Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-07-06
-Four Police Commissioners on The
Field Of Action.
WHEAT t1APpENEDLAST NIGHT
Mr.. Il. $. Isnbsnsrn Went Down to Meet
Viii. the E:"nr1y Inst Night, nut
They Hal Adjourned. R~voca-
tlnn Order Revoked.

came to an Interesting climax las5
night but there will probably bt. a num-
Der Of climaXes before il is over: for
the whole business; is more or less mel
odramic and l"rili;es 4 proper finish TO
each scene.
n order to record the events nioncrly
beginning must be made at the be-
ginning.
The fact that Mr.. e. S. Robinson was
appointed by the mayor To succeed MIR.
NJ. " D. Doughty on the Board OF Po-
lice Commissioners. and the fact thai
the council ut it's last meeting refused
by vote of eleven to two to confirm
this nomination is known to all men
and most Of the women
Now here there enters into the situa-
ton a complication which may have.
an important bearing thereon. 1t is
claimed by some that the last meetin.
of the council was not a legal one be-
cause it was not properly called 1t is
claimed that the ola council had no
right To adjourn until Monday. THAI
for the council to have met Monday
there should have been, either 4 call
signed by five of the members or an or
der from the president Of the council
AS there was no president. Il write
call. it is claimed. is the only thing that
could have made the meeting legal
The commemorative attorney is out Of
the city. He will be consulted upon
his return about the matter, and il he
advises it another meeting Will be held
and the matters acted upon at the las t
meeting will be acted upon again
Now. if the meeting was not a legal
meeting. the non-confirmation of Mr..
robinson was not legal. At the same
time it is held that MI Robinson can
not serve until he is confirmed by the
council ana therefore the action of the
council toward Mr.. Robinson at the last
meeting can have no effect upon his
actual present status
Mt. Robinson ana his friends. though,
maintain he is not dependent upon The
confirmation by the council. They hold
that the charter says the mayor ..shali''
appoint. and the councfl '.sha!I' corr
firm, and that there is no choice left
to the council, which must confirm the
mayors appointment whether it is
agreeable or not It is claimed by this
side too that Mr.. Doughty's term has
expired by Limitation and that he can
not meet With the board any longer as
legal member on this account
It viii be recalled. also that Mr.
Robinson qualified Saturlay-the dap
OF his appointment. and that on the
same day His Honor, Judge Barham OF
the Corporation Court, made an order
revoking this qualification Here is
the order:
The order entered herein on this dav
qualifying z. S. Robinson as police
commissioner for this city is hereby re-
E0ked and rescinded. the court being Of
the ooinion that the said e S. Robin
sons appo:atman- should have first
been coniirsnn:l by the Common Cul;nril
of this city"
1T is evident, With this order IN til,
records of the court that the new an
polntee could not have served no mar
Ter what claim he might have had.
But Judge Barhanl, after looking into
the matter more thoroughly came to
the conclusion that the confirna ti1,,
was not necessary prior to qualification,
or in other words. that the charter re-
CURED the confirmation at the citv
councils hands.
At any rate, he instructed the clerk
OF the court to strike out the order re-
Soking the qualification, thus leaving
the original order in force
So much by way Of preliminary.
We'll, last night was the night for the
regular maalinis of The I.:ioo. l,o,,d
Mr.. Robinson had been engaged in the
Police Court all day, and old not get
away until s O'clock
"A few minutes before S O'clock
Messrs; Stuart and doughty came 10
the offl1e or the chief OF police for tn,
purpose Of holding a meeting. They
wanted something over,a quarter of an
hour Tor MI. Wilson to arrive, deyotirs
the meantime to Il discussion Of the no
lice force. which, by the way. both gen
tlemen took occasion to compliment
highly and deservedly
This was all very nice, but Mr.. Will
son did net show up. and finally. about
five minutes after s O'Clock, after an cf-
fort to flnd Mr.. Wilson by telephone
had proven futile. the board was called
10 order and the minutes OF the last
meeting and OF the special meetings
were ctad and approved. The CHIEFS
report u. 10 the force was duly approy
ed and after the transaction or some
other minor business. after being in ses
sion about ten minutes. the board ad-
oujrned and went home. The chief
putting out the light and locking tho
office. also went home.
Now as soon as Mr. Robinson got ont
OF the Poiice Court room he went over
td>tfe courthouse and UP to the mayors
office, where he found Mr.. Wilson ann
the mayor, the former having Just ar
rived. They remained there few min
utea talking and then came on down
stairs, II being the intention OF Messrs.
Wilson and Robinson to participate in
the proceedings.
! intended" said Mr.. Robinson, ITO
take my place as a legal member OF the
body. If I found Mr.. Doughty there. I
expected TO treat him as a gentleman
and expected him to treat me the same
way stpaeted that we would talk
the matter eyer MS gentlemen should
afnicably and sensibly. and if found