It was just the same with Mr. Commissioner Martin. He was asked concerning the existence of corruption in the police force. I quote the following from the Record:-- Examined by Mr. Sutherland: What did you do to restore the tone and efficiency of the police? A. The Board of Police was waiting for any evidence of that character to be brought to it.--Vol. i., p. 483. Q. What investigation has the Police Commissioners ever instituted to discover the falsity of those charges? A. No special investigation.--Vol. i., p. 484. It was the same thing with disorderly houses. Examined by Mr. Nicoll: And, during all the years you have been Police Commissioner, you never have examined the record to see how many there are or where they are located? A. No, sir; I have not. Q. And hasn’t that led you to go to these records to see what houses were put down as disorderly in this category? A. No, sir; I have not. Q. Has the subject of suppression or diminution of these disorderly houses been a matter of discussion before the Board of Police? A. No, sir.--Vol. i., p. 528. Even when crime was discovered, when the criminal was, as it were, taken red-handed, there seemed to be a strange paralysis that prevented his appearance in court. This affected other Boards besides that of the Police. When the action of the Excise Board was under consideration, it was admitted by Mr. Andrews, a Commissioner of the Board, that in one notorious case the licence had been obtained by false swearing. Mr. Goff asked:-- Q. Did you ever, when you discovered these false papers, as you say, and of perjuries having been committed before the Board--did you ever take any steps to have the perpetrators called to answer for the crime? A. No steps were ever taken for indictment; no.--Vol. iv., p. 4,386. It was not for want of painstaking on the part of the Legislature that the police force was not more efficient. Every constable before being appointed had to comply with the provisions of the Civil Service law, which were thus explained by Commissioner Martin:-- The candidate is required to have the names of a certain number of citizens, usually five, to vouch for him as to his character--their acquaintance with him; and all those papers having been finally completed, the papers are sent to the Civil Service Board, where examinations are held from time to time of batches of such applicants. Application is made to the captain for examination of his character and as to the persons who signed the paper, and a report is made in writing by the captain. There are three Civil Service Commissioners appointed by the Mayor; I do not recollect the names just at this time. Once a year the Civil Service Board made an examination of all applicants for patrolmen, and they usually examine in batches of from 400 to 600.--Vol. i., p. 567.