New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-05-31

-, ~ Canal Investigationsl throw thai in my face
EPo ,h.re i proof 81 corrupt confedsracy" Is tina,
sfo ~ ,Ssbe In Committee Of the Assembly, Why
ececiy what have done worthy OF accusation, and it,
~ taking proof they choose 20 rely on book of
pss,ee collected by another Committee why not give
sere.ers nee by which the proof could be found How
=. a. accusation be mt with M specification of ofense
,erence to proof But the port of thu Committee
.xlah they refer for proof before submitted to bDh
s.neht Of forme, Lfgi laure, aud is poor cOmp-
10 ay that such proof II il existed then escaped no
- ar that II discovered would not have been prose
-~,sd for impeas hment AZ that time
~ reply TO the fourth aud fifth individual specifications
,sbe,n Substantially sered ny the preceding remarks
Sserse Of the action OF the Can aud L@ttiag Board
h reply 10 the sixth specification have 70 state that
M Aador prese ted bis notification of satisfaction with
a. accounts Of the Supernendents the Canal Board du
ing my temporary Sb>cuce upon the Canal and that the
ffsi Information received the subject through the
psbIcson ofhis communication in the newspapers had
rreyou, to thi carefully examined the expenditures made
~ he Supcrntendenis and also the necessity for making
ep hoth the line Of the Cana and ia my office aud
believing them TO necessary tor the maintenance Of nav
enhOn snd the public interests, had so certiisd
Under these Circumstances | should have been Justly
cbageable with dfecton Of duty if had removed these
ectrs upon the general and vague esarges Of thu Auditor
unsupported 10y any evidence Of wasteful improvdent
expenditure Of fraud made by disappointed competitors
for Office, public rnmor and communicated by vindct
I'VE officer who wits the Canals and therefore
form reliable opinion in regard to the necessity for szcb
sxpend lures.
may also remark that at the time was first informed
Of the dissatisfaction Of the Auditor the Superin
teDdehts under trial before the Canal Board upon
these same charges aud though certainly had the power
of removing tn it very question able whether it
should have been exercised at that time even had
satisfied That the charges were well founded.
The result of the M however settled the matter 70 the
saiirfsciiO of every number Of the Caoal Beard
cep. those who from political considerations would have
preferred to have had the Superinendeuts removed.
In reply to the seventh specification have to state
that the COMMITTEE in error both in their
The of the cooking at West Troy and regard TO the
authority conferred me by the Canal Board in relation
By the resolutions Of the Canal Board was directed to
construct dock betwee Ecertain points on the Canal
certain plans which the several resolutions specified and
which were changed in each Of the resolutions
proved before the Canal Board that the Auditor
,ed 20 enter of these resolutions upon the minutes
If the Board, and the resolution of the 18th Of April
passed by the Board to rafy the omission of duty his
Pz .ua;,,,r. on ,,o vo-, ,..,;ou, 60 ,h, data ..,
therefore strictly in accordance with the directions of the
Canal Board
ouen place less than $4,000 and it was therefore e
eay within the power of the Canal Board to authorize the
elimination of the vast business which the dock now
accommodates and the increased trade which has accrued
4 sone ius ifcatcn Of the expenditure
In reply the eighth specification will state that the
,ano bar which removed from the foot Of the lock al
West Troy, in the Hudson RIVER wholly oostructed the
navigation Of this portion of the Canal, and would have
rendered works which have cost the State quarter of
millions of dollars useless and seriously interrupted all the
business which is to the Erie and ChaDplan Canals
from the City OF Troy
tits however sufficient reply to the allegations of the
Committee that it is clear that the Hudson River is
sna of the Erie Canal" to state that the maps of the
se Canals on file in the Auditors office show that this
potion the Hudson River is declared by law to be
portion Of the Erie Canal and consequently that was i'm
rtraye Me Commissioner t. perform the work in que
Top IS il it was any other portion of the naYgable Canals
ef The State
The Albany Basin is declared by law TO be part of the
Erie Canal and placed under the charge OF the Canal
Commissioners who required to keep it in navigable
condition in the same manner as other portions OF the pub
lcwdks.
The Committee have not specified their objections to this
expenditure and would beg leave respectfully to refer to
page Sc d this conn uncaOn and to the annual report
oi;ke Canal Coumiss toner's pages " to 49, Tor mere
ful reply to the objections made to ms expenditures ana
also observe that bill has been introduced IN the As
sembly by Hon Mr.. Forsyth, for the payment OF the
expenses already incurred and for The completion OF the
work which assumes the ssme ground that have taken
upon the subject
la reply To- the tenth specification have to state that
during the whole period OF timo since have entered
upon the duties OF my Office have been constant IN my
attention him. and have not during the two years and
half been absent to the extent OF thirty days the az
gregate 80 .ou.o
Of duty visited many portions OF the Canals under my
charge much oeDcr than the statute quoted by the Com
miitee requires have also visited those sections OF the
Canal red to by the COMMITTEE on many occ9sons
when the witnesses called before the Committee tine Su
nts were not and in cases could not be
resot and 10 these facts two the Superintendent tes
ifed before the Select COMMITTEES but most of their testl
mony up this point for some unexplained reason was
excluded by the Commtt'e have also repeatedly gwen
FEELING my.c censur,ble for this alleged neglect of duty
feel conscious that the result of u inquiry will e'ab
fish fact that have devoted much time thought and
energy to the important interests confded to any
one of my associates or predecessors
In reply to the eleventh specification. have to state
that have believed that the interests of the state would
be best promoted by requiring the Engineers to attend
before the Canal Appraisers whenever other duties pre-
vented from appearing before them except In those
cases when the Canal Appraisers themselves agents of the
State and thoroughly conversant with the mtters before
h m should dee the presence of myself or agent or
counsel unnecessary.
The expense of such agencies counsel would large,
and is in many cases. represented by the appraisers
wholly UNI ecessary.
Tn the particular cited by the committee there was
no Authority Of law fOr me to act TO employ counsel
being under special act.
/ have thus endesvorcd to analyze and arrange the
various charges which the committee have made directly
against me- or against some Boardsof which was a
ber aud have also very briefly replied to their several
Specifications.
The +, msnder of Mr. Mathers Communication is devot
ed to review Of the course persued by the Committee Sc
THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION.
Masonic Farewell 10 Or. hane-Addresses on the DC.