The "contested" Poor

To tuf. Editor of thk Aeous : Sib- Will you be so kind as to insert in your paper the iollowing. Laat year, about the first of February, our Coiamou Couucil toot it upon themselves to discharge the Supervisors of the sevoral diBtricts -the lawful overseers of the poor (see chap. 50 of Comp. Laws, vol. 1, sec. 8, and the city charter page 13, sec. 7)- without giving their reasons for so doing, except personalities ; and when they wore askod whether the Supervisors had uot been laithful in the discharge of thiiir lawful duty, they answored that they found no fault witU thoae otficersthey only wantsd oue oftïcer instead of thiee, that was all, - poor argument. Well, things went on and the best and wisest man, one who was lately imported, was appoiuted, and the papers were lult of praise over the happy appointment made, for a vast sura of money was aved - by the wisdom, sagaoity, and honesty of the appoiutee, Mr. H. Time bas shown who made the mistake. Wa tind in the Register of Jan. 3, 1877, a similar praise bestowed on the present appointed overseer of the poor, City Marshal üook, whom we respect. The ofticer himself ia not to blame for the article, written by somebody to show the editors that lome of the Common Coimcil possess superior wisdom and sagacity in appointing good ofncera. Ia that true? Experieuce has proved Jat to be very close with the poor has made crimináis of some of them, who find theinselves better provided lor in the jail than are the honest poor outside of it. We do not care who is the overseer of the poor, they never give the poor one-fourth what we havo to give for the support of the crimináis. The crimináis are boarded at seventy cents per day and the public f uruish wood, bedding, rooms, &c, while the poorest families do not receive to exceed eight dollars per month, the family conústingof frora five to eight persons, with a aick father or widowed mother. What of it, if a poor family has some Brussels carpet, marble-top center tables, and upholstered chaira in therented rooms, out of which they got one half of their living ; in their own room there is no carpet and very poor, if any, turniture. üur Mayor was uear riht when he gave an order to release frorn the pound a poor man's cow, and the city pald the pound fees, for he said it was better to do that than to give relief to the family amounting to twice as much - correct ; even, in some cases, better buy feed for the cow as they do and have done in a neighboriug city. There are wise men in as well as outside of the Common Coimcil. All we want to know, is : whether our city charter gives the Common Council the power to discharge, without a reason, elected ofticers, under the laws and charter. If so, we would be pleased to know where it is, - whit chapter, section, or part of section, contains that power. If the Common Council can not prove it, then their action is an assumed despotic power ; if they prove it we will stand by it. We are willing, according to our obligation, to support and obey the law and shiïnk from no duty it imposes upon us, neither are we willing to be relieved of any duty except by the authority of the law.