New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-10-11
PUBLIC MEETINGS.
BOARD OF AIDFPNFS

|
Re,,o,ntion-By AID lFArI to rescind the resolution
o. Aid 'oorbs wednesday night restraining tn Controller
ron further ia the purchase # 10, in Hldon'
The Eighd arenre Railroad.-Ald TccxER moved
h resolution tbs, the subject Of the extension q the rails
fseithih street be ak from the Committee they
be cs' neglected to report and were apparently afraid TO
AID DSAkE said the Committee had meeting hi. afternoon,
snd tht worf va. Togresns owns to .ewe e ayal Of
wa. lsid on the table
Tho Roosereh street Fsrry.-Ald. HERRIcx moved
AID Fox s.t.d time 10 make MS minoTt, epor, on tAe sub
before giving him chance consider fully .ni
| hoped the paper would be referred back.
that he would report on Mond.y N'-1 AMI -
| The following communication, showing up corrup-
ton received from the Controller and referred Com.
mittee:
CORRUPT PRACTICES IN THE STREET DEPARrxESr.
DEPAkTnIsT or FINANCE CoSraoLLtss orIIcE.
NEw-YORE. OcobeE g. l25i
! t. me Common Council:
! Complaints have been made to this Department
during the preceding twelve months in regard 10 the
manner Of fencing vacant lots, and the extravagant
assessments on propertyholders for the work done
! Common Council and have been handed over TO the
Bureau for the Collection Of Assessments. The notice
sent out by this Bureau, for the payment OF most
eatravagant charge, is the hrst notice gwen TO the
property holder is stated by the comp INFANTS in
regard 10 the performance of work which to entail
heavy lien on his lots without afording any useial,
necessary or valuable consideration to the owner OF
! the land or the public
! Some Of the applicants for redress against these
grievances have applied to the Controller, and he has
suggested them to memoralize the Common Council
the spbt and he has promised them the cooperi
ton Of the Finance Department, az far a. 1t has any
legal power tt secure justice to the property
The first case to which the Controller desires to cal
the attention of the Common Council u that of the
heirs Of the estate Of Isaac Bur- and for whom James
IT. Titus esq is agent The vacant lots referred to
are in the Nineteenth Ward between the Fourth and
Fifth avenues and Foiieth and Fory-fourth streets
In November, 1854, ordinance was passed in very
general terms for fencing these and other lots where
necessary In regard TO this ordinance and the
operations under it, Mr Titus in bis memorial to the
Common Council says
That notice of such ordinance served the
said land. though they have ben sctua residents
and hi. city for many years and are
Corporation Of the city t' public Offices. any such
dnance from the Collector Of toe
said lands had been charged in the with the Of
slia 6 for fencing portion Of said vacant lots unie sara OF
be made into the proceedings for the said asscsments aud
dgcn inquiry has understood that different
individual contractor fencing and ncos
different parcels Of said lands at sums 'evera IN
And your nemorst further shows that after careful
conscts or records copies Of them smons paper. pub
se, % the I a Re- eer eq SsS
such o,dnsn1e OF that any competition ws' nsea iD
further shows all the work under said ordnance
done the said lands could have been done more eeoou
cay and eNpedouy under contract than under null
tipicity Of subdy visions.
And that he know. of no reacon subdivisions. une-' to
svoid the necessity COR advertising FOR bids he il Informed
that for work required TO be given wnen
job amounts TO lees than = 30
And he further shows that the work done under ad con
tracts imperfect with inferior materials
That's considerable portion OF the fence required 20 De Ie
that the side of Foryt street fence was
erected without side fences and ncose nothing I
exOronate The number OF running feet fenced was
$50 the ..cs.meni for which is +7S g. while your memo
better 2ei feet for the of 7s9 80 materials and
work being included in both cases"
John NJ. Bixby, esq, is the owner Of lot on the
northeast Ct Fifth avenue and Foreth street
This lot is included in the assessment with the
lots belonging to the estate of Isaac Burr Mr. Blxby
is charged 800 l6 for l07 feet of hemlo,k fence Mr..
Bxby will present memorial t. the Common Council,
and both he and Mr. Titus resolved not to pay the
assessment until they have exhausted every legal rem
edy for redress.
On examining the asscssmcn. .o for fencing the lots
referred to in the memorials of Messrs. Titus and
Bxby find appended to the roll twelve ccrthc1tes,
all dated November To- $780, certifying TO twelve sep,
arae contracts for various sums under $5O as stated
in subsequent part Of this report but all made win
John NJ Clare. And yet these twelve contracts are
under ordinance, and are covered by one assess
ment, for the aggregate sum of - 2Jl Us.
The above sum is cut up into twelve separate JOBS,
and the Assessors furnished With vclve
certifying that twelve contracts had been awarded ana
given 10 John NJ Clane. The contracts referred 10 IN
these twelve certificates could not be fouId by Mr.
Titus and the Finance Department has searched tor
them in vain 1t is probable that the twelve contracts
Furey and John NJ Clanc.
AZ TO the terms of these contracts recor found
the result however, is shown IN the memorial ot MI.
! Titus, which shows that the Street Department
awarded 10 John McClare at the rate of 81 81 for
fence, which Mr.. Titus has had Just put up for %
cents per foot. 1900. 90,
The ordinance under which expense Of s3,2jl 63
has been made lien on the unproductve and heavily
taxed property of the females who are the heirs OF me
Bur estate contemplates the construction OF Va feet
of fence between Thirty ninth and Forty INST streets
and the Fourth and Fifth avenues " nhere recfssdTy'
We have no evidence that any portion OF tniS fence
Was necessary. Most of It. as stated by Mr. Titus WAS
a long line with the whole block open beyond II, IN
fact fencing in nothing and fencing out nothing. In
some cases where John McClane has claim confirmed
by the Common Council for four times its real value
trst-cas. houses are now going up, anu no reuiuih'
Of the costly fence erected in 1850 to be seen on
the lot and exists only as lien on It IN the roll oil tue
Asseesors in the Street Department.
ANY fair minded pc rson, who examines the copy OF
the ordinance In conn acOn with the 18th section OF
the Charter of 1853 will see that was the Imperative
duty of the StrC CT Commits Toner IN executing the orql-
nance 10 embrace the whole a notics for cealed bids
! II this had been done contract could have been
made with responsible persons for putting Up the renee
at 80 per foot AZ this rate Az feet would have
cost s2o TO- instead of s3, psi G3 showing difference
in favor of the propeIty-hoders equal 10 s?o-o 3D.
This statement also shows that the vore recipient OF
lively, iobs under $50 must il his claims are paid,
realize clear profit Of about Oper cent.
/ IL does not appear however, from the examinations
made lat the claims for the twelve jobs have been
] paid, although they have all been embodied by the
Assesscrs in assessment, and confirmed by the
Common Council, at ,?5l is; and some portion OF
this claim has been assigned 10 the NeS-lork County
Bank, on some of the separate certificates gwen Dy
/ tie Street COmmlssio
The authentic facts presented TO the Controller in the
uenoraIs of MessIs Titus and Bxby have Induced hun
TO have thorough examination made III regard TO al
/ 4 a Io.,. tbe lat