New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-04-19

nosacement that Gen. ScorI had been tmpedched-
The Philadelphia papers give the dispatch quite
Different reading. They state that Gen. SCOTT
had inpeached the testimony Of Capt Buns Capt
X. |. viii be remembered claims the authorship OF
the celebrated Leonidas letter.
The New State Arsenal-A Chapter In Loco
Feco Finance.
On the restoration OF the Loco oco dynasty TO
power in this State, in consequence OF the treach-
cry Of John Tyler, Col Henry Storms Of this City
was appointed Commissioner General Of the State
and on the 9Th Of May 1874, he was empowered
10 construct q new State Arsenal, the old one
being pronounced dilapidated and unsuitable
BY the act authorizing the new Arsenal, the Ioca
ton and plan were to be agreed upon by the Com
msssry Generl and the Commissioners Of the
Land Office while the funds were to be PROVIDED
BY the sale Of certain State lands on staten hlano
70 the Federal Government, and some othef pro
perty no longer needed by the State Tor Military
PURPOSES The act expressly forbade the com
rosocement or authorz alton Of any building ~hleh
could cost more than the sums accr'ang from the
sale of said property-directed that no work should
DO commenced or expenditure authorized until the
proved the plans, estimates &c. while the Control
Ter was specially charged to take care that no ad-
vance should be made TO the Commisssry unie"
upon precise estimates AID contracts, while no
second advance should be made to the Commits
sAry until the Jdrst should have been fully ex'
pended and accounted for. &c DC. The Controller
was charged generally with the duty OF taking
care that the cost OF the work did not exceed the
means expressly provided for its accomplishment.
short, we do not see how the intent and deter
minstion Of the Legislature could have been more
clearly expressed. or how better safeguards could
have been provided against prodigality and Pecu-
Iatiop. except by changing the State Officers
La April, ls47, the State property in question on
Staten Island was sold for t37 pa 81, and the
proceeds paid into the State Treasury. The act
provided that any moneys accruing to the State
from sales of needless Military property, by the
Commissary, 10 an extsn not srcading $1,000,
might BIO applied TO the same object. 30 1t was
settled and known at the outset that the utmost
sum that could be applied to this work was s4l,-
Asa s7 aud the Commissary and bis associates
were allowed 10 build where and what they
should see it, bat it must be completed at cost not
70 exceed this sum On this point the law was
imperative
Feb. Q, ls47, the Commissary recommended a
site for the Arsenal on Sixty fourth ct. between
Fifth and Sixth Avenues near Hamilton Square
Which about the center Of the island, on elevated
around com the entire City, and the North and
East Rivsrs The State, (ssys Gen SIorms) owns ten
serss In the Immediate vicinity Of the square Tbs ton
session. match sbsndans good blue 'font can De
sssrr<d fer < snf,rs soTk Of brud,nf and eneio'ut n.
Of men<y sspr ,,n complete the uok otherwise 1t
doabtfu have caused quarry to DO opened, 70 sn
smiss tho quality Of the stone and II pronounced oJ
food Judges TO be sufficient and suitable for the pur:
pose marble much appropriate and H" sspe''e'
This location appears by the records OF the Com
nissoners Of the L and Office TO have been Official
ly approved by them nearly ttco months before
ras recommended, or on the 2sth OF December
1916. However that may be, 1t would seem TO
have been approved by the then Controller secre-
tary Of State, Surveyor General and Attorney Gen
eral composing the Commissioners of the Land Or
fee. Ia his Annual Report, Feb. ls47, Gen.
Storms again assured the Legislature that the Ar
senal he contemplated could be built the location
he had chosen paying nothing for the ground at
an expense scxhia the amount receivable from the
United States, oonformable To law"
On the 18th Of May ls47, ne commenced tho work
bat there 10 no record Of any approval Of his plans
and estimates by the Commissioners, such as the
law expressly required, until December 3Oth last
one day before the Loco Foco State officers were
10 give place to their Wing successors. They then
held meeting. resolved post morton approval OF
Gen Storms operations-or, more strictly, resolved
that they had approved the whole on the 2sth of the
prscediag December, but that somehow no record
bad been made Of it, So the thing was salved over,
after fashion
Gen. Storms set to work, making brick sewer,
stone drain, rock excavation, leveling and filing,
&c for IL now appeared that his chosen site covered
q natural water. course, and a choice variety of
rugged rock and swampy low ground.
On or about the cath Of February last, Gen.
storms's valuable services were dispensed with by
tho State. when IL appeared that he had expended
avowedly the building Of this Arsenal the sum
OF s3t753 IL, Of which $4,3o7 had been paid out on
contracts and the balance without contracts being
within o. 500 Of the whole sum received for the
Staten Island property, and that he had not yet
completed the fossdation on Which the Arsenal Is TO
BE- erected The new Wing Commissioners report
that Of the total expenditure by Gen Storms no
less than sls 500 was wkoiy unauthorized BY lac.
Inc pay sboW tnat oNef SAV,'VV ha'o pcch
paid to carpenters and stone cutters at thir
teen aud fourteen shillings per day, and over
$4,000 to day abcrers at 81 per day. for which the
only receipt is their without witness they Of
course wholly ignorant Of the amounts they thus
rsceipsed y and instead of the usual afidavits.
the correctness Of these accounts il vouched a.
follows;
- hereby Arrixx, that the above pay roll, with the
cmbs Of days labor entered thereon with receipts tor
peg e the ssns 10 In all respects nss and true according
70 The bsa Of NV kaeaiedss snd bs!i.f
"kICHAlL VAN DER HOFF.
ICouscIl HExRs SroRAs, Principal Superintendent"
Among the accounts thus vooched and settled,
arc such items a. these;
EaSiaserins site OF building p
Surveying ten acre lot ~ ~
Services IN commissary Generals Ofiee AZ -
Writing contracts tor do...<...-............. 80 %
FtAns OF Ansehs Sp w
AmerieA an F.as 80, sundriss, tzS.......... Is W
Cgofon Wdcr..ss.. lT2 -
We have neither room nor patience to proceed
with this EXPOSE though the half has not yet been
told. How q man possessing the reputation Of
A. rl..o 40 nnth,p, Of hi. ssso.,sta Com