New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-08-08
CORPORATION ATTORNE Y-PROPOSITTON
TO STOP HIS FEES.

rcfpT:
Tia; they have fct called upon to look back into tho
history Of the ooe Of Cooperation Attorney, ami ascertain
bow ard under what pgic the salary al tis ocrr the
head Of bureau has been raised 20 the tOc dabe
sum ri five tlous md dollars per year.
Or the 18th day Of February, l5i', an ordnanca was
ps,sf IL relation 20 this office, which may be foani 10 the
iiih volume Of tie preceding OF The Board Of Aldermen
aIt Assistants. at page 2lI
This ordnance recognized the Office aue~ as It had lcng
before existed and It's duties Lad been discharged with
out salary least for the greater portion OF the time, the
rcumbC,s of tie ucc having relied uPon the fees aud
rnoumeus in suits brought by them TO c'mPen te Thea
for Their services The duties of the Office were then Tor
rr,rv wears fsi,hfnily discharged without salary.
Tic ordnance of la lIcd the salary NJ $4,000 year
in lieu of All fees oter charges against The Corporal on
or against any other person persons on any complaint
for ury violation OF any oEDotceu the Common Council
In LIS, ordnance was passed which may be todnd
IN the proceedings OF beth Boards vol IL. page ~ pro-
vdrZ II It the Attorney for the Corporation. IN addition 10
his trnsaary OF 600, should receive salary OF $1,000
uc wear fer acting and performing tac law business
al the Alshouse Department and for the prosecu OF
such PEI Ges Other demands might by law be Civ
n 70 or conferred uIon the Commissioner OF the ms
house or the Oversees OF the Poor of the CITY Of New
YoIl ar i rot little remarkable tia this salary va,
made retrospect to and take effect from the 9Th day OF
May, 1877 sthonsL the ordinance wa passed on the Jth
of November, l-ie.
This extraordinary proceeding be accounted for
only tie suggestion that political avodte OF the
pG in power al the date of the ordinance held the office
Of Corporation Attorney.
not generally sought by gentlemen whose professional
rank commands Lucrative practice receiving the iOrmm
able thousand dollars being the very
highest salary peid Of the City Treasury, and eN
Ceedug by fifteen hundred dollars the salary then paid 10
the Judges of the Superior Court besides the emoimcns
arising from cosis against adScares IN suits where ne
succeeds
Thus the matter rpsincd until the Departments wero
csd in ls.s aud the ordnonces wert passed to organ
ze then The office Of Corporation Attorney was then
made bureau in the Law Department, ami the duties ct
the flee ore not under the latter ordinances a. large as
ibey W. fc uI0tr the ordinances Of 1912.
Tie A,msIloue was, by the Amended Charter OF lsl,
made dopatm, nt by she 2Oh section of the orii
organize the departments 1t Is made the duty ct
the Coue the Corporation 10 prosecute and defend all
actions which may be brought by against any OF the
Heads Of tie Departments bureau or any Office there
of by OF any matter or duty connected with
or GROW thcr respective Offices, except where
penalty ri, the COrpOreon or 70 the overseers OF
ihe Poor To the hlnsliouse Department and except
,dncs before rsccs or upon appeal ia relation to
basagoy ard the prosecution OF basta-dy and aban
donIuelt bunGr.
lie Cutits included in the above exception were by the
= 9 sect or The said ordinances given continued c
the {, rpolt ton Attorney.
Thee duc. thus excepted duties of the
sol leave tc Corporation Attorney the attorney
ior the Ain House to au extent a. lac wa under
The ordnance Of l-i- which gave him the addition o.
