New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-04-30

Mayor Wood appeared in the Board Of Council
men last night, much to the surprise of members
not in the secret and succeeded in forcing through
measure to make the city pay for all the lawsuits
he has brought or may hereafter bring to contest
the laws enacted by the Legislature. 1t is no new
thing for Mr.. Wood to assume doubtful powers;
but when he attempts TO be Mayor, Corporation
Counsel Aldermen, COuncilmen, in fact, to seize
upon every department Of the Government the
case becomes one of serious aspect. The pres
emit affair is briefly this: Some time since,
in view of the alleged unconstitutionality of GER
tain laws the Councilmen voted after close con-
test, to empower the Corporation Counsel to EN-
ploy assistant counsel if he should deem it proper
to do So to assist him in conducting any legal pro-
ceedings to test their validity. Mr.. Busteed was
consulted in the matter, and it was agreed that FIVE
thousand dollars or so much thereof as might be
necessary, would be proper appropriation In the
meantime Mayor Wood had got an injunction in
his own name, as taxpayer, against the new
Police Commission. The COuncilmen's bill went
to the Board of Aldermen, where the appropriation
was raised TO ten thousand dollars. Coming back
to the other Board the Mayors fugleman, not hsv-
ing been