New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-03-07
TIIg POLICE IKQUTSITI0M.

IN Aprn OF lat year lbs s,ss oesse sPP0'h'"
! Committee u three to investigate the management
sra working Of The MstoPis,c Pdice especi ay tue
manner N which the Commissioners performed taer
duties, ard also covering - n9rry Into sll teen ~
fairs n pubhc officers. Ssssors Sp'ncis, No1on ana
o. b Wheeler were sppont.d the COMMITTEE lhey
net his city the close Of August last anu hea
frequent sessions uLtil the 81 Of JaauGry Mr. S2noia
wss tie most active member c tie inysstg MI On, and
has a lersth produced rpor. bssei aPou the evil
der ca taken ard Bot a; ali tender reserved in ITS
ccrcueous. We gather from this report .hst Senstor
Spi,o,s is Of the opinion tbs, the law hsv-g been sus
tanned BY the Cont of Appeals, al tbs. s nov
to b. done i, to improve its workings IS much
IS possible. lie says tha he went - work
with sentiments Of entire impNtiaity, but
Immediately adds with tho hope that the charges
vaguely circulated against tie Commissioners woud
"proye upcundeG :" and still with these amisb. in
terons he iourd visesses relac'snt TO testify, All
seems to be Of TIE opinion that crest many facts are
snl concealed which Womb Be anything ba, credtsolc
TO the Commissioners. Ameog the discoveries which
he processes TO have made find that certain men,
bers Of the Department presented Gen. Nys Witha
cost overcoat, or suit CT clothes or somethng Id
The way of clothing bat il is rot exactly clear what
va. reatse the witnesses were AFRAID Of losing their
bresd and butter ard declined 10 testify. Mr.. Spin
ola ,ds also that the police hiss in its force men npon
whose te.timony il would be unsafe to convict any
ore charged with crime and from this he argues that
the whole establishment is dangerous to thse, liberty
and pr, pety of tho people. One witness tesdies that
men paid morey to obtain situations tie police, and
thereupon our Senator concludes that money was n.ce:
ssry il many cases TO get appointments. Tbs next
point is the purely partisan character Of the
- =. -. 81 ~
cut tie animus Of the report in complaint that toe
Governor appointed Gen. Nye to the head OF the
Con missou and the charge that bis special utter un-
fitness Is notorious and undeniabei but az this is
mere matter Of opinion we l,t il pas. Sir Spitola
pro.ee to state that the effect Of this vast party ms
chine is an Inefficient and corrupt police incompetent
and unworthy men buying places in the force coutr-
butiovs levied upon members for political purposes;
ccniast violation Of law and disregard Of the rules of
the Board by officers AMI mea officers unnecessarily
increased without a colorado pteense of authority
under the statute the cost Of the police largely aug
rented crime on the increase ia the city while detec
tons are mose unfrsquent felonies ald misdemesnors
committed with impunity by The force, snd general
sers. Of insecurity both to property and life, psn-
fnl to witness.
This seems to be the elimination Of Mr. Spnola's
1
perstop, erusciahg four five pal pabe errors, its
effect must b. exactly the reverse Of shat the Senator
irter1ed. TIE report then goes into the proposed
house and lot presentation to Gen. Nye, from which it
appears that q great msny things we're going TO be
done some time or other with great many hints aud
nuendoes; but that 8 great msny witnesses did not
know whether anything going to be done or not.
There was Treasurer of fuad called the Nye Testi
monisl, aud aons money rendered TO NJe, bu. he
would net accept il, because the newspapers msce
cly about IT, and therefore tbs money was deposited
in trust: aud tren there were consultstiOns PROPOSE
ons ard 30 many lodges and subterf1se7 that il Is
impossible to make anything out of them from
the report. The Senator slso charges that more
surgeons have been appointed than the law per-
uits; but then they were appointed a. patToimen,
and sfterwNi detailed to act as surgeons. The
report next picks out some cases OF crime on
the psIt Of policemen. The only one,
howGver which the Committee name In direct
n snner is that Of rape in q Sts.ion-HouSs; they
charge that q member Of the Harbcr Police was De.
ectsd in conspiracy to steal stores from the United
States ship Susquehanns The Harbor Police arc de-
pounced entirely corrupt and unfit for their business
bud at least one special policeman is charged With
keepirg house Of prostitution. Mr.. SPinOla atnb'
ute the burning Of the Quarantine to the neglect
the police says tbat superintendent Ia lmadge mas
been iueilered with by the Commissioners, and pre-.
vented from doing his duty Il a. Tsima5ge loaned
sl5O to prevent the repeal OF the Police law, and hs
never got back sgan that the expenses Of the force
are much greater than under he old law, and that the
citizens Of Brooklyn unanimously 10 favor OF being
released from this VI ust ass.s,meht. Canisga hire
and stationery are held up another outrage
upon ths tsr payers. The CommissoneIs have
paid all GOO for stationery, and 81 800 for carriage
hire. IL s further charged that "men connected With
"toe Police department, who are paid large salaries
for detecting crime aud bringing evil doors TO justice
spend most of their time in running around the die
trct go citing bail fer criminals who have been ar
"Iagsed before the courtl for benous oIenses, thus
showing their sympathy TO be with tho criminal, in-
f,esd Of detecting and feIrelrg out and puIishing
crime"
TIE report concludes ttst the Committee were ar.
resed in their progress by eyasOns snd contradictions
not 20 cay ptIuf;esbut in spite Of these difficulties
they we're able 70 collect Of facts which they
submit viii fully sustain the assertions made IN .ns re-
port.