Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-02-01
THE HOG LAW.



The City Marshal and his Assistants
have been prosecuting the war on vagrsnt
pigs with unrelenting rigor ever since the
passage of the hog Law. The squeals of the
captured porkers, the tears and heart-rend-
ing grief Of their bereaved owners melt not
the hearts of the stern lictors.
"Their's not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to-"
carry out the law adopted by the peoples
representatives. Faithfully and well they
have performed their duty, as the respecta-
BILE appearance of the streets abundantly
proves. Until yesterday no one ever ques-
toned their right to seize forcibly, arrest and
imprison all hogs found upon the public
streets. Luckless proprietors of dissipated
porkers might mourn to see them incarce-
rated in Workhouse, but no one ever
thought of interfering with the police who
made the arrests. Yesterday, however, the
jealous Marshal and his assistants came
upon three sleek soWs and shoat lying
cozily up against fence enjoying the warm
sunshine. The animals belonged to Mr..
Ambrose, of the City Council, but as the
city ordinance did not make any exception
in favor of the vagrant hogs d cOuncilmen,
the four porkers were arrested and con-
viewed to the Workhouse. Filled with an
ger at the indignity, Mr.. Ambrose went to
Justice Wilkinson (who, it viii be remem-
bered, voted against the hog law when it
was on its passage in the Board of Alder
men), and procured writ Of repleVin to re
cover his property. He placed the document
in the hands of Constables Shaw
and Price, and accompanied them to the
workhouse. When the trio entered the
Office of Captain Petit and showed him the
writ, he quietly put his hand in his pockets
and told them he "couldn't see it," Tx
postulations were In vain. The hogs were
placed under his charge, and he had strict
instructions not to let them go unless the
law was complied with. However, as he
desired to do what was right, he expressed
a perfect willingness to 60 and see the Re-
corder and ascertain how the difficulty was
to be settled. Accordingly Constable Shaw
and Captain Petit interviewed the Recorder
at his office. The constable explained that
the writ had been placed in his hands
with instructions to execute it, and he
was bound TO do so unless he
was opposed by force sufficiently strong
to prevent him. The Recorder Examined the
writ, and denied the right Of the Constable
to take the pigs from the Work-house, ex-
cept on payment of 81 per head, as required
by law. They had not been "wrongfully
seized" he said, and, consequently, could
not be replevied. After some discussion on
the subject the Constable returned to the
Work house to execute the writ, and Capt.
Petit to prevent him from doing so, if pos
sible. On reaching the Work-hOuse the
two Constables proceeded to work. Con-
stable Price opened the front door Of the
office, notwithstanding Capt. Pettit's efforts
to prevent him. At this juncture
hot words passed between the
Captain and the Constables, but, happily
nothing more serious. Constable Shaw
called on the guards of the Workhonse 70
assist him in driving out the hogs. They
refused to do so, and he endeavored to
drive them out alone. The perverse brutes,
however, preferred the flesh pots OF the
Workhouse to town swill, and went every
way but the right one. At length he aban-
doned the attempt in despair, and with
! drew his forces. The battle will be carried
on in future in the courts.