The Daily Dispatch: July 23, 1864., [Electronic resource]

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Remarks of N. B. Hill
at a meeting of the city Council, Thursday afternoon.

Mr. Hill asked permission of the Council to reply to some remarks of the member from Madison Ward at the last meeting of the Council, in which remarks the member had misrepresented him, (Mr. H,) the Mayor of the city, and Mr. J. J. Green, and he (Mr. Hill) had no doubt the member would make the correction in his paper.

He would first ask the member to whom he alluded, and from whom he got his information, when he said: ‘"An honorable member of the Council, he learned, was present, and perhaps partook of refreshments with the party, and did not then think the act a grave offence?"’

The member replied he alluded to Mr. Hill, and he got his information from Mr. Wm. J Brown.

Mr. Hill stated he was on the Square till half-past 2 o'clock, but denied that he ever saw any card-playing on the Square, and of course could not have expressed any such opinion, and did not know anything about the card-playing until he heard it, in Court on the trial of Capt. Pleasants, and that Mr. Walker's informant was mistaken.

Mr. Hill asked the member who had informed him that Mr. J. J. Green was living in Henrico, and he replied that it was Capt. Pleasants.

"But, Mr. President, how did this trivial matter reach the ears of the Mayor?--Who was the any, the informer, the intermeddler in affairs of other people? Who was it that made a mountain of this molehill? It was done by one little Mr. John J. Green, of New Kent; and who is John J. Green?"

Mr. Hill stated that Mr. Green was the son of S. P. Green, of King William county, who was a Justice of the Peace in the county for years, and whose eldest son is now the presiding Justice in that county. He had married a Miss. Williams, of New Kent, whose father is a refugee here, and who has two uncles — Wilson Williams and Jas. Williams — who are both worthy and respectable citizens of Richmond. As to his being a spy or informer, or intermeddler in other people's matters, he was only doing his duty as policeman to report to the Mayor all violations of law and ordinances. The head and front of his offence was a concientious discharge of his duty.

"The came man, who was recommended about a year ago by the Mayor as a fit person for day policeman, but who did not receive a vote, he believes, in this body. After this action of the Council, the Mayor, being determined to keep John J. Green out of the army, put his name upon the roll of the night watch, and swore him in as a watchman. To show that this was not a been tide transaction, the member asserted that John J. Green had never performed the duties of watchman more than two or three nights. The Mayor then detailed him for special duty — that is, as lackey about his own person."

Mr. Hill replied that as to his being rejected by the Council, he was no more rejected than were others who were recommended at the same time. The Mayor by ordinance had to nominate, and the Council to elect one officer. Mr. Granger was recommended at the same time, received no vote, but has since been elected to fill a vacancy.

"What dirty work John J. Green does for the Mayor, besides acting as spy, he knew not. The only service he performs, that he was aware of, for the Commonwealth, was to make out the Mayor's papers — a service which from time immemorial, has been performed by one of the day police. John Pearce performed it for years. After him Cadmus C. Johnson, and after him A. D. Quarles, up to the time of his death. Each of them performed the duties without receiving additional pay. Any one of the day police could perform the work now, as the Mayor keeps them all in daily attendance upon his court, whether they have business there or not. But when the Council refused to make a day officer of Green, the Mayor made this place and put him into it, in the face of the vote against him. If the Mayor must have a clerk, why did he not take one of his day officers, or ask the Council to give him a clerk? Because he knew the Council would not elect John J. Green; and he must, therefore, to keep this man out of the army, pursue this unfair course — offer this insult to the Council."

Mr. Hill thought the member ought to know before he made the charge of dirty work done for the Mayor. The office of Clerk had not always been performed by a day police officer, and was done a great part of the time by Mr. Tyler, a messenger to the Council, and the Mayor had not employed Mr. Green without the knowledge of the committee. He had spoken to him on the subject, and he thought there was no objection to it, especially as there were not enough of day officers to perform the services required of them.

The Mayor did not put Mr. J. J. Green into this office to keep him out of the army. He ought not to be charged with keeping men out of the army, when, by his late action, he has put six men into the army, and he ought to have credit for that.

Mr. H thought it came with very bad grace from a gentleman who was attached to the editorial corps to charge any man with keeping men out of the army, when the editors of the papers had a whole regiment on the Square on that day who were exempt by law from any service. If the Mayor had asked the Council for a clerk, they would have appropriated a sum of money for that purpose, and he could have employed Mr. Green, or any one else.

"This man resides in the county of Henrico, and is, therefore, by one of our ordinances, inelligible for watchman. He called the attention of the honorable chairman of the Committee on Police to this matter.--But enough of this little man:"

Mr. Green lived in the city when he was appointed but having to give up the house he then occupied, he could not get another in the city, and got one a short distance out of the corporation, without the Mayor's knowledge, or Green's knowing that it was against the ordinance of the city. The same privilege had been allowed Capt. Wilkinson, Captain of the Night Watch for a number of years; also Mr. Peachy R. Grattan who served as a member of the Council for 6 or 8 months after he had removed to the county of Henrico; also Mr. Wm Taylor who served as a magistrate for several months and was re-elected while residing in the county, and whose seat was contested, but the Council gave him his seat although living in Henrico.

Mr. Hill does not know in what school of ethics the member from Madison Ward was brought up when he stated that Mr. Green's violation of ordinance in living out of the city was a great outrage, and only classed Capt. Pleasants's act of playing cards on the Capitol Square, sending an insulting message that he would play cards where he pleased, and when reproved, offering to light one of the police officers in the Square, that these acts should be considered only an indiscretion.

"Let it be understood by all, that Captain Pleasants is not responsible for the worthless material in the watch. He makes no appointments. That is done by the Mayor."

The member says Capt. Pleasants is not responsible for the worthless material of the night watch, but Mr. Hill contends that he is.

The Mayor informs Mr. H that he always consults the Captain, and if he does not, and the men do not do their duty, it is his business to report them; and no such report at the Mayor's court has ever been made, nor anything from the Captain of the Night Watch for a long time. He certainly knew of Mr. Green's living out of the city in violation of the ordinance, and he never reported him until he was discharged, and even then not to the Mayor but to the member from Madison Ward. In conclusion, Mr. H stated he had the kindest feelings towards the member, and feels confident he will place him in the proper light in his paper, and regrets that he should have taken the statement of another about him, when he could have learned the facts from himself.