The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-06-22

A special meeting of the City Council was
called yesterday forenoon to take some action
in relat on to the murderous assault on Mr.
Ronndy.
"A In the Board Of Mayor and Aldermen Mr.
Wiuship Of Ward offered the following:
a Ordered, That the Mayor be and he hereby is
authorized to offer reward for the detection
and conviction OF the party or parties who as
sauited and robbed Mr.. Rouudy last evening
SAID reward not TO exceed $1,000; the same to
he charged to the contingent fund when made
ao Mr. King said he could not see the necessity
for offering reward. He was in favor of au-
tborizing the Mayor to employ detectives from
- abroad to come to Portland and procure the
arrest of the assassns. The only good of a
reward would be to cause one of the rogues-
the chief, perhaps, to turn States evidence
and save his neck.
The order was passed unanimously by yea
q and nay VOTE The Common Council also con-
Cured.
Mr.. Winship offered the following:
d III. Ordered, That the Mayor be and he is here
by authorized to increase tho police force of
the city by the appointment Of not more than
hve additional policemen.
Ia Mr.. Winship supported the order by refer
ring to the absolute necessity of larger police
force, especially in Ward z, which is very large
CAeCue VI tCTTitOTyy 6uu T0IuUt0 ITOLH CQe pO-
lice center. r.e ..s
Aid. SimontOn said ne would like to see our
: present force recognized and made mora eff
Q ent before any increase was made.
Aid. Mccarthy was opposed to adding five
or six thousand dollars to the city expendi-
lures In his judgment the order was unnec-
3 essary. Still If it prevailed he hoped the ap-
pointments would be made not on political or
70 partisan considerations, but solely with view
to merit and efficiency.
The Mayor remarked that while he held the
position of Judge of the Municipal Court he
had become better acquainted with the police
men and their duties than any one else except
81 the City Marshal The officers were brought
before him daily, and he thoroughly under
stood the workings of the system. No in
crease in the number of the force has been
made for fifteen years; since that time the city
had increased in population and expanded to
the extreme borders Of its territory, and
he could not endorse the idea that the force OF
fifteen years ago was effective now. When he
was elected Mayor he asked, on the printed
recommendation of the City Marshal in his
report, and on his own practical knowledge
for an'increase of five men: The Board differ
ed from him in opinion and the matter drop
ped. In his annual address the present year,
on the recommendation OF the City Marshal,
he asked for an increase OF three men, but the
Board declined to grant it. He remarked sub
stantially that the expense to the City, for the
police department, was more apparent than
real, aud that the city received from costs and
u fines for the. violation Of the city ordinances,
of the Municipal Court, and leave large
sum to the credit of the department,
while the city also received an advantage in
directly in the reduction of the county tax in
ID consequence OF money paid into the treasury
by means of the police force The additional
men asked for would cost the city very little
for a good officer will add to the pro-
lection of the citizens and increase the amount
of fines and costs paid into the city and county
treasures.
la The order was refused passage by the fol-
lowing vote: Yeas-Winship of Ward 7. Nays
3 Merrill Simonton, Mccarthy and King.
The Aldermen passed in concurrence an or
der authorizing the sale of the Lowry MIGRANTS
now on hand.