The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-02-27

are constrained to say, that in our opinion, II is
sadly defective, and contains provisions which
will be as fruitful of corruption are those OF
the old system, which they ere proposed to re-
medy, nd especially so, as far as the appoint
ment of the police is concerned.
The proposed system provides that the cap
tains and assistant captains of each district
shall be nominated by the alderman and assis-
tant alderman thereof; and the watchmen and
day-police shall be nominated by the alderman
| and assistant of each ward, and appoint
ed by the Mayor. Now, we satisfied
that great deal of the ineficiency of the present
| system, and a great portion of the corruption
! growing out of it, are the result Of the manner
! in which the policemen are appointed; and the
mode of appointment in the proposed system is
the same. There is so much prohigacy in our
municipal government, and so much trickery
| and deceit used by the candidates of each party
10 ensure their election as aldermen or assist
ants that there is no means they will not resort
to to accomplish their ends. The nominating of
policemen has sweed these means, and we are
satisfied that it is used great extent, and that
there are members now in the Corporation who
owe their election entirely to the exertions of
candidates. A man is suddenly inspired with
! pie as an alderman or assistant alderman, and
while he serves the people faithfully, he thinks,
"a he is not paid for his services that few pick
ings and stealings for himself would not be
amss. His patriotic intention is intlma-
ted to score or two of the hangers on
at the polls-the pot house, politcians-who are
ready to accept an office, even if it gave them
but fifty cents day; the larger the fees, how
ever, the better These men, if they exert them
selves TO secure candidates election, can do so
in great many ways, by summoning their re-
latives to their aid and getting them to vote for
their friend, or by bullying respectable people
out of their rights as voters. And how easy is
4 it not for regular understanding TO exist be-
tween those hlrelings and the candidates, by
| which the nomination as policemen and the
election of the candidates would be settled
With the nominating power fixed in this way,
the very worst classes of our people would, in
majority Of cases, be appointed guardians of
the peace of the city, and protectors of our pro-
perty and lives.
| Another section of the proposed ystem
! thorizes the policemen appointed in this
way, of course, to prevent all disordery and
suspicious persons from mingling in public boz
dies, brought together for lawful purposes. Now,
we cannot conceive anv objection in the police,
under any system, exercising the power of pre-
venting "dlsordery' persons mingng in public
meetings: but do see great objection in
thorizing them to prevent "suspiciOus' persons,
because it gives them discretionary power to ar
rest all who, in their opinion, are suspicious
persons; and what the opinion OF men who can
not read or write their names is worth, we leave
for the committee who drew up the proposed sys
tam to determine. Our own opinion, judging
from what many of the present force of police
are, is, that such discretionary power could
not be placed in worse hands. Besides, it will
not do; and American citizens who pride them
selves on their rights, and who on every occa-
sion show determination to maintain them,
will not submit to be dictated to, or have those
rights abused, when in the opinion of police
man they are suspicious persons.
There is, however, one good point in this pro-
ger faattSched to the police or watch department
shall receive, directly or indirectly any gratuty
or reward for the arrest of any prisoner, or the
recovery of any property, or for any service
growing out of his official capacity, unless the
same shall have been gratutously offered and
any officer who demands or asks any gratuity in
this manner, shall be deemed guilty Of misde-
meanor. This is, perhaps, the only good point
connected with the proposed new system; but it
can never be carried out, unless the appointing
power is altered. We hold that, in the nature
of things, 1t is unreasonable to expect that the
police department will ever be filled with com
petent and respectable men rs long as their ap-
pointment or nomination rests with the aldermen
or assistant aldermen of the several wards. Let
the nominating and appointing of the members
of that important department of the city govern
ment be continued as ii now is, and as it is pro-
posed 10 be continued by the new system, and
the police department. will be nothing but vast
political engine, to be used by ambitious and as
piring men, who, when elected, will be bound TO
nominate and procure the appointment of those
men who assisted, or perhaps ensured, their cleo
ton. Surely our municipal elections are charac-
terized sufficiently already with corruption and
profiigacy among all parties; and why should we
make ad itlon to this corruption, especially when
1t would be made to the entire destruction of the
police system, as an arm of protection and safe
~ to the lives and property of our citizens?
The members Of the two boards may talk as
much as they please but we never shall have
an efficient or pure police until the appointing
power is placed in the hands of a board of re-
spectacle citizens, without regard to party, whose
duty II would be to receive applications from all
who are DESTROYS of being appointed to the police,
to examine critically into THEN characters, and
on finding them TO be honest, industrious, and
moral men, to recommend their appointment
LAWS RELATING TO LANDLORDS AND TENANTS
notwithstanding the fact that 30 many thousands
OF our citizens are deeply interested in the
respective rights and liabilities Of landlords,
tenants, and sub-tenants, it is undenable that but
very few indeed arc conversant with the laws re-
latiDg thereto.
One reason why our citizens in general are
not better acquainted with the laws on this sub