t is further provided, showing how un-
mistakably this power has been defined,
that "upon complaint made against any
civil or military officer, who can be re-
moved or suspended by the Governor, the
Governor may summon before him any wit
nesses to testify for or against such COM
dollar a day for their attendance and itine-
rant charges, and may enforce the attend
ance of such witnesses in the same man
ner as the courts may. (Section ID, article
Code of Public General Laws.l Has there
ever been an occasion in the past history
of this State when the interposition Of the
Executive was more necessary than at the
present time to avert the dangers which
surround and threaten us? And yet, in
the face of the clear letter Of the law above
referred to, the Governors summons to the
police commissioners is treated with con-
tempt, and they 60 on to WELD the power
confded to them in utter disregard of the
checks which were intended to be thrown
around it.
1t is much to be regretted that the return
of peace has brought with it no abatement
of the fierce animosities which, during
period Of civil'strie, had grown up among
the people of the State, and which, unhap-
PLY, are attempted to be fostered and kept
alive, to the great detriment of our best
interests, by intolerant and vindictive men.
The war is over. There is no longer any
and disloyalty. Such an issue now would
be, simply absurd, because the people of
the Sonth-ruined in their fOrtuncs-have
no power to resist the national authority,
if they willed it. They are at the mercy
of people who may well afford to be for
giving aud magnanimous. They accept the
results of the war, and ask to be restored
to their former relations. ,I
I The popular issue attempted to be
raised in this case is altogether gratuitous
and unauthorized. There is no purpose on
the part Of any one to remand to their pri-
,vilege of voting at this time those who
have been disfranchised by the Constitu-
ton. This can only be done by conyen-
ton of the people, and repeal of the or
ganic law, or by the Legislature when it
meets. The practical question before me
now,is, whether fourteen thousand citizens
of Baltimore-Uni0n men and supporters
of the Government--with some exceptions,
perhaps, for which the registrars are re-
sponsible-duly registered as voters under
the act of March "a, 1865, are to be exclu-
ded from the polls, at the pleasure of o
strictly partisan police organization, or sub
ject themselves to the liability of insult
through its fundamentally. ,g...
The registration act was passed in strict
accordance with the second section of the
first article of the Constitution, which says
that "the General Assembly shall provide
by law for uniform registration OF the
names Of voters i'm this State, which regis
tration shall be evidence OF the qualifica-
ton of said voters to vote at any election
thereafter held but no person shall be
excluded from voting at any election on
account of not being registered until the.
General Assembly shall have passed an act
of registration and the same shall have
been carried into effect; after which no
person shall vote unless his name appears
on theregister."
-
loan,s q a,,a "a tho naonle of MARYLAND