The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-05-22
CITIZENS MASS MEETING.
.HARMONIE HAZEL WDED TO HI E
 DOORS LAST NIGHT.

Resolutions Adopted Calling for the
 Removal of Four Police Commission
 CTS and for the Repeal of All Laws for
 Transforming City OficiaIs-OpinlOns
 Expressed by Citizens at the Meeting.
 The mass meeting of citizens held last night at Harmonic hall in pursuance to a call signed by the leading citizens and business houses of the city was very largely attended, the hall being com pletely filled and every available inch of standing room being taken, while hundreds were unable to gain admis- sion to the hall. The gathering re- minded one of the old town meeting, and afforded an opportunity for the eX- pression of public opinion such as has been offered only at the Derby exten- sion mass meeting since the town meet ing in New Haven was abolished. Those who attended spoke right out in open meetin'," and the expressions of views both by those opposing the action of the police commissioners and those up- holding the commissioners-and there were many of the latter present-Were most wholesome, and gave gratifying evidence that busy citizens do take an interest in public affairs. The call for the meeting was as follows:
 "We. the undersigned, citizens of New Haven, hereby call for a public meet ing to be held Tuesday evening, May 21, at Harmonic hall, in order that prop CT process may be made against the re- cent action of the police commissioners in transferring certain officers to the veteran reserve list to the detriment or the city and against the public good
 Colonel N. G. Osborn, who had been requested to accept the chairmanship, called the meeting to order and in doing so said: ''Fellow Citizens-I have been requested to call this meeting to order. I do so with sense of pleasure, as consider it a great honor to preside over a body of men of this character. l have been requested to preside over the de- Alterations of this body. l can only do so with your cooperation and consent. Therefore you are to say whether l do so or take place with the fighters on the floor
 Dozens of voices about the hall were raised to nominate Colonel Osborn for chairman and he was unanimously elected. l.. w. Housel was elected sec retary. The call. for the meeting was then read, and Colonel Osborn address ed the meeting, saying that the call had brought together the citizens Of New Haven as Connecticut freemen. When we delegate power we do not resign It, do not stand here in behalf of indlvid- uals who have been wronged by acts or the police commissioners, but am here to protest against a misuse Of delegated authority in so far as 1t affects the sound principle of government by the people. I have no more to say than to assure you that have neither personal nor political concern in your delibera- lions nor shall I be made happy or un- happy by your deliberations; put | throw myself into whatever dignified protest is made so that New Haven may continue to govern itself.
 Colonel Osborn then called for the presentation of any business that any one desired, and Attorney Charles S. Hamilton presented the following reso- lutions:
 We. the taxpayers and citizens of New Haven. in public meeting convened, do hereby adopt the following Resolutions:
 That we emphatically condemn the conduct of the four police commission CTS who removed from office efficient and competent members of the police force without any good reason there for. and placed them as a burden upon the taxpayers of the city of New Haven as pensioners.
 2. That we call upon Mayor Driscoll to demand the resignation of said four commissioners, and, on their failure to resign to remove them from office as inefficient public servants and as guilty of conduct demoralizing to the police force of the city of New Haven.
 8. That, in case Mayor Driscoll snail fail to act in pursuance of the above re- quest. we call upon Mayor-elect Stud lev as soon as inaugurated to take the same action now requested of Mayor Driscoll
 4. That we pledge ourselves, in case of the removal of said commissioners from office by either of said mayors, to support the act of the mayor in doing so in case an appeal is taken to the courts and to aid and assist in the de- fense of said action by the mayor Who makes such removal.
 E. That a. committee of seven be ap- pointed for the purpose of carrying the foregoing resolutions into effect.
 Anthony Carroll presented the follow ing resolution as an amendment to the first resolutions:
 Resolved. That application be imme- f]iately made to the general assembly ot inc state to amend the charter of the city of New Haven by repeating all acts or any parts of acts that at the present time exist in relation to pensions or city officials of the city of New Haven,
 A gentleman in the front part Of the hall who did not give his name arose and said. "A man who has been in the police department twenty-five or thirty wears ought to be pretty well fixed so as to retire and give some one else a chance don't care whether he is Irish or English or what he is What ever move you make, do it right and do it honest and if you don't you will find it out later on."
 Anthony Carroll next took the floor and spoke in favor of his resolution. He said that if there was no pension system members of the police force could be retired on their merits and that then they wouldn't want to be re- tired. The only way for citizens to do was to appeal to the legislature and fix Al hot +Iora