New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-12-31
PUBLIC AND OFFICIAE ACTION.


& in that city. The check for which lie dIc" ana
whchwasreported here from Buffalo, Thursday nchai-
rived in this city saturday morning Itrcached the MGR
chants National Bank 10 Wallst having been indoTseo
by owen Murphy. treasurer, and also Ivy y. Commonly
II also bore printed Endorsements BY the Consolidated
Bans OF Canada and the Farmers and Mechanics Ma
tiona Bank OF Buffalo When the check was presented
al the Pacific Bank payment refused and the cheek
was protested. No here knows VINO n Connolly 49,
but II is suggested by superintendent Wang that he
may be Murplys brother-in-aw with whom Murphy
had contracts on the weland Canal.
TEc Commissioner Of Accounts have not yet completed
their exam nation Of the books Of the Excise Board
The statistics which the police gathering for them
will be ready i'm few DAYS. Considerable dinculy Is
facts required rs some Of the liquor dealers are IN
willing 20 communicate with the police for lear oHrIeS'
Mayor Ely, On Saturday, dismissed the charges
against the Police Commissioners and rendered the
following dccisOn:
EXECUTIVE DErAET,iENT. CI1Y HALL
NEw-N DIRK, Dec. %, 1877
On the 18Th inst, influenced 10y complaints l na,@ 10
from various sources, and 20 CONSIDERABLE extent ~
my observation Of dcfccts in the adulnslraloH OF
the laws deemed NV duty TO prefer charges against
D. " C. Wheeler 5 r. Nichols, and j. d. ErOardt three
OF the commissioners OF Police oI Tue Ily Oh NC"oauIA
tniy 20 be heard directed by tne Charter ana nave
received a large amount OF oral testimony anu
documentary evidence offered IN thcr DehAii. slhoe
the hearing closed l have devoted myself 10 u
careful consideration Of the testimony, and on hoth
charges made / am convinced that the commissioners
are in dcrelct, bit not to an extent Whleh
lot uulrequeuy during the past year IN dcpioIaoy
filthy condition. has been apparent TO every cuZ, H. o
trammeed and embarrassed by tNsNAS avs u'lI'
particularly those controlling tie disposition Oh t, ,
Cumuated fifth that they moi sut' culN cpdp4c Oh
that charge TO merit SO severe punishment .-.
enfor'cnrnt of laws he Instance to which my attention
was more particularly directed was the sudden anu u
announced enforcement OF the long neglected Excise l~
on fine er0o and evening Of the 7th day Of December
instant This action which lnlcttd misery ana Glss W.
upon many who supposed they had o3cycd all tnt
requirements of law, appears 10 me 20 nave e'h uN
esSiuy severe and harsh, hut the comniSsoners 5SSt
shown that they acted WITHIN ne ettet Ul 'De M ,
which was so presented TO lucm 10y d Jun
cl0l tribunal that they were comuclltd ~ HI,ti5,jt
Fcly enforce H. Inc manner Oh JUS en- ,.p
was Uprcheuslble. but not TO d gree Whcu S S,,s
cice In view of these considerations do hereby de-
oCe thai there is not sufficient Tor The removal OF
tie abOVon3Iucd commissioners ana ia SO dong "uuu
express TIE nope tutl Ih lVtGIV llc m
them commissioners Of Police WI De SO lulnlM{ GA
ecutd d-alm criticism and that the laws VIII De
SMITH ELY, JR, MAJ or.
Tie meeting called for Saturday evening at Cmckcrns
Hail. for the purpose Of giving moral encouragement to
The accused ice Commissioners i'm particular, and the
police generally was no, largely attended because stld
the Rev d.. Howard Crosby, the Object OF the meeting
had been accomplished, nasuch a, Mayor Fly had de-
ciGtd not TO remove the accused officers Two Auhdltd
persons, perhaps were present among the" i'll
addition 10 the ougnators OF tie meeting, there
vcr. the Rev. MI Hcpworth William L. Dodge,
the Roy. Dr. Chapn, salem Ii. Wales DE- sam
ne Hau aud TIE Rev. Ur. Crosby. SIR Wales called the
meeting % order nominated Sinclair Iouscy as chair
man and then read resolutions. These declared
that nc citizens and taxpayers had come together To
give q public expression al opinion in favor
Of lie enforcement II law and against tie
ruu!.m-ut OF public officers for the performance of
DUTY They sustained the Police Board m its enforce
meut o. The Excise law, and approved tAc course Of
Mayor lily in yielding % tho public sentiment that his
charges were UNJUST The palce force, the resolutions
said, deserved thc gratitude and support Of the best
citizens for ItScouaec, fidelity and efficiency. The res
ouiious received with applause and adopted later
in the evening.
