Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-01-04
Extraordinary Legislation.


Tuesday night after the Council had fin
ished its routine business and was about
adjourning, Mr.. J. B. Evans who was pre-
siding, took from MS pocket a document
which he proceeded to read, as follows:
WHEREAS On the nights of the oath and 25th OF
December, 1871 the police fource of tie city permit
ted the Laws of the State and he Ordinances of the
City, to be Wantonly y0lated-Lfe and property eX-
posed to destruction-gross and premeditated intm-
ldatlon and insult offered to members of the City
Council at their private residences because OF til
official acts, with effort the part of the Police
to the proper authorities showing want of dis.
position to meet the high and responsible duties in
trusted to them as policemen of the city, Therefore
be it,
Resolved, That Messrs. Cochran, Witt and Wei
Ter be ana are hereby appointed a. SPECIAL commit
er to send for persons and papers and after a
thorough and rigid investigation to report to the
ted Laws or Ordinances or orders violated. what
means if any We're taken to discover and bring to
punishment the organized violaters of the Law. and
futher to make strict inquiry in regard to the
general efficiency of the police fource, and futher
whether any Official or employe OF the city was en-
gagged in OF giving aid to the lawlessness the th
and 25th insts with suggestion for the REMEDIAL ac
ton of The Council
Without word of enquiry or debate
Mr.. Abby seconded Mr.. Evans and the pre-
amble and resolutions were adopted Mr..
Cochran alone dissenting from the action
This arraignment Of persons holding
the safety of the city in their hands is of
SO grave character that we thought best
to print it in full. If the police have.
as the preamble adopted, and thus endors-
ed by the members of the council
present, sets forth, permitted ''life
and property to be exposed to de-
struction" in this city there is no
punishment too severe for them, and they
are not fit for the place. If on the other
hand, such preamble and resolution, cal
culated to have the worst effect on the
reputation of the city abroad is not, after
being made public, fully sustained, the as
senting councilmen have committed seri-
GUS error. It will be observed from the read
ing of the proceedings that the members
of the council present promptly declared
the police guilty of offences described in
the graveSt language, without hearing a
word of evidence, and then appointed a
committee to Investigate them-a remark
able legislative proceeding.
To our readers outside the city we may
explain that what is decri bed in the pre-
amble and resolution adopted by the coun-
Gil Tuesday night in language, which in
gravity approa ches riot act, was tin horn
and spopcracker serenade given four coun-
cilmen who had voted against Christmas
suspension of the ordinance prohibiting
firing popcrackers-a serenade that was
we hear, uproarious with mirth, but which
we have never heard had particle of
malice about it, much less any intention
against ''life and property" There are
few more good-natured and quiet towns
than Staunton.
We hope for the sake Of the city the in
vestigation will be open. full and thorough,
and that the police and any official or en-
ployee of the city, implicated will be rep
resented before the committee as compe
tently as the city is.