Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 12.djvu/610

 580 THIRTY—SEVEN'I`H CONGRESS. Suas. IL CK. 181. 1862. of prostitution, or for purposes of prostitution, or the deposit or sale, of lottery tickets or of lottery policies, it shall be lawful for the superintendent of Metropolitan police to authorize any member or members of the police force to enter the same, who shall forthwith arrest all persons there found offending against law, and seize all implements of gaming, or lottery tickets, or lottery policies, and convey any person so arrested before the nearest police magistrate, and bring the articles so seized to the office of the Board of Metropolitan Police. It shall be the duty of the said superintendent of the Metropolitan police force to cause such arrested persons to be rigorously prosecuted, such articles seized to be destroyed, and such room or house to be closed, and not used again for such unlawful purposes. Puwnbrckcrs. Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the Board of Metropolitan Q;‘&is‘L‘;‘;’;l;l °“‘ Police shall possess powers of general police supervision und inspection over all licensed pawnbrokers, licensed vendcrs, licensed hackman and cartmen, dealers in second-hand merchandise, intelligence office keepers, auctionecrs of watches and jewelry, and suspected private banking houses, and other doubtful establishments within the said Metropolitan police district; and in the exercise and furtherance of said supervision may, from time to time, empower members of the police force to fulfil such special duties in the aforesaid premises us may be ordained by the Board of Metropolitan Police. The said board may direct the superintendent to empower any member of the Metropolitan police force, whenever such member shall be in search of property feloniously obtained, O1' in search of suspected of}`enders, to examine the books of any pawnbroker or his business premises, or the business premises of any licensed vendor or dealer in scc0nd·hand merchandise, or intelligence office keeper, or auctioneer of watches and jewelry, or suspected private banking house, or other doubtlhl establishment. Any such member of the Metropolitan police, when thereto authorized in writing by the said superintendent, and having in his possession a pawnbroker’s receipt or ticket, shall be allowed to examine the property purporting to be pawned or pledged, or depositcd upon said receipt or ticket, in whosoever possession said property may be; but no such property shall be taken from the possessor thereof without due process or authority of law. Any wilful interference with said superintendent of police, or with any member of the Metroplitun police force, by any of the persons hereinbefore named in this section, whilst in oflicial and due discharge of duty, shall be punishable as a misdemeanor. Stations, sm- Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That the Board of Metropolitan u°¤ l¤°¤¤°¤» &°· Police may, from time to time, but without expense to the United States, establish stations and station houses, or sub·stations and sub-station houses, at least one to each precinct, for the accommodation thereat of members of the police force, and as temporary places of detention for persons ar- Privilcgcs and rested and property taken within the precinct. No person holding office E2;"°;m* ;l‘°£‘;‘ under this act. or the act to which this is an amendment, shall be liable to board of mice_ military or Jury duty, nor to arrest on civil process, or to service of subpoenas from civil courts whilst actually on duty. The members of the board of police, the superintendent, and secretary, are hereby vested with all the powers conferred by law upon notaries public and justices of the pence in the District of Columbia. The members of the board of police, and of the police force of the said Metropolitan police district, shall possess in every part of the District of Columbia all the common law and statutory powers of constables, except for the service of civil process and for the collection of strictly private debts, in which designation fines imposed For the breach of corporation ordinances shall not be included; but the said Board of Metropolitan Police shall not enforce any law or ordinance discriminating between persons in the administration of justice. Justices for Sec. 6. And be it jimllzcr enacted, That the said board of police shall station houses. have power, and it shall be their duty, from time to time, to select; and