The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-03-03

acu0n n1eo ING price ~ wnlch Mr.. Quin c0uio
take his grars 1t sevcnty-Ave dollars per foot,
or nearly forf times much a. he, Quin, expected
TO pay for It. communicated this to Mr. Quin, who
at once expressed his SURPRISE and his utter inability
70 rae the amount necessary, and 1t was clearly IN.
derAcod by him that he would have to pay about
t~enty five per cent of the amount, and that the
balance could and would be permitted TO remain on
bond and mortgage on the property; me- however,
sad that new that he knew what ne had 10 40, ne
would try and find some means OF taking out the
grant, and thus left my office; and did not see him
again for some ten days, when he again called, ana
raid that he had tried all means IN nus power put
was unable to succeed in procuring money, ana tnat
he must sell his pre- emptve right, unless couio, oy
taking the grant in my own name, or In some other
manner, raise the money for him. told MIN AZ
once that could not enter into such specuiatlons;
was a lawyer. and had 10 facilities for nsing money
for such matters; but advised him strongly and fire.
quenty to hold on to his right II he could; that by
paying for his grant, building the bukhead in front
of it, filling it in, thus making the land and
building one half Of Hammond street which he
would have to do he would, in my opinion, in a
very few years. find it very valuable and, in fact,
little fortune, and above all cost and expense;
that all he would have to pay down would
be two or three thousand dollars, (and this suppose
is the grain Of foundation for the statement that
would require 81 600 for the purpose) He said
that he could not raise the money at all and that he
could never, by himself carry through the Interior
expenses Of the filling in the space, building the
bulkhead, &c, &c.-the requisite process to bring
the property into Market his upland, or lot, at the
corner Of Hammond and West streets being already
mortgaged to its value, and he was very anxious
lest he should be unable to save even that and beg
ged me to find him purchaser for his preemptive
right, which he was willing TO sell for much less
than twas finally sold for, and very earnestly desired
me to buy it; and could easily have done SO, at
very low price, but refused, for the reason which
forbids lawyer to speculate out of his client,
though it afforded rue the easy opportunity OF q
very handsome speculation, rs, after the bukhead il
built the space filed in, Hammond street made and
al - x6a1a NT
which, including the grant, would not have exceed
ed in all probability, $2S 900, there would have been
space Of seventy-six feet by 400 feet, or about
eighteen or nineteen lots of twenty-five feet by
seventy six, fronting on Hammond street. which,
unless there should occur very serious revusion in
the value Of real estate would be worth in that To-
cality for business purposes and that too in two or
three years. at least 81 500 or So 900 per lot besides
which seventy-six feet OF b1lkhead, worth, think
$4,000 per year. But was not in situation to take
upon myself such speculations, and particularly with
the property OF my own cientwhich, for this busl.
ness, | regarded Mr.. Quin TO be; my capacity OF
ON alderman gave me other relation to the subject
than that of any other lawyer in town to client;
but the capacity as lawyer was enough to
make me unwilling to profit directly or indirectly,
from transaction with client, and absolutely
declined 10 purchase; but, to oblge and serve him,
endeavored to find him a purchaser for his pre-
emptive right and did find one as l supposed, in the
person Of Mr. Martin, the President of the Ocean
Bank, gentleman familiar with that description Of
property, who upon my examination and satisfaction
with the title, was to give Mr.. Quin ten thousand
dollars for it, And he, Mr. Martin, had several
interviews with him on the subject, but from want OF
time to attend to the necessary improvement, he, Mr.
Martin, finally changed his mind, and declined the
purchase Mr.. Quin was again sadly disappointed,
and begged me to continue my exertlons TO md
another purchaser and made to me large offers for SO
doing. did continue and found another gentleman
in Mr.. F. Grifens, who, after some negotiation, did
actually pay him ten thousand dollars in money for
his preemptive right, and then took the grant from
the Commissioners OF the Sinking Fund, and paid
upon it. Mr. Quin received his money, and went
Oft delighted and, apparently very grateful for the
services had rendered him, and said that he would
be in town again in few days, and that he would
call and pay Mr.. Devlin and myself handsome
counsel fee, he having engaged with Mr.. Devlin to
pay us $500. And this is the whole transaction.
Mr.. Quin has never yet called to pay the promised
fee. 1t is true, have never asked him for it. though
leave it to any lawyer to say what am entitled to-
His business ran pretty much through the months Of
November and December; how many times, andlong,
he worried at my Office cannot pretend to soy.
took great deal Of trouble for him out Of sheer
kindness and sympathy, and out OF regard to my
friend Devlin, who introduced him, gave him the
best advice, and did the best possible for him. And
for all this professional trouble and service (my
pacity as Alderman had no more to do with the case
than my capacity as director or associate In any
other corporaton) / have never received the first
cent. Whether the old man has been entrapped
into statements made behind my back, which he
never meant make. IN sense given 10 tnem, OF
whether he has thought that he had paid me 80 lbe
rally in thanks at the time, that he can now afford
in conscience to work out of his just debt of pro-
fessional fee by going before the Grand Jury, and
transaction, do not pretesd TO judge I presume
the former to have been the case.
For the correctness of all the above statement, in
all the parts of it, referring to them respectively,
appeal to Mr. Devlin, Mr. Taylor the late Comptrol-
Ter, Mr.. Martin, and Mr.. Griffen. And l also call
upon Mr. Recorder Tillou to prosecute the most
searching investigation into the whole transaction,
and into any other In which malevolence may pre-
tend to connect my name with any suggestion Of Off
cial professional or personal dishonor. A dead set
is made on me by rich and powerful influence,
which is now moving heaven and earth, (but through
means appropriate to neither) to prevent the con-
summation Of that great aad valuable popular mea-
sure, q railroad in Broadway. Having been for many
years avowed friend to city railroads, and having
done honest duty to best convictions, in taking
prominent but perfectly disinterested part In the
object Of many shafts-and many poisonous ones.
Some persons probably delude themselves into be-
eving their calumnies, evil naured suspicious
others labor to break me down on system as means
to an end. But defy them, and declare, in spite
Of all these calumnies which are made to poison
the atmosphere, that my hands and my conscience
are free from stain, In reference to any official
transaction Of my life, whether member of the
Common Council or in any other capacity, as could
wish them to be. II any man believes to the con-
tray let him call the attention Of the Recorder
or the next Grand Jury to it; let him go forward
himself point out witnesses and suggest inquiries.
will hold no man to any Interior responsibility for
anything he may do in an honest and manly way,
with view to such an investigation. Bat let any
man now come forward before either the Recorder
or the Grand Jury, with any charge against the in
tegrity Of any official act vote Of mine, and will
thank him for the opportunity Of investigation, and
will facilitate by all means II my power and will re-
spobd freely TO any examination addressed to my
self.
The Office of Alderman is thankless one enough
II consumes great deal Of time. makes its incum-
bent the object Of thousand attacks from parties
disappointed dspleased by any official act, and he
thus becomes the object Of the most odious suspicious
and caumnies. To me It has afforded no other be-
net than occasional friend and client indirectly
brought into professional acquaintance with me,
though this is the first instance In which disnterested
service in a purely professional capacity, kindly
rendered, and at the time thankfully acknowledged
has been thus repaid.
In conclusion, ask the just and candid reader TO
contrast the facts of this with the abominable
peryereiop contained in the nara 0ranh in the nre-