New-York tribune., 1875-10-12
TILE MAYOR'S LETTER.

THE MAYORS LETTER.
lNFXcUsABIE INEFFICIENCY OF TIE POLICE FORCE
MLEGHp-PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN THE COM
Mr,sIoNEEs srAiED 10 BE WTrHDRAwN-rtsT-
MoNY BEFORE THE COMMITTEE on CRIME
SUMMED UP-REPLIE> OF COMMISSIONERS NOOR-
HIS AND SMITH RFsIGSING THEIR POSITIONS.
Mayor Wckham Yesterday made public his
letter to the Police Commissioners giving the substance
OF the charges that have been made against them,
and requesting them to show why they should
not be removed from office. Letters OF resig-
nation from Commissioners Smith and Noor-
his gwen out with the Mayors le''f'
The Commissioners given until Oct l3 at noon to
preuarc Il drfcn~. No communication had been received
by the Mayor Yesterday from Commissioners hatse ana
Disbeckcr.
The communication Of the Mayor states that the con
dition of tie Police Department seems to call FOR Official
action his par The prscntment OF the Police Depart
ment by the Grand jury made last week Is quoted The
lctrl then says that the police force l. oyeyYhere
charged and conceded to be noXcusbly inefficient and IL
seems To have fastened the public mind the conyc-
ton that has become dcmoIalized beyond hopt~o
recovery by those AT its head. so Tar as AhoW
there is no one gatsay the urgent necessity Tor ~
rcorgat izaton Notwithstanding the steady S.owh o
public indignation ia the premises, have sought To act
with great deliberations bat since tho action oi the Grand
jury feel that longer delay calling your attcn-
ton TO considerations which make 10 proper Tor me To
deter to public iud gment which has oycrtaken youi
certainly, far rs to call ON you Tor an account o your
stewardship in yOur olce."
That the Police Department, to he efficient especially
needs public confidence is next urged at some length
and tho letter add.
THAT c,aa icrce seems never to have been given to
you IN any Gse''t jrae & ,l 4 NO" ',y ,sti
,.cnani that ii be restored to the Department. even
Though this DE accomplished only by transfer to
OTHER hands OF the control held by you II, rcccs
nzing the force Of tnc,r considerations ond desiring %
serve thr public most efficiently tender me your nls
nations snail o dad o. Capc theme ccS-ity fortu1her
official action upon thc various cofpaipts aSahs !oH
which have from time to iinc Docl ltsehca 10 me. oi
course in sncu event. your rcS2nGio ions would be re-
criytd by without respect to the tiiih or LlsY ol
nay these complaints II, however TINS Line o acion
Shall not seem open 70 You, cannot remain lnlruNt
The public demand for lenyig3fado OF your Depart
iuci l. toash '.lt ~, ~ a., I ,,r' -,
era ana firm and If you do nt Clearly see your peg
cousc WIN reference {" H. my d5 10 INC eoini! i
perfectly clear.
summary Of some Of the testimony before The Assem-
bly Committee Grim affecting the Police Department
+ then presented The general charge against the Com
rs,iuucrs, as a Board, framed upon all the t~timpn!
before the Committee, is stated to be "ncompetency
aud urhtncss your Board is organized, to per
form the duties to which You arc as>iglcd"
The letter closes by stating that the police force seems
f. De shown TO be in state Of general Generalization
aud shameful incGlcicnoy; that the Mayor does not
,cpin II important trace individually the specific,
wrongful acts OF each Commissioner before calling
them to answer for the shortcomings of the force and
the continued and notorious nlGuitcs of officers and
men under their command; that the amount OF money
authorized to be cXpondcd by the department is ample
to secure satisfactory results and at the public Is EN-
titled 10 know, "by specific allegation Of particulars"
what has led 10 the failure of the methods the depart
mcnt upon which the security of the community de-
peuIs.
Following are the letters OF resignation Of Commis
siouers smith and yoorhis
COMMISSIONERS OFFICE,
POLICE DEPAKTNuNr OF TIE CITY OF NEw-GORK,}
NEw-YoRK. Oct :, 1870.
WM. II. WIcKuNM esq, Mayor Of Nsu-lork.
1
your communication ot the 9TH inst, which has been
caIcluy read by me- Your Honor viii bear IN mind That
have twice since my appointntn nt a. Police Colihs-
souer addressed you in writing ANA asked to retire from
thi, position While, of course IL Is not tine most pleasant
thing retrr under such charges as have been made IN
your letter against the Board of Police ComlGiSsoners
yet there l. question in my mind that the public
good come, before any private Consideration ana there-
fore tender you my resignation as Police CommsoiDner
only asserting IN my own defense thi t duties Nnen
have d"yo, ed upon me lave been discharged 10 tue best
forward my defense ia yOu at later period as aIt OF
tin. naOn. am, Sir, very respect ally your "oedl
cut servant, wv. r. SMITH
NEW-YoBK Oct. 8, 1879.
Hon WILLIAM II. wICKHAM. uoyor.
SIR: Yesterday received your letter O 7h inst, ad
dressed al the 1mbars o the Board o Police Commits
sOneIs You do not suggest at - toany oi tnt ptou-
lar eases specifically mentioned, have any individual re-
spoabiitl aud an quite sure that, when the facts as
each oI those cases are all known VIII appear ihat
personally, in those cases In ali others have per
formed my whole duty 40 to the general charges against
The Department and The Board only reply that
have done everything heretofore in power To make
the police force efficient and ineorupble II Is evident,
ihc condition OF the Department rs not satisfa.tory,
either public to individually aud, ~ matters
are do not perceive how can Improve the police
force.
10 relieve YOU, Mayor, OF embarrassment. and To
make for successor who NAV bt able 10 discharge
inc duties tie position with better success, have the
hunsr hereby tender FOR Your acceptance rcslgla
zion Of the office sf Police COMMITS SoioDer of the city OF
NcwYork-tr resignation to take eject upon appoint
meut Of my AMI you VIII rccOect thai, fOm
time time since January last, and In frequent conNer-
stous With you with reference 10 HE deplorahe state
uf aiars in the Police Department have assumed YOU OF
nv reidinrss TO resign tha ofAee whenever 10y doing
could help improve the situation. Very respectfully,
JoHS X. NooRHIs.
second and longer letter accompanies Commissioner
Smiths resignation. In this he says he proposes to Offer
his defense. He states that he appointed to aid the
Mayor ia bringing about reformation OF the police
force that condition OF the such that time
would he required to make ii effective, by united
aud efficient Board aud that therefore he should not DO