The Evening Star THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 1902.

Evening Star, Issue 11663, 23 January 1902, Page 4

The Evening Star THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 1902.

Tftr Mayor was quite justified in directing the attention of the City Corrnptlon ? Council at last night's meetor a JoVo J jng to the veiled disclosure recently made by Councillor Muir in a letter published in our columns. We hazard a conjecture that when the facts are thoroughly probed it will appear that a molehill has been made to assume the likeness of a mountain, and that a misunderstanding, perhaps a misapprehended jest, has been at the bottom of Mr Muir's grievance. Seeing, however, that Mr Muir

himself does not take this view, and that there is a possibility of the matter having a more serious aspect, the Council could hardly ignore the affair, though we are by no means sure that the best method of inquiry has been adopted. Moreover, we are of opinion that Mr Mnir made his disclosure, if disclosure it can be called, in an improper fashion. If he really believed that there had been a serious attempt to corrupt his integrity as a representative of the citigens, he ought not to have allowed a single day to elapse without letting the Council know what had occurred—privately if not publicly —and the excuses which he offered last night were quite inadequate. He knew that mowt important questions relating to the tramway project were to be decided a few hours after the time at which (as he alleges) the improper attempt to influence him was made; and he must also have known that an immediate disclosure would almost certainly cause the Council to delay a decision until the circumstances of the supposed scandal had been fully investigated. Yet he held his peace regarding this important matter throughout the prolonged discussion of Wednesday night and Thursday morning, albeit he kept possession of the floor for the space of an hour and a-half. Even if he did not overrate the perils incident to the disclosure of such knowledge as he thought himself to possess— -ami probably he did overrate them—still, in the circumstances, he ought to liave risked them, with a secure feeling that he would not be allowed to suffer unjustly in the cause of integrity and public spirit. We hold that he has committed a great blunder in this respect. Last night, without divulging anything further regarding the specific circumstances of the alleged malpractice, he made the additional statement that two other persons had been approached in the same improper fashion—thus emphasising the necessity of a thorough inquiry. As regards the method rf the inquiry, we think that Mr Muir had the best of the argument, and that a confidential committee of ex-mayors would have constituted a more suitable preliminary tribunal than a committee composed of the whole Council. We do not doubt that there will be perfect fairness of intention on the part of every member of the Council, but personal antipathies are apt to exercise an unconscious influence, and there is some reason to fear that the. Council may not prove a quite dispassionate court of review. Mr Muir lost his point, however, and we strongly advise him to bow to the decision and give the Council all the assistance in his power by making a full disclosure of all the circumstances. It .8 right that the inquiry should be of a private character, though the public will ultimately require specific knowledge both of the result and of the methods by which it was obtained. We have already ventured upon a conjecture as to the probable import and issue of the whole business. If, as we are inclined to think, the trouble has originated from a thoughtless and misapprehended jest, the incident will at least have the useful effect of showing that forbidden subjects cannot be broached, even by way of joke, without perilous possibilities. If, on the other hand, the affair proves to be of a more serious character, the City Council must not shrink from the performance of their duty, however inconvenient the consequences may be.