- eco BE- aase of the AmsIou- dutit- imposed upon
h.ui hy the latter ordnance
The nth section of the ordinance of s9mposed upon
dc Cooperation Attorney only such portions OF the Ans-
iouse dutes source Of enoument to him, VIZ:
TIC Of actiens where penalty gwen to the
Oye!seers of the Poor Ia the Aims House Department
and with the conducting of proceedings before Justices or
upon appeal IN relation to baHrdy cases ana the prose-
many cf he NJ least-nust be of very consd
erulo gain 10 the Corporation Attorney, under the iist
sction OF the Department Ordinances which provides III
addition his salary the Corporation Attorney shall be
entitled receive from adverse parties the taxable costs
in all actens in which he may recover Judgments against
IT.. NJ. The reepoaslble Aims House dutes-such
As the bringing and defending all actions brought against
this Department, any OH thereof and giving co1u'
eel advice 10 iwere thrown upon the Corporation
Counsel and Yet. although only such portions of the
Aims ouse duties which form Che preiense for raising
the salary Of the Attorney he must have been willing
ard retain from considerations OF proh were
CONTINUED to him by The ordnance OF $40 yet tue ormd
able salary Of g. 900 remains together with all costs
and allow actions in which he may recover judy
ment.
So much for the history Of the office.
In recerd 20 duties the Committee, after careful IN
vesgston we'll satisfied that they are no moro bur
en.Oe aud require outlay OF physical or nes-
te Effort than those Of other heads OF departments or bu
rtaus.
Almost the entire labor i. performed by two clerks,
whose salars are paid by the City, whlo tie chef Of
cer has onple for 0on 10 private interests so
that the Committee believe thar heretofore the Office has
been looked upon mere sinecure With which to re-
nd party favorite. This will be the apparent
VIXEN considered TINT the salaries OF the Mayor tho
Controller, and the Judges OF our highest courts do
not exceed a. 500. No will prcoad to Say that the
duties Of the Corporation Attorney who Is subordinate
officer 10 the Counsel Of the Corporation, compare in
importance with those Of the Offices just FAMED
Ire Committee, in the ordinance proposed AZ tue closo
Of this report have named a which they believe
ample REMUNERATION FOR the lsbors and responsibilities Of
the Office.
twill b. perceived that the Committee also propose
disro1tuusnce Of all fees and arising from suits in
Courts of record either account Of violations of Cay
ordnance account Of suits commenced in behalf
Of the Aims House Department The extraordinary abuse
of this ci-crsonary power By the predecessors Of the
present ncun bent and the dangers Of repetition IN The
future deemed a sufficient reason for the proposed
change Uudtr the preren law, tho Corporation Attorneys
Of last eas inflicted greyous burdens spon innocent
ciizcs end have resled large private gaus without any
benefit the CITY. The course Of proceeding hiss been
thus: For violating ordinance where the Peapafy il
g. instead prosecuting the citizen in Justice Court,
The attorney would add together ten violations, often
without warning 20 the thoughiess offender amounting
70 $50 ard then prosecute the Court of Common Pleas
when the asfunrhed citizen would 81 hasten 10 the
attorneys Office pay the sl2 fec ahd get the case dii
misst-thls fee g'ns INTO ne private pocket oil me
attorney and not into the City Treasury rs the only
object is 10 secure fee il wonder that INSTANCES are
rare where -uh have been prosecuted 20 compile
ten The books kept by the predecessor OF The present
inc VI bent will chow that nearly all marked - ds
mss,d. To- show the OF this abuse Il Prerogs
tive designed for worthy purposes. tie Committee
would state that in the month OF July les the amount
received from this alone LOB So and IN the
month OF August Iss3, the sum Of a., 30.
- palpabe this outrage the COMMUNITY, under
cover Of law that Mr. Hsskns the present bent
IVES no sooner m tailed in HE position than ne az
orce abolished he practice and dzssed su6-ofhcers
who had been parties 10 the TRANSACTIONS M haskhs
receipts from since - took possession Of the Off
have been only sJJ4 CO. and this su7 has accrued mostly
frcm suits commenced BY his Pre- -seesso under the tu
| syfi'u.
The Committee do no, pre.esa but tbs, there msy be
Gaersn; when il would se proper 30 prosecrA IN
Courts Of Record but they believe nevertheless, ;hat
where the Attorney does no, expect fee greater Gstce
Will be dcre to all ers concerned 70 well satisfied IS
the present Attorney that ,As existing laws allowing him
fees subect gree; abuse that he cordially unies
with Con it:ee in their decision that the entire fees
Of the oe -houd 90 the City Treasury and that the
Attorney should rely sloEe on his salary iof c'mpersA
| ton.
The Committee are happy bes testimony n the polite
and candid amer in which Mr. HGski hss assisted theI
| investis siions into the Affairs OF The Office