New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-07-21
The Chief or Police 4.
To tAf Ed..ers Of he 7r,blme

saw on Saturday last an article IN the
CoNrier and Enquirer obJec,ins to the law requ'r-
ing the Mayor to nominate Chief OF Police
and speaking of the efficiency and experience OF
Mr.. Matseli IN Kramer tha, woult induce one
not acquainted with Mr.. Matsell TO suppose that
IN HIM was concentrated all the ability for the
office that Is IN this City. This Is not the case
The law SIMPLY requires the Mayor 10 nominate
A Chief of Police Good lawyers believe there
Is no Chief, the term Of that office beng fixed
10 a particular day-ani that day having cx-
red. and there being no hold over provision IN
that law Another branch oi this matter Is IN re
gard to Nj Ma,Scls efficiency ,hls i denied
and there are abundan. means 10 SHOW thai IN
stead Of being efficient IN the discharge Of that
office. the contrary is the case tina, he has be-
come rich probably no one viii deny. II eu-
dence OF his inetliciency is required, M the
bloody curtain that hangs over that night oil
gloom that shroudS the events that occurred
around the Aston Place Opera no one who saw
the unfortunate events of that night, will ever
speak Of the efficiency OF Mr. Nat>cll a CAlei
Of Police With 4 force douhly sufficient %
have cucllel that riot without drop OF citizens
bleed beng shed, when he could have arrested It
with ease the first night OF disturbance, which
was the last of Mr. Mayor Havemeyers admins
tratlCn. the attempt 10 arrest the disturbance
was entirely Inefficient He allowed that riot
to progress until the bullet and the bayonct
dealt death upon the innocent As well aS guilty.
| risk nothing IN saving that | can select hun
dred men who nj the head of the Police force oi
this City would never have allowed the breaking
OF half dozen paneS OF glass instead OF killing
the number ct citizens that were sacrinced bN
the announcement OF Mr. Matsell. Other in
stances of lnethciency or neglect of duty are not
wanting Why were the men not arrested who
stabbed Mr. Langdon IN Broadway IN broad DAY +
light Nj Is life was nearly sacrificed and
the men who stabbed him were well known but
we have never heard of their arrest. Il Is hut a
short time since one of our Criminal Judges re-
marked IN Court that there had never been SO
many cases presented to the Grand jury at any
term before for criminal OtienSes Is this an evil
dence of the efficiency of the Chief OF Police IN
the prevention of crime Are these the EVIL
denccS of the great efficiency OF Mi Matsell
II so, | think the people mag thank the Legs
laturc for the passage of the law OF the last
session.
Will admit that If there Is TO he a pleasant
concert. Mr. MatSe Is sure TO he very efficient
Is exhibiting himself where It may be remarked /,
but Tor real practical usefulness he Will not stand
the test | am under the impression that II the
Nayor would examine closely into the acts OF
the Chief he might find some violations OF the
law that would trouble the Chief 10 explain
and it might interfere with the profits OF the office.
The Couier asserts that Mr.. MatSel Is sought
to he removed for political opinions The writer
OF that article must know that Is not the case, as
Mr. NJ. has persuaded two Wing Mayors that he
was always ready to work for that party. No,
Sir; the desire for his removal Is firm belief IN
his neficioncyas head of the Police Department
of this City Why the house OF the Recorder
himself was robbed but a short time since, and
this wonderful Chief of Police, with all OF his
experience, cannot find the stolen property nor
the thieves who stole 1t. Again say can lind
hundred men better qualified to flll that office
than Mr. Matsell
That the Police Department is, under Mr.. Mat
sell. used rs a political machine, Is notorious ;
and that Mr. MatSell was appointed for political
services, Is known TO every person VINO knows
ANYTHING OF the affairs of our Civ CITIZEN.