Case Name: The People ex rel. Robert McDonald, Relator, v. Francis J. Lantry, Commissioner of Correction of the city of New York, Respondent
Court: New York Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1899-04
Citations: 27 Misc. 160
Docket Number: 
Parties: The People ex rel. Robert McDonald, Relator, v. Francis J. Lantry, Commissioner of Correction of the city of New York, Respondent.
Judges: 
Reporter: New York Miscellaneous Reports
Volume: 27
Pages: 160–161

Head Matter:
The People ex rel. Robert McDonald, Relator, v. Francis J. Lantry, Commissioner of Correction of the city of New York, Respondent.
(Supreme Court, New York Special Term,
April, 1899.)
Civil Service Law—Laches in moving for reinstatement — Insufficient excuse for delay.
A keeper in the department of correction in the city of New York, in the competitive class, who, after having been summarily removed on March 31, 1898, delays taking proceedings for his Reinstatement for more than four months thereafter, can obtain no relief; and his . explanation, that the delay. was caused by a difference of opinion as , to whether chapter 186 of the Laws of 1898 applied to the city of New York, must be deemed insufficient where it appears that for more than six weeks before he commenced, his proceedings the weight of judicial authority was against him;
Motion for a writ of mandamus.
Stickney, Spencer & Ordway (Samuel H. Ordway, of counsel), for relator.
John Whalen, corporation counsel (Theodore Connoly,. of counsel), for respondent.

Opinion:
Giegerich, J.
The relator was removed from his position as. keeper in the department of correction of the city of New York without a hearing, to which, in view of the regulations of the Municipal Civil Service Commissioners classifying such position as subject to competitive examination, he was entitled under Chapter 186 of the Laws of 1898, amending the General' Civil Service Law (Laws of 1883, chap. 354), an enactment which has lately been held to apply to the city óf New York in the case of People ex rel. Fleming v. Dalton, 158 N. Y. 175, Advancé Sheets of Combined Official Series, No. 305. His removal took place on the 31st day of March, 1898, and this proceeding for reinstatement by mandamus was commenced on the 18th day of August, 1898, more than four months after the date of the removal. Assimilat ing to proceedings of this nature the statutory provision limiting the time within which an application for a writ of certiorari may be made, the courts have held that a delay of four months is fatal, unless satisfactorily explained. People ex rel. Miller v. Justices, 78 Hun, 334; People ex rel. Young v. Collis, 6 App. Div. 467; Matter of McDonald, 34 id. 512. The explanation given by the relator is that, owing to the difference of opinion as to whether the law of 1898, referred to, applied to this City, he awaited some final judicial utterance upon the subject, but as a matter of fact, the weight of authority when he commenced his proceeding was against him, the Appellate Division of this Department having-held that the act in question did not apply (People ex rel. Leet v. Keller, 31 App. Div. 248), and the Special Term of Kings County having held that it did, in People ex rel. Fleming v. Dalton, 24 Misc. Rep. 88. This condition of authority existed for more than six weeks before the commencement of the proceeding, which was not based upon any new developments as to the relator's rights, and, therefore, no reason is apparent from this state of facts, for the failure to bring such proceeding within four months, in accordance with the rule stated.
Application denied, with $10 costs.