The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-02-16

lungs produced by intempeRnce. The deceased
boarded at No. SO Hamilton street. She was "a ma
tive Of ireland.
Re fOxm Of the Police Systan-TiE Now Act
Before the Legislature
The subject Of city reform has been worn
thoroughly thTeadhare II abuse could have
killed the Aldermen they would have been in
their graves hong ago; if clamor couH have
leynedied grievances. onr civic, administration
would have attained the highest degree Of per-
fsction of which human institutions are sus-
ceptible. The press, the people, and even the
courts, have combined to crush our city fathers.
To what effect they hive toiled. and = hat symp-
toms of Improvement the fathers evin;e, we will
not venture to determine. One branch, how
ever, of the public service seems likely to
undergo a salutary reform. and we are happy
to say that it is not the least important. We
allude to the system Of police, which the act
now before the Legislature, and the city ord-
nance OF Thursday last, propose to remodel.
We give the act and ordinance in another
column.
The main vice of the present system is Es
Conversion of the police appointments into
political engine. The alderman appoints those
who have served him at his election, policemen
in his ward they enter upon the discharge Of
their functions in utter ignorance of their duties
and by the time they have learned them the al
derman goes out Of office. and they are, perhaps,
replaced by others. This practice, it is hardly
necessary to say, is equally fatal to the character
of both patron and client-alterman and police
man. The former neglects his duty in appoint
ing men who are obviously unfit for the post; the
latter foreets his calling to throw his weight into
his protectors scale at elections. Between the
two the city is in a sad plight-want of principle
in the one, and inefficency in the other, very
nearly neutraiize the benefits to be expected from
police force. The new act, we are happy to
find. goes nearly to the root of the evil The
policemen to be named under it are to hold their
removable except for offences specified in the
act. Thus, though the privilege of nominating
men to fill vacancies Still rests in the al
dermen. the city will no longer be exposed
to lose the services Of an efficient officer.
because his patron has been turned out Of
the Board. Policemen will have no induce
ment to play the part of rowdes at elections
On the contrary their tenure of Office will main
ly depend on the iuIpartiaiity with which they
fulfil their duty on these occasions. great
step will be made towards removing the police
force out Of the reach Of political influence, and
rendering it-what it ought to be-a powerful
and trustworthy shield to the community
A second Improvement is the clause requiring
policemen to read and write legibly the English
language. and to be acquainted with the first
four rules Of arithmetic. The present law did
not contemplate any such qualifications in
members Of the force. and the consequence has
been, that many Of the reports Of policemen
have been remarkable models of compost
ton, requiring practised eye to decipher
them. Faults Of photography have been the
most yenial Of their deficiencies. The duties of
a policeman require e. much education as many
Offices filed by individuals of respectable ac-
quirements. Very rare are the examples of
utterly illterate men whose native shrewd-
ness would he safe guide in the many
trying positions in which policemen are fre-
quently placed. ien who cannot read can
hardly be expected TO possess very definite no
tons Of their duties and their powers: and
those who cannot write are certainly very un-
fit to be the sworn chroniclers Of the morals Of
the city. Nor are the rudiments Of arithmetic
less essential to functionarics appointed for the
purpose Of keeping watch over thieves
Simultaneously with these very important
reforms. the establishment Of river police
force removes one Of the most striking incon-
of the present system. Up to the
present time New York has been we believe
the only large seaport in the commercial
world which has been unprovided with such a
force; and the consequences have been such a.
might have been expected. The revenue oil
GERS have been unable to prevent smuggling
being carried on to very considerable extent:
and vessels lying in port have been robbed
night after night with perfect nnpunity. Own
err ofproperty on board ships have been com |
PEELED in the first commercial city in America. |
TO perform for themselves task which properly |
deyolyes on the civic authorities Fortunate II |
heir private watchmcn did not meet the melan |
h oily fate Of poor Baxter The system has |
yro,i ght out its own cure; and now that liz. !
las been lost, the earnest cntreaties Of the |
thief Of Police have been heard with attention. |
md the request he has so often urged has been |
ardily granted Ifhe succeed in organizing |
Jealous and intelligent body Of men, we shall |
,caee 10 hear NV York an Lcghorp classcd |