Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-03-12
THE CITY CONVENIENT BEFORE
THE GRAND JURY

The charge q Judge Hudsou. deliv-
eres ~ 5zys sines- e he Grand |u-y.
ealing at-s11o- % ths polisy q the
Nsrs- IL saxing razinr hs-zsz azc
b-vs.s ~ rras-z-1-z1a. las aet f1lls6 .
s-srae- pz5Is ugties and 3 1zs snare &
esxren7- The =arisr- EOwsEs-s has
been ths su5jscr II Judicial invests zz-i1n
before. ana Judge Hudson = aware Sf
tbs fact. hAEizg a the tlms aesn the
u-oseeu-ar IN the eases 5ef8re court
What his present. obises s n making
the eharze 20 the Grand Jury % look
into these osieiaI acts e the cry aEthar-
tiles cannot be imagined unless i be %
make 3 little cheap repztAti0a- Bat
sueb fame must be 81 sh0gt darzti0n and
eventually prove its possessor a vsry as
No one doubts the purity Of the Mayor >
character and his intention to serve the
public. How, then, can he b. punish
able for doing that which Judge Hudson
saws is in violation of the State law We
will take it for granted that it is true,
and then before no court in ehristendom
could the Executive of the city or the
Police Board be subject to Indictment.
To sustain an accusation of this sort there
must have been corrupt intentions on
the part Of the person committing the act.
Can any such intentions be substantiated
against the present officers of the city
government? We defy the vaccination
of every Radical in town TO make out
such a case. This question was thought
TO have been set at rest some time ago,
when Beaumont and Burditt were charged
with a like crime and over fifty indict-
ments we're preferred against them.
Judge Hudson was then Prosecuting At
torney for the Municipal Court, before
which these parties bad been arraigned
By his own direction a Dol pros. was en-
tered in each case, excepting one which
was tried and the jury acquitted the ae-
eused without so much as Leaving their
seats. Hudson could not have forgot
ten these examples of his own making
and if not. his charge is the more TO be
wondered at He may now be in collu-
sion with his Radical Prosecuting At
torney to swindle the county out u few
thousand in having a great number "
Unnecessary witnesses summoned before
the Grand Jury TO prove what Mayor
johnson has already publicly admitted
If the case be found one of misdemeanoF,
then Hudson Court has no jurisdiction
over it, for such cases belong exclusively
to the Municipal Court, which has only
the right to try offenses Of that grade.
We believe the Mayor and the Police
Board have acted right, whether it be
law or not. Still, we are for keeping
within the pale Of legal requirements ~
all times. The single object sought By
The new city government has been to cor
reci she evils that afliet our corpora
ton. Whether this end be attained in
one or the other mode should
not create any great disturbance. II
a mistake has been made. i was Of the
head rather than the heart. And We
deny tha, wrong has been committed ID
order to accomplish a desired purpose
The charter give the city authorities
the right TO suppress gaming and othel
nuisauees. and under this clause hal
Mayor johnson and bis police proceeded
TO rid the city Of gamblers and strumpets
or otherwise make them contribute II
money to the maintenance Of order an'
a good gose-nment- The right-thinkihi
people Of Memphis viii favor the act am
sustain the administration.