Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-03-16
WHY THE HOGS RUN Ar LARGE.

This conundrum propounded in the STAR .
day or two ago has been yariously answered.
The Metropolitan police deny that the fault
rests with them and triumphantiy quote tho
Corporation laws to show the want Of law to I
enable them to deal with the nuisance. The
act Of 1853 made it 1.-The duty of every police Of
fcer in this city TO seize and take up every hog
going at large, and convey the same to the
Washington Asylum" and the hog was for
feited to the use of the Asylum. Police officers
falling to attend to this duty, or persons inter-
fering with them In its discharge were liable to
fine. An act approved March o, 1S63 pro-
vides that fine oftwo dollars shall be imposed
upon the owners Of sheep, goats, swine, or
geese, &c, found running at large. This act
also provides that the Mayor may appoint
from time 70 time one or more pound masters,
who shall furnish and MAINTAIN, without ex.
pense or charge to the city, an enclosed yard
for public pounds; and it further provides that
any Of the animals above mentioned may b.
taken by any person and driven to said pound.
The last section of this act repeats all acts
or parts of acts inconsistent with this act
An act approved April IA, 1s66. repeats the act
of 1863. 1t is claimed therefore by the police
that the repeating clause of the act Of 1853 did
away with the act Of 1855, and that the act of
1866 repealed the act Of 1863, consequently that
running at large. Our corporation law .makers
however hold that the act of 1866, repeating the
act of 1853 brings the act of 1853 again in force
and we notice that the act of 1853 appears in
Webb's Digest as the operative law. Here is a
difference OF opinion between the law makers
and the police. The latter hold that in the
matter of hog-hunting they haven't a legal
leg to stand upon. Their souls are in arms,
and eager for the fray. but the law won't bear
them out
Now this must be remedied. The Constitution
and the laws must be maintained, even though
the hogs possess the land. The conscientious
scruples of the police in this pig business must
be respected. Let our City Hall Solons make
or unmake enough law to enable the police to
go forth against the unclean beasts. If they
hold that the old law is yet in force let them
solve the doubts Of the police by an explana-
tory law, declaring that the law of 1853 con.
fiscating hogs, and the law of 1863 for impound-
ing hogs. sheep, goats or geese, and the law of
1856 repeating the law of 1863 for impounding
hogs, sheep, goats or geese; and the law of Au-
gust, 1867, for impounding dogs; and the law of
October, 1867, making an appropriation to carry
into eject the law for impounding dogs, or any
other law of any other date in regard to con-
fiscating, ImpOunding, or filming any other
animals than hogs, dogs, sheep, goats or geese,
any other clause inserted In or appended to any
act of any date in regard to confiscating, i'm.
pounding, or filming hogs, dogs, sheep, cows or
goats, or any other animals shall not be so con-
strued as to attach any pains or penalties to the
police for preventing hogs from running at
large, but that on the contrary the rigid per-
Torrance of that duty shall entitle them to the
thanks of pig-infested community. 1t would
be better also to either provide a special pig
catching force, or in lieu of sezing the animals
TO fine the owners, as provided in the law of
1e63. 1t can hardly be expected that the reg
ular police force shall go into the business of
pig-catching; they have other duties to perform
Since writing the above, the following has
come 10 hand:
'sGEORGETowN March 16.-EditOr Star: / see
that the District Metropolitan Police hold that
they have no law to enable them to abate the
hog nuisance In Washington. We have abund-
ance of law in Georgetow n against hogs run
ming at large, vet we suffer from the nuisance
quite as much as you do in Washington. Why
Is this Rock CREEK. :"
In the language of Artemus we are unable
to inform our Georgetown correspondent why
this Is thus. We are not sufficiently out of the
woods in regard to the Washington hog-busi-
ness to enter upon the exploration of the pig
jungle across Rock creek. Major Richards,
how about those Georgetown hogsl