Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-02-27
POLICE COMMISSIONERS.
Passage of the Bill to Set Aside the
Clerical and Financial Members.

Clerical anu FINANCIAL members.
The House bill which passed in the
House in 1868 in relation to the Metros
politan Police Commissioners Of Nash
vile, was taken up in the Senate yes
terday on motion Of Mr.. Lindsey.
The bill reads rs follows
Be it enacted by the General Assem-
bly, of the State of Tennessee, That secs
ton 9 of chapter lib of an act "entitled
an act to incorporate the Nashville and
EdgefeId street railroad Company"
which ninth section is amendatory Of
section forty-one Of an act passed May
IA. 1866, entitled an act to establish a
METROPOLITAN Police District, and 10 pros
vide for the government thereof" be
and said ninth section is hereby re-
pealed.
Sec. 2. Be it further enacted that the
Office of Clerical Commissioner and Fi>
naucial Commissioner as the same appears
in section seventh of said act of May IA,
1866, be and the same are hereby
abolished and declared vacated so far as
the same applies to the city Of Nashville,
and that all the duties heretofore i'm
posed upon said commissioners by said
act of May IA, 1866, shall in all respects
be performed by the experimenting
Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police
for the city of Nashville so far as the same
may be necessary. Provided, however,
that said Commissioner salary as now
allowed by law shall in no respects be
increased by virtue Of the performance Of
any said duties.
Sec. 3. Be it further enacted, That all
laws and parts of laws in conflict with
this act be, and the same is hereby re-
pealed, and that this act take effect from
and after its passage.
Mr.. Fuson offered the following amends
ment:
Be it further enacted, That the duties
now imposed by law upon the SuperinN
tending Commissioner and Financial
Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police
Of the city OF Nashville, shall be per.
formed By the Clerical Commissioner OF
said police force, who shall give bond in
! the sum of $4,000, for the faithful dis
charge Of his duties and the safe keeping
of the money and property in his bands
belonging to the Metropolitan Police De
partment for said city, and the said otfi>
ces of Superintending Commissioners and
Financial Commissioner are hereby abol-
ished.
Be it further enacted, That in all
cases of absence or illness Of the said
| Clerical Commissioner, the duties of hold
ing the court in said city for the trial OF
municipal and other offenses over which
said court has jurisdiction, shall be per-
formed by the Recorder Of said city OF
Nashville, who shall for such time have
all the jurisdiction, powers and privilege
vested in said Clerical Commissioner by
the terms of this act.
Mr.. Fuson said that the present sys-
tenn lacks $4,000 to coming up to the
cost of the old force that this was the
first step to do away with the MetropOli-
tan Police. The old system had been a
great imposition on the country people
and citizens generally who were not ac-
quainted with the city laws.
Mr. Lindsey said that nobody wanted
to do away with the Metropolitan Police
system. This system was gotten up in
order to head off the Rebel police force.
The reason they appointed three Com
missioners was because they did not
have the cooperation Of the Mayor and
Board of Aldermen. During the Matt.
Brown administration there was but one
officer, a Recorder, who acted in the place
Of all these Commissioners and tried all
the cases. They do not do now what
they were at first appointed to do,
because it was necessary the Metropoli-
tan Police force should be established.
This fine state Of affairs was not brought
about until Radical Mayor and City
Council was elected.
The expenses of the police system are
double the expenses Of the year before
the war.
Mr.. AIdridge thought it was benefit
to the State.
Mr.. Wisener called for the previous
question, which was the passage of the
bill.
The bill then passed its third reading
by the following vote
Ayes-Cate, Frisrson Henderson,
Lindsey, Mathews, Mccall, Norman,
Patterson, Parker, and Mr.. Wisener-1O.
| Noes-Aldridge, Eaton, Fuson, Gar
ner, Keith, Underwood, Wyatt and
Speaker Nelson's.
Mr.. Norman entered motion to re-
consider the action Of the Senate in pass
ing the bill but afterwards withdrew the
motion.