Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-03-27
THE POLICE.
An Interesting Card from
Colonel Beaumont

Colonel Beaumont writes the follow
ing reply 10 the card Of Mr.. W. b
Greenlaw, recently addressed to the
Police Com missioners, in which a cru
SADIE upon the Migrants 10 urged as q
means Of lessening city taxation
0YyIcR on suPER'r METROPOLITAN. PoLIoE. !
memphis, TENN. March "a. 1858. J
VIM. d. Greenlaw. ESQ. Memphis. Tenn.
DEAN SIR; Ny attention has just
been called to your communication Of
this date, addressed TO "the Honorable
Board OF Mayor and Aldermen, and to
the Police Commissioners Of the city oil
Memphis, Tennessee" and the high
regard have ever had for you prompts
me to reply through the same channel,
You are aware that the city Of Mem
phis has made no provision for the de-
tsntios Of persons arrested by the police
force, and that all such persons are an
expense Of about fifty cents per day,
while held in confinement, without giving
any return in the way Of labor.
The. station.houses, provided 6y the
Police Commissioners, were only in
tended as places of temporary confine-
ment, and are usually crowded with the
very class of loafng idlers" of which
you speak, who have been convicted for
various offenses, and not day passes
without some OF these being released
before the expiration of their term
Of imprisonment to make room for new
offenders.
Let the city provide workhouse, spa
cious enough to accommodate ire hun
dred occupants, and will agree to fill
il in thirty days with able-bodied opera
tives, capable, If properly managed, OF
producing revenue OF ten thousand
dollars per annum to The city.
The police force is now entirely mad
equate in numbers to perform the ser.
vice required of it, Notwithstanding it is
greatly overworked, and Thinks you
could spend one week with me and get
an inside view Of the herculean task re
quired of the Police Department, you
would demand an increase of at least
fifty per cent. in the number of men now
on the force.
No man can say that offenders Of all
classes are not promptly arrested, from
the murderer down to the chicken thief;
but of what avail is it for US to make ar
rests when not one in hundred meets
the punishment he deserves. Let the
court work to punish and not to shield
criminals provide prisons to hold Grim :
inals, and there shall be no lack of mate.
rial for them to work on. The cost OF
sustaining the police force during the
year com meucing July LIST, 1867, and
ending June 3lst, 1868, will not ex-
coed one hundred and forty thou
sand dollars, forty thousand of which
will be derived from the police
court, leaving one hundred thousand
dollars to be paid by taxpayers. l can
not believe that any one acquainted with
all the facts will ask the Police Commits
sioners to attempt further reduction Of
their expenses. We shall ever stand
ready to CO cooperate with the Board OF
Mayor and Aldermen in an economical
management of the city government, and
are as anxious to see the credit OF the
city restored as any other citizens int
rested in her future prosperity.
Thanking you for the very kind terms
in which you have been pleased to speak
of this department, | am, sir, very re-
spectfully, your obedient servant,
S. B. BEAUMONT, Sup't M. P.