The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-06-08

active, Win eaies OF aDOut oUuO Da0s luerOr ana
common grades of flour declined about lays. per
barrel. Wheat was dull, and Western mixed corn
declined about &c. or 80. per bushel. Among the
Transactions were parcels tor future delivery and for
export. Pork and provisions generally were firm
and with good demand. Is 900 bushels of corn
were engaged for Liverpool, in ships bags, at 3d.
| The Recent reforms In the Police DEPART
ment- Campaign or the spolIsmen against
Mayor Wood.
The Glamour raised against Mayor Wood
by some of the leading party or gans, in
connection with certain changes that have
recently been been effected in the police de.
trative ability must be prepared to encounter
for the honest and fearless discharge of its
duty. As negative characters make no enemies,
it may fairly be assumed that man ispossessed
of some virtues whose conduct is so bitterly as
sailed in quarters where corrupt influences are
familiar. A little inquiry into the truth of the
statements recently put forth in reference to
these police changes, has satisfied us that Mayor
Woods case is no exception to this general
rule.
The pith Of the charges made against the
Mayor is that all the removals and appoint
ments that have taken place in the department
have been made from political motives, and
that period was selected for efiecting some of
them when the whig memberof the Police Com
mission was absent from illness. Now, we will
dispose of the latter of these allegations first.
Supposing the political motive imputed to be
true, the presence Of Judge Stuart at the
sittings OF the board would have made
no difference in the result, for the two
democrats sitting at the board could have
outvoted him. But the real fact is, that in the
particular instance complained Of as having
been corruptly decided during his absence, the
Judge fully concurred in the decision Of his
colleagues. The party dismissed had had
several complaints Of intoxication preferred
against him before the old commissioners, and
two charges of a similar character were recent
~ made before the new board Only one Of
these was tried, and it received full and
patient investigation, Judge Beebe acting as
counsel for the accused. The commiazioaere
were unanimous al to his culpability; aad on
this and no other ground Yves he removed. So
little had politics to do with the result, that 1t
turns out that the delinquent had actually
voted for the Mayor and Recorder as candt-
dates last fall. But the cream Of the joke is,
that whilst the Know Nothings charge mis- dis
missal to political motives, the individual in
question is an Irishman born whilst the per-
son who has been put in his place is native Of
Philadelphia, and thoroughgoing American
in feeling. After deciding the case against the
dismissed party, the commissioners, to save his
feelings and reputation, gave him an opportu.
nifty of resigning; but he declined this act of
grace, preferring to be made martyr Of for
political purposes.
When we come to examine the remainder Of
these dismissals, it will be seen that the outcry
raised about them is just as senseess aud I'M
founded as the last. In the first place, there
were only six removals altogether from the
department since the present Mayor came into
Office. Four of these were for intoxication, one
for insubordination-the party telling his cap.
tain in the station house, in the presence of the
other men, that he was a lar--and one for both
intoxication and naturalization, the person
removed having had four distinct charges
brought against him, Of being found drinking in
beer houses, and of abusing the Mayor because
the police had been compelled to wear the
uniform. 10 every one of these cases the par
ties accused had the benefit of fall and dis
passionate investigation, and of the assistance
of counsel. The charges were brought home
to them in the clearest manner, and the com
missiopers would have been derelict in their
duty to the public if they had visited the cul-
prits with any punishment short of dismissal.
The proper organization of such force as the
police would, in fact, be rendered impossible
by the liberation of such offences.
Another branch of these charges against the
Mayor has reference to the appointments made
to fill the vacancies caused by designations, or
in place of those whose time had expired and
who were holding over. These, too, are
charged to have been Influenced by political
motives. What Is the actual fact? All those
included in the latter category were re. appoint
ed unless where there were strong ofi,ial
reasons for not doing SO; and in no one instance
have the commissioners declined to re.appoint
except where the interest of the department
imperatively required that the party should be
substituted by some one else.
All these statements, we understand the
Mayor is ready to prove and justify, if neces-
sary, by full investigation into the facts He
is prepared to show that the changes which he
has effected have been made solely with the
view of imparting greater vigor and efficiency
to the department; and, above all, to neutralize
the influence which bullies roWdes, and Broad
way beer house politicians have hitherto ex-
ercised in its appointments. In no one instance
have political or religious considerations
had the smallest effect upon his SO.
lection OF candidates, although frequent
and shameless efforts have been made by the