Mayor's office August 27th, 1861.
the many Complaints made to me of the improper conduct of Hockmen in this city, induces me to publish the following provisions of the Old nance, to wit:
‘ "13. There shall not be charged for the use of a hack or other wheeled carriage kept for hire, more than the following rates! For carrying a person therein not more than ten squares, 25 cents; for each additional square, cents; provided the whole charge for carrying one per on to any part of the shall not exces, The charge for carrying not more than four persons shall never, for the whole, exceed the collar, unless more than an hour seem, cloyed, and shall then be only a dollar for the first hour, and at the rate of fifty cents per hour for each succeeding hour. No there shall be more for infants under three years of age, on charge of another person. For carrying a person between 8 o'clock at night and day break, there may be charged double the above rate, and no more.--For bag age, the charge shall be not more turn 12½ cents for each trunk carried outside, and nothing or any article carried inside, or for say carpetbag or basket.
"14. Under the direction of the Committee of Police, the Chamberlain shall have made from the map of the city, prepared by Micajih Base, a reduced plan of the city, and copies thereof, with printed copies of the rates allowed by his ordinance: these for parous, drave and cart being separate from those for hacked and other wheeled carriages. A copy of such reduced plan, with a copy of the rates for the former or letter as may be desired, shall be delivered by the Chamberlain to every owner of a vehicle or other person desiring it, upon his pay us the for 25 cents, which shall go to the merit of the city, to indemnify it for the expense of the savaging and printing.
"15. A copy of such reduced plan, with a copy of the rates for tachs and other wheeled carriages, shall be kept by the driver of every such hack or carriage, and he shall exhibit the same whenever called for by any person employing or using said back or carriage. And if he shall fall to exhibit the same when so required, or if for carrying a person or baggage there be charged more than is allowed by this ordinance, the owner or keeper of the vehicle, for every day of failure or for every time of such charge, fined not less than five nor more than twenty dollars.
"16. If any person, desiring the use of a hack or any public vehicle kept for the purpose of taking persons for hire or compensation, from one place to another within this city, shall tender to the owner, keeper or driver of such hack or vehicle, whether the driver be a slave or not, the proper charge according to the rates established by this ordinance, for the use and service thereof, as required, and the owner, keeper or driver shall fail or refuse to render the service to required, he shall be fined not lors than ten nor more than twenty dollars, if a white person, and if a free negro or slave, he may, at the decoration of the Mayor or justice, .be punished by tripes, not exceeding thirty-nine; unless the keeper, owner or driver of such hack or vehicle shall, upon summons or warrant, appear, and by proof show good cause to the contrary; and no prior engagement of the use or service of such hack or other public vehicle, shall be taken as good cause for such failure or refusal, unless, then the trial of the offender, he shall make it manifestly appear with whom the prior engagement was made, and the place to which the said back or such other vehicle was engaged to go, and that there was not, by the use of ordinary diligence, time to render both services: Provided That between the hours of nine o'clock P. M. and day light, when his hories are put up to his stable, he shall not be compelled to bring them out but if he does chosen to carry the person calling upon him, he shall do so at the rates fixed in this ordinance, under the penalty aforesaid."
That there is great extortion daily practiced by the drivers of hacks, especially on it angers visiting this city, and much innocence on the part of drivers, there is no doubt. To prevent this as fog as possible, positive instructions have been given to the Police to summon every violator of the ordinance to this office, to shower for the offence in the most summary manner. Its penalties will be rigidly enforced. Put many offences must necessarily go unpublished, unless those upon whom imposition and extortion are practiced, will give information at this office of the offender. This can be done by taking notice of and bing the No. of the hack; and, to this extent I invoke the aid of the public. The necessity of this is at once obvious, as it is idle to give information of an offence without to the offender.--The No. (required to be on every hack) will certainly disclose the owner as well as driver.--That those concerned may take heed, it is repeated that the highest densities of the ordinance will be enforced against all who shall violate its provisions. Joseph Mayo.
au 28--ts Mayor.
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