Dr. Howard Crosby then moved an adjournment,
fa,iu- that the meeting 40 longer lad any reason for
being. bat tlat there were few matters 10 which Dee
wished 10 refer briefly. lie touk deep interest I'm the
welfare o Nc-N .rS, anu he proposed 10 speak Ms mnd
H,ey' INC 'llat" up' 'lt oe UNITS vi LUZ! tL
pc-cut crisis of NrW-Noibs history was an attack
upon uie order Of the ety. the errors IA
t.' !"',e l'.. '' ."f,+ "tS. C,,,.,'i -.
~ tie movement against ut 'piuHis,l'A
Tho cflZCns had endured the evils o! uncc0u srtcs so
their present condition The real foundation of the
charge against Tie commissioners was th't they were
tended at any time 90 mpuau the intentions oi TIRE
Mayor Tic pressure around uim bad been Sucn that he
doing Tho worst The whole fault Of his complication
wa, IN The opinion OF me -e'hrr III Aai Gcltm.ht OF
IL proposed 10 bring charges aL;u>, the proper per
Sons 40 ihe proper ume and let tAo public see where
The Rev. Mr. Hepworth made few remarks in
rc-nousg 10 rcpcated calls The load bad been with
drawn from hi gun. Dc said. and IL would De difficult
make report. Inc Commissioners OF Police had been
treated ~ though they had committed misieme'nor
WHOM the fact was they had simply been unusually
active iu the performance OF their duty William +.
Dodge and Chaunccy saitr also SPOKE briefly, aud the
meeting adjourned Mr.. Dodge. after approving the
general cOuAc of the Mayor since his election added
m the intelligent taN-pyiuc citizens would sink city
pOAucs and, holding on 10 state or National ue' cncCs,
wOud 90 L. the polls and elect honest eli Y officials,
everything would be we'll have resided IN the city
seventy years. vet have not TIE pleasure OF knowing
single individual member OF the Common Council. These
men are elected every year by those who want 1S such
mon 20 serve their interests The 5000 hqioI-deaers
viii continue % exert tie same power 30 long as the
good citizens remain inert"
Corporation Counsel Whitney sent, Saturday. his
answer, legal adviser 10 the Mayor, to the inquiry
L. whe Der the Mayor alone can appoint successor 10
owen Murphy Excise Commissioner, whether such
appointment uyeCs continuation by tine Board OF Alder
mcu. In MS answer he says the ACT OF 1870, creating
the Board OF CommsslOncIs " Excise has been
expressly repealed, and 10 requires The confirmation Of
the Commissioners b} me Board OF Aldermen II, rs is
claimed, 1t imphedly repealed by the Act OF
1874, then the Mayor alone can make Tie nominations
lie does not think IL necessary, however, to inquire
into whether Act Of 174 does repeal the Act of 1870
IN this respect, as both Mayor Haytmeyer and Mayor
Nickham acted on ne euplOstoh at the law OF - 20
was stl in force. In conclusion MT whitney says In
view OF the particular construction which has l'ecn
placed upon the law by your predecessors I"l several
years think that III appointing successor 10 Mr Muir
ply such appointment should be made IL NE manner
provided N said Act OF 1870 am informed mat the ac
lion OF Mayor Hayencyer was taken by him M accord
auce with advice given by my predecessor IN Office
The effect OF the enforcement OF me LNcse Law on me
wholesale liquor trade said TO have been very great
The wholesale dealers suffer In two ways those VINO
only hope for license refuse 70 rtIehsh lheI huCHs
until that hope well assured; many dealers are unable
60 meet Their debts ~ consequence OF te inE on OF
their trade and many VINO are ushohesl dhe ~ an eA-
cCsc for not paying for the liquor already bought Henry
ton said the movement had largely affected tho
sale Of beer. With one exception II was the
experience Of every brewer nat there was less
beer sold, and consequently there must De less
drank, than before the times Of prohibition. The en-
could not be kept as liquor could ana consequently mere
was no laying an a supply Saturday night Inquiry Of
ina In the Second Collection District the sale Of
stamps FOR beer was IN October S33o7e IN NoYclupcr