The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-02-25

l3Ct dlohe cohcuSiVclN CCntradlctS the base iabr-
cations by which Mr. LINcoJN's foolish fears
were wrought upon.
In his remarks in the City Council, q few days
ago, concerning his proposed notifications of our
poice-system, Mr. PHELPS manifested great sur
prise and concern that his position should be mis-
understood. He was unable to account for the
''outside ignorance which had expressed disgat
lstaction with his course, except upon the theory
that the ill-intormed people who differed with
him, had not read his report. Now we desire it
to be particularly understood, that notwithstand-
ing the voluminous and discursive character of
the document in question, we have gone seyera,
times over it, from beginning to end We have
done so, not only from Il sincere desire to do the
Committee no injustice, but because we have
found considerable difficulty in getting at the real
purpose of the discussion which the Report elahor-
a'es at so much length. The only practical object
oil the Committee, SO far us the laws Of the last ses
sion are concerned, appears TO be, to have tbe
number OF the Police Commissioners reduced; 10
change the mode Of appointing them; and to have
the system, thus modified made part of the next
Constitution. These are all The reforms that ore
suggested. The excellence Of the system. the
propriety of the changes which it intro
duced; the necessity of its enactment: the Gde)
lty, ability and success with which it has been
administered and enforced; are not only conceded
oat are made the subjects of high and well deserved
praise. Aud Jet, ia tlsv face Or All tnis we are
puzzled and mystiied by the singular fact, that
there is scarcely an objection ever urged against
in Inv fl,a;r -.
scarcely point upon which popular jealousy was
sought to be excited against them, or public pre-
JUDGE appealed to, when they were before the Lee
gislature or the Courts, that is not REPRODUCED
and elaborated, in its most hostile bearing, bv Mr..
Phelps. At least three-fourths of the Report are
occupied with an inventory of the perils TO which
1t Is said that the system exposes US. Now if Mr..
PHELPS and his Committee were not as sincere. as
we must believe them TO be, in the favorable opin-
ions which they take so much pains to profess, wo
could have no embarrassment as to their object in
all this. But considering them as really friends
OF the system, we at loss to understand what
they mean by making careful, voluminous and
detailed re-statehent Of all that everybody else
has at any time imagined against it. We confess
that the course of the Committee, in this narticu-
lar, Is not, in our judgment, susceptible of ex-
cuSe or satisfactory explanation in view of the DO
si'ion which they occupy, and the delicate and
important questions and interests with which they
assume to deal. This community endured too
much from lawlessness and the PROSTITUTION
OF the laws under the old system. and has
already felt too thankfully the BLESSINGS
OF the new one, to permit any trihing with the
subject now. We cannot afford to put so much
at FISK Tor the sake of anybody's fine writing and
political dalectics. 1t does not improve the case
to say that all the objections which are stated are
afterwards refuted, in their turn, by the Commit
lee. They were refuted long ago. by the good
sense OF the Legislature, the courts and the peope
and to set them up again for the mere sake OF
Knocking them down, is to pass somewhat beyond
the boundaries of Legitimate amusement.
AS we have said, the alterations which the Com
mttee suggest, as proper to be made in the sys-
tenn, are but two They think that instead of four
Commissioners (besides the Mayor there should
be but half the number, and they desire the mode
ofappointing them to be changed. They do not
think the Board has too much power, for after a
Startling presentation of its u arbitrary and strn-
gent endowments, they recognize the necessity
OF entrusting just such powers to somebody. They
do not think the functions ofthe Board are impron
erly Withdrawn from the corporation, for after
painting the desolate and dismautled "anomalous
and extraordinary condition in which the mu-
inequality Is left by their withdrawal they confess
that it has been hailed "with delight and graft
"tude" by the community. They have no fault
to find with the present Commissioners or
contrary, they speak in the strongest Ian
guage of the almost perfect character of
Inc organization. Their only difficulty arises from
the apprehension, that the Board may at some
time hereafter be made political engine, and they
think that although this danger cannot be Who'll
''ly avoided, it may at least be counteracted bv
reducing the number of the Commissioners },
and providing different method Of selentinc
them. The evil of possible party control, under
the existing system, they very complaeently SUP
pose to be discovery of their own, and
assuming with equal complacency, that the
gentlemen by whom the laws were prepared
we're destitute of that political forecast with
which the Committee on Police and Jail are en-
dowed, and had framed a system 10 suit the mere
emergency" of the moment, instead of one which
was to last, they dispose of the present organza-
ZION in the most summary manner They "bave
mot been able to perceive the necessity for so
large number as five persons to constitute the
oo"'o OF Police" nor the safety of the present
MODE OF selection, and they would therefore try
an experiment of their own and make it a con-
stitutional enactment hes;do0 ,,b;oh NOV ~, -
changed 'o' ~
Now we think the COMMITTEE ro;ab, fairly b. ve
presumed that the trainers of tho noI;oo 1a,,, :,
devising system which was to relievo .ho cow
munity from the oppression of PARISH uo,;oo
had looked somewhat beyond the evil ara A..
remedy OF the moment. 1t is we respec,en,I.e
submit, very unwarrantable conclusion to odor.'
that the Reform Committee had no more comnro'
hensve purpose, than merely to get rid of the mar.
ticular mob who then wore the star of the ctv on
their breasts. The slightest enquiry would have
informed Mr.. PHELPS, that both as to the number
OF the Commissioners, and the mode of their Sc
lection, there had been the most mature and de-
hoerate consideration and action on the part Of
the trainers OF the laws, and that the constitution
OF the Board as existing, was the result arrived at
as preSeQtiup a atar r;otu