Year: 1879

9


Puzxling ProcrastinatfOn.


1t would not be an act Of friendship. to
the Mayor to dissemble the general disap-
pointment which is felt in the city at his
dilatory course in regard to the recreapt
Police Commissioners whom he has UNDER
taken to remove. The better portion of our
citizens arc nearly unanimous that he was
in the strict'lin Of his duty in attempting
to depose these inefficient officers and sup
ply their places with competent successors.
We had our doubts as to the suficiency of
the hearing which he accorded to them,
and expressed our fears at the time
with the frankness of earnest we'll
wishers to his Success in accomplishing
the removals. What we feared was de-
cision by the courts that the hearing was
inadequate and consequent reinstatement
of the Commissioners, which would embar-
rass and mortify the Mayor and put him
back to the point from which he started.
It seemed to us that he could have fanked
this danger, that he might have escaped
this risk entirely, by the exercise of little
patience in granting such hearing as
would have afforded no ground for bring
ing his action into the courts of justice for
review and possible reversal. The Mayor
took his own course in pursuance of such
legal advice as he had received; and al
though we feared that he took needless
risks, we felt inclined to applaud the reso-
Lutte vigor. determination and promptitude
which he was seeming to exercise in the dis
charge of necessary, indeed q most i'm
perative duty.


shared the expectation, that Mayor Coopers
decision would be as prompt as the brief
hearing he accorded to the Commissioners
had been summary. When he gave them
barely twenty-four hours to put in such
additional defence in writing as they might
choose to offer this stringent limitation Of
time was construed by friends and foes
alike as evidence of an intention to make
short work with the Commissioners. It
was expected that the act of removal would
be on the way to the Governor within the
ensuing twenty-fonr hours.


Teu days have passed and nothing is
DONE The community is puzzled and be-
wildered, especially as the Mayor keeps his
lips closed and has thus far steadily refused
to give any intimation as to whether he in
tends to advance or to retreat The people
are beginning to indulge in conjectures as
to the possible causes of this unexplained
and most surprising delay. Has he been
convinced on further reflection and better
advice that the course he pursued on the
hearing was too hasty and hazardous2
Does he begin to- have misgivings as to
whether he acted with the prudence and
caution betting an officer whose decisions
are subject to roview by an authority
superior to his own? eete


Removals by the Mayor are imperative
until approved by the Governor. and even
then they may have to pass a judicial Or
deal. In transmitting his action to the
Governor he is required to send the grounds
of it in writing. Governor Tilden decided
in we'll known case that this requirement
includes a full transcript Of the evidence.
Mayor Cooper took no evidence No wit
nesses were examined before him either to
prove or disprove the charges. He has
therefore nothing to transmit to the Gov
ernor except the mere charges supported
by his own opinion. The Governor
may require something diferent-proof--
before consenting to consider the case at oil.
Nothing could have been easier than for
the Mayor to have brought three or four
reputable citizens before him to swear
to the facts. But he took no testimony
at oil, and has, therefore, nothing in the
shape of evidence to lay before the Governor
to justify his own action and guide the
judgment of the Chief Magistrate
of the State. If Governor Tilden
was right in the very emphatic views he
put forth in reply to Mayor Wick
ham case against the Commissioners
presented in this form is insufficient.
There would have been no lack of evidence
had the Mayor chosen to examine witnesses
and send the record Of their testimony to
the Governor. We suspect that too tardy
perception Of this requisite may DO the
cause Of Mayor Cooper's embarrassment
and his unexpected delay. 1t places him
before the public in predicament which
his friends (including, we believe, major
ity of our best citizens) must regret unless
he treasures them by satisfactory ex-
PLANTATION.


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