Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-11-03
BALTrmORE MATTERS.


against the Commissioners.
There is some excitement on the street to-
night, with several personal encounters.
One man who was badly beaten was carried
into the headquarters Of the Republican
party.
Gen. GRANT returned to Washington To-
night. Mr.. LATRoBE left Annapolis for
Washington this afternoon.
1t is understood that the Police Commits
sioners had an interview with Gen. GRANT
this afternoon. They informed the General
of their view OF the case, and claimed that
they were perfectly able to preserve the
peace Of the city. General GRANT also had
the newly appointed Police Board before
him. What took place is not known. but it
is reported that the General advised them
not to attempt to establish authority by
force, but rely entirely upon legal measures
before the courts. It's understood that they
design to apply TO Judge MARTIN, Of the
Superior Court, tomorrow to be sworn in,
when it is the purpose Of the counsel for the
old board to appear and argue the case. The
Commissioners have a very large force on
duty tonight. Special policemen have
been sworn in. All the station houses are
strongly guarded The city is quiet
GOVERNOR swANN's DECISION.
BALTIMORE, Nov. 1.-Governor SwANNs
decision is n lengthy document, covering
some thirty pages of manuscript. The fol-
lowing are the main points in the document.
The Governor says:
81 have duly considered the charges which
have been preferred by certain citizens Of
Baltimore who were denied the right to vote
at the late election for Mayor and City
Council, against the Police Commissioners,
in connection with testimony submitted for
my guidance in the cases, and have arrived
at the conclusions which / shall proceed
briefly to state.
''The refusal of the Police Commissioners
at the opening of this investigation to APP
pear before the Governor upon his summons
20 answer the charge of misconduct in Office,
/ look upon as an ofense for which they
might have been held responsible without
any further inquiry into the evidence of Off
cial misconduct in the late election.
1t is true that the commissioners, through
their counsel, have to some extent retraeed
their steps and announced their Willingness
to appear and answer any question the Gov
ernor might have to PROFOUND, but l don't
understand that they have yielded the point
of jurisdiction to which they still adhere.
Their action in declining 20 respond to the
summons of the Governor places them in
the attitude of State officers, made by the
law subject to his direct supervision, treating
with contempt the power specially delegated
to him by the Legislature, and the still
higher power conferred by the twelfth Sec
ton of the twentieth article of the constitu-
ton, to take care that the laws be faithfully
executed. How is the government, it may
be asked, representing the sovereignty of the
State to discharge an imperative duty inn
posed upon him by the organic law in con-
flict with rebellious officers setting his au-
thority at defiance, and denying his right to
hold them accountable for official miscon-
duct or palpable violation or neglect of their
duties. The police invests these commits
sioners with almost absolute power, fearful
in its scope in the hands of designing men
without check somewhere to protect the
public interest. The Legislature never in
tended any such thing.
The State of Maryland is at this very mo-
ment threatened with invasion by armed
forces from other States. Military organi-
cations have been formed in the city of Bal
timore for the open and avowed purpose of
resisting the authority of the laws No single
step, so far as | am informed, up to this
time has been taken by the police board to
suppress this tendency to anarchy and re-
bellion, now so threatening to excite riot
and bloodshed among our people. 1t iswell
known that so far as the action Of the Gov
ernor is concerned, no pretext has been fur
nished for these revolutionary proceedings.
Is the Governor, to whom these officers
are made directly responsible by the law, to
rest quiet and see the laws of the State, the
| public peace disturbed and the State invaded
by armed revolutionsts in completely with
those who 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 the power of the Police
Commissioner in the discharge of their duty
as State officers.
The Governor then proceeds to review the
/ law governing his action, and says that the
exclusion Of the newly registered voters at
the last municipal election by the Judges was
fragrant violation of their duties; and says
the examination of The judges of the elect
| ton, all Radical in their proclivities. with
one or TWO exceptions, produced a most I'M
favorable impression upon my mind as TO
their conduct in the future if continued in
office, entertaining the intolerant view that
loyalty resided only with those who support
their policy.
The Governor reviews the registration
law, and the various decisions under it, and
the election laws, and sums up as follows
The evidence in the case proves beyond a
doubt that the Police Commissioners have
violated the law and rendered themselves
liable to the charge of misconduct in Office
by creating or permitting to grow under
their eyes and with completely, violent
partizan organization, treating all as dis
loyal who do not adopt the views of the
Radical party, by denying the right of the
Governor to entertain jurisdiction of the
charges of official misconduct preferred
against the Commissioners; by appointing to
offices judges of election, special policemen
and clerks exclusively from their own party,
and in many instances incompetent of the
| precincts the most disreputable characters,
and denying appointments TO any other class
Of our citizens; by delegating to the marshal
/ and officers under him the power to appoint
| special policemen without themselves in
| quiring into the qualification or moral stand
| ing Of said officers, thus attempting to throw
| the responsibility of the bad appointments,
| which they were ready to accept, upon their
subordiuates by suffering the Judge of cleo
/ ton to throw aside the boxes for rejected
ballots and giving them no advice as to their
obligation under the law to use them, and
| refusing to remove them from office for so
manifest a violation of duty.
| The Governor concludes as follows:
The Governor Of the State of MARYLAND
/ cannot shrink from his duty TO the people.
| The threats Of armed combinations at home,
of invasions from other States to overthrow
our laws, could hardly be expected to deter
| him for a single moment from the uniinch-
ing exercise Of all the functions with which
he has been clothed. The people of the
State of Maryland have been registered by
| Union men, not the less so because conserva-
| tive in their sentiment and these voters
duly passedupon by the proper officers, after
full examination into their qualifications
the constitutional oath administered TO one
and all, their names entered upon the official
registry "a legal voters, and they are adj
judged to be 50 by the highest tribunals.
They ask at the hands Of the Executive that
they may not be excluded by the powerful
partisan combination under the control Of
the Police Commissioners. Not powerful in
numbers, but because Of the authority which
they have heretofore exercised under their
commissions from the State, claiming that
there is no loyalty but in the extreme Radi-
cal party, and turning deaf ear to the de-
mands of any other class Of our citizens. In
the discharge Of my official duties in this
case | can know no party. / must see that
the authority Of the State is maintained in
the interest Of the whole people.
Tf a., lovrs ora objectionable Al I ill