Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-07-02
Detective Wren's bill.
. Tryss CIJ n

We have no intention or desire to
criticise Mr.. Wren's bill, just allowed
by the Committee on " Claims and Sala-
ries " of the City Council as against
the city of Richmond. We are satisfied
from Mr.. Meredith's letter that she
furnished the Commonwealth with some
of the most important testimony she
offered" and was "not only faithful
and efficient, but untiring in his work
il the case " of the Commonwealth Us.
Clurerius, and hope he will be paid for
his valuable services, whatever they
were worth, in this most important case.
Butthe questions are--frst, BY whom
should he be paid! and, secondly. Has
the City Council the power under the
charter of the city to pay any such bill !:
We think the Council ought to be salts
fed upon both Of these points before
they consent to pay any bill of this
kind.
Ia Tho first place the case in which
the services were rendered. wa, 49,. &c
the Commonwealth, and not that of the
city. The murderer and the deceased
were citizens Of distant counties, and
only met in Richmond the day before
the murder was committed; and whilst
the citizens of Richmond are deeply in
terested in the proper prosecution of
this horrible crime, they are no more so
than those Of every other section of the
State and our people, bearing already
one-ninth land it is said will bear under
the new assessment one-seyenth) Of the
whole burden of State taxation, ought
not to be called on to boar more than
their equal proportion Of the criminal
expenses of the State. If Richmond
pays this bill, why should she not pay
the other unusual expenses for the ex-
traordinary services rendered by the
Coroner, the Sergeant, the attorneys for
the Commonwealth, and every officer
employed or engaged in this important
case? Nay, more; where will the line
be drawn after this precedent is once
established? In every important case
Of murder, robbery, or burglary COM
mitted in Richmond, detective may
be employed, and the city will be under
as great an obligation to pay in those
cases as in this, and with this prece-
dent established the city treasury may
become greatly involyed by such a
course of expenditure. The city debt
is already heavy one, and with the
increasing demands for City Hall, the
electric light, the filtering of the water,
&C., the Council cannot be too careful
Of the manner in which the funds of the
city are used.
But again, Has the Council the power
to apply the funds of the city in this
way To say the least of it, this is
very questionable. The only provision
of the charter that gives color to any
such appropriation is that which an-
thorizes the Council to make such or
dinances, &C., as are desirable - to pre-
vent vice and immortality; to preserve
public peace and good order" Under
this provision the Council already
maintains large and efficient police
force, and can increase it whenever ne
cessary. But we are very doubtful Of
its power to pay the bill of one not EN-
ployed by the city or engaged in doing
work for her as a corporation. If the
the power is not plainly granted in the
| charter the learned CITY Attorney or
any other lawyer will tell the Council
that it cannot exercise it. We think
Mr.. Wren's bill ought by all means to
he paid by the State, and that the City
Council ought not to entertain a propo-
sition to pay it until it is refused by
the Legislature, and not then unless it
plainly has the power to pay it.
EX-CoUNCILMAN.
We add that the author of the FORE
going is lawyer.