That your memorialists are informed and believe that an effort is likely to be made at the present session of your honorable Houses to bring about a change in the law now in force, under which is organized the police force of this city, so that in future the police commissioners shall be appointed, not by the State Executive, but by the municipal authorities of St. Louis. Against any such legislation, the undersigned, as citizens deeply interested in the preservation of order, in the public peace and security, and in the prompt, independent and impartial enforcement of the laws, do respectfully but most earnestly protest. The experience of several years past, during which the present system has been in operation, has fully convinced the undersigned that to make such change would be to abandon without cause a system to which, as they believe, is directly due the present efficiency and excellence of the police department of the city, altogether unequalled in its past history. The undersigned are convinced that to make the office of police commissioners, and consequently the organization and appointment of the entire police force, a subject of contention and rivalry between political parties, would be a most dangerous, if not fatal blow, at its purity and efficiency. That such a result would follow from the very nature of the case is too plain for argument, and this consideration is conclusive. Besides this, the undersigned respectfully represent that the present system provides for a direct responsibility by the police commissioners to official superiors wholly unbiased, free as far as possible from personal influences, and whose censure, when merited, is and can be made effective to a degree impossible under the plan proposed. These reasons, besides others, based upon the record and history of the police department itself, as now organized, constrain your memorialists, in behalf of themselves and their fellow-citizens, to submit to your honorable bodies this their earnest remonstrance against the passage of any such law as above referred to. And as in duty bound, etc. The memorial was unanimously adopted, and signed as follows: Henry Hitchcock, S. M. Edgell, Samuel Bonner, Julius Pitzman, David Todd, Chas. H. Teichmann, Chas. Strittmatter, To the Honorable the General Assembly of the State of Missouri: The undersigned, memorialists, citizens and tax payers of the city of St. Louis, would respectfully represent: That your memorialists are informed and believe that an effort is likely to be made at the present session of your honorable Houses to bring about a change in the law now in force under which is organized the police force of this city so that in future the police commissioners shall be appointed, not by the State Executive, but by the municipal authorities of St. Louis. Against any such legislation the undersigned, as citizens deeply interested in the preservation of order, in the public peace and security, and in the prompt, independent and impartial enforcement of the laws, do respectfully but most earnestly protest. The experience of several years past during which the present system has been in operation, has fully convinced the undersigned that to make such change would be to abandon without cause a system to which, as they believe, is directly due the present efficiency and excellence of the police department of this city altogether unequalled in its past history. The undersigned are convinced that to make the office of police commissioners, and consequently the organization and appointment of the entire police force, a subject of contention and rivalry between political parties would be a most dangerous, if not fatal blow, at its purity and efficiency. That such a result would follow from the very nature of the case is too plain for argument, and this consideration is conclusive. Besides this, the undersigned respectfully represent that the present system provides for a direct responsibility by the police commissioners to official superiors wholly unbiased, free as far as possible from personal influences, and whose censure, when merited, is and can be made effective to a degree impossible under the plan proposed. These reasons, besides others, based upon the record and history of the police department itself as now organized, constrain your memorialists, in behalf of themselves and their fellow-citizens, to submit to your honorable bodies this their earnest remonstrance against the passage of any law as above referred to. And as in duty bound, &c. HENRY HITCHCOCK, And nearly 12,000 others. Senator Graham moved to dispense with the reading of the communication and petition and that the same be referred to the St. Louis Senatorial Delegation. Motion adopted. Senator Cavender moved that the communication be spread upon the journal, also the petition without the names; Which motion was adopted. On leave, Senator Cavender introduced Senate concurrent resolution No. 8, as follows: Concurrent resolution for the preservation of the records, flags and war relics deposited in the Adjutant General's office. Be it resolved by the Senate, the House concurring therein, That the records, flags, war relics, etc., now, or that may hereafter be deposited in the armory building, known as the Adjutant General's office, shall not, under any pretext whatever, be loaned, removed or otherwise taken from said building except in cases of danger of destruction by fire or otherwise. Resolution read the first and second times and ordered to lie over under the rules. Reports from standing committees being in order, Senator Ridgley, from the St. Louis Senatorial Delegation, submitted the following report: January 28, 1869. MR. PRESIDENT- Sir: The St. Louis Senate Delegation, to whom was referred House bill No. 57, entitled a bill for the appointment of an official reporter, and for the preservation of evidence in certain cases in the St. Louis criminal court, have had the same before them, and after duly considering the same, have instructed me to report the same back and recommend that it do not pass. The bill so reported was taken up, and, On motion of Senator Brown of St. Louis, The following message was received from the House of Representatives by Mr. Colby, Chief Clerk: MR. PRESIDENT-I am instructed by the House of Representatives to inform the Senate that a bill of the following title has been introduced into and passed that body: House bill No. 153, entitled An act to prevent the cutting of any canal or ditch around the dam erected by the St. Joseph and Council Bluffs Railroad Company across the Nishnebotana river, and to prevent the erection of any dam or dams across said river below said crossing. In which the concurrence of the Senate is respectfully asked. Senator Shelton, chairman of the Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence, submitted the following report: MR. PRESIDENT-The Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence, to whom was referred House bill No. 45, entitled "an act to amend section fifty-six of chapter two hundred and one of the General Statutes of Missouri, concerning misdemeanors," have considered the same and recommend that it do pass. The bill so reported was taken up and passed over informally. Senator Gottschalk, from the Committee on the Judiciary, submitted the following report: MR. PRESIDENT-Your Committee on the Judiciary, to whom Senate. bill No. 32 was referred, entitled an act to amend an act entitled "an act to provide for the reorganization of the St. Louis circuit court, and regulate proceedings therein," approved December 19, 1865, have considered the same and recommend that it do pass. The bill so reported was taken up, read a third time and passed by the following vote: AYES Senators Birch, Boardman, Brown of Shelby, Brown of St. Louis, Bruere, Carroll, Cavender, Clark, Conrad, Davis, Dodson, Essex, Evans, Filler, Gottschalk, Graham, Human, Morrison, Morse, Rea, Ridgley, Rogers, Rollins, Roseberry, Shelton, Waters and Williams-27. NOES-None. Absent-Senators Blodgett and Todd-2. Absent with leave-Senators Elwell, Harbine, Headlee, Reed and Spaunhorst-5. The title of the bill was then agreed to. Senator Ridgley, chairman of the Committee on Banks and Corporations, submitted the following report: SENATE CHAMBER, January 28, 1869. MR. PRESIDENT-Your Committee on Banks and Corporations, to whom was referred Senate bill No. 60, entitled "an act amendatory of and supplementary to an act to incorporate the town of Westport, approved February 12, 1857, and to amend an act amendatory of said act, approved January 5, 1860," have had the same under consideration and have ordered me to report the same back to the Senate with a recommendation that the bill do pass. The bill so reported was taken up, considered engrossed, read the third time and passed by the following vote: AYES Senators Birch, Boardman, Brown of Shelby, Bruere, Carroll, Cavender, Clark, Conrad, Davis, Dodson, Essex, Evans, Filler, Gottschalk, Graham, Human, Morrison, Rea, Ridgley, Rogers, Rollins, Roseberry, Shelton, Waters and Williams-25. NOES-None. Absent-Senators Blodgett, Brown of St. Louis, Morse and Todd-4. Absent with leave-Senators Elwell, Harbine, Headlee, Reed and Spaunhorst-5. The title of the bill was then agreed to. Senator Graham moved to reconsider the vote by which the bill passed and moved to lay the motion to reconsider on the table. The motion to lay on the table was adopted. Senator Dodson, chairman of the Committee on Swamp Lands, made the following report: MR. PRESIDENT-Your committee, to whom was referred Senate bill No. 59, entitled an act to repeal an act entitled an act to provide for securing payment for improvements made on swamp lands, approved March 25, 1868, have had the same under consideration and instructed me to report the same back with the following substitute therefor and request that the same do pass. The bill so reported was taken up and the subtitute as follows: An act to amend an act entitled "an act to provide for securing payment for improvements entered on swamp lands," approved March 25, 1868. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows: SEC. 1. Any person whose improvements of any kind shall be situate on any of the swamp lands of this State subject to sale by order or authority of the county court thereof, which shall be entered by another party at any time within two years after the passage of this act, shall be entitled to have and recover the value of such improvements at the time of such entry, from such party so entering the same, on civil action in any court of competent jurisdiction. SEC. 2. This act to take effect from and after its passage; Was read the first and second times and agreed to. The bill was then ordered to be engrossed for the third reading on to-morrow. Senator Bruere, chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary, made the following report: MR. PRESIDENT Your Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was referred House bill No. 156, entitled "an act to abolish the office of Fund Commissioner of the North Missouri Railroad Company," have considered the same and recommend the passage of the following substitute in lieu thereof: The bill so reported was taken up and the substitute as follows: An act in relation to the office of Fund Commissioner of the North Missouri Railroad Company. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows: SECTION 1. The office of Fund Commissioner of the North Missouri Railroad Company is hereby abolished so soon as the North Missouri Railroad Company and the holders of the first mortgage bonds issued under the provisions of an act entitled "an act to provide for the completion of the North Missouri railroad and its West Branch, and for the construction of a bridge over the Missouri river," approved February 16, 1865, shall file in the office of the Secretary of State their acceptance in writing of the provisions of this section acknowledged before some officer authorized by law to take the acknowledgment of deeds. If such consent is not filed in the office of Secretary of State on or before the first of March, 1869, such consent shall be presumed for all intents and purposes of this section. SEC. 2. In case said office should not be abolished under the provisions of the first section by the first of March, 1869, then the salary of the Fund Commissioner of the said North Missouri Railroad Company shall be one hundred dollars per annum from and after the first of March, 1869, in full compensation for all his services. SEC. 3. At the abolishment of his office the Fund Commissioner shall turn over all books and papers belonging to said office to the North Missouri Railroad Company. SEC. 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after the first of March, 1869 ; Was read the first and second times, and, On motion of Senator Evans, Passed over informally and fifty copies ordered to be printed for the use of the Senate. Senator Roseberry, from the Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence, made the following report: MR. PRESIDENT -Sir: Your Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence, to whom was referred House bill No. 46, entitled an act to amend section twenty-three, chapter two hundred and thirteen, General Statutes of Missouri in relation to witnesses, report that they have fully considered said bill, and recommend that the same do not pass, and that the consideration of the bill be indefinitely postponed. The bill so reported was taken up, and, On motion of Senator Bruere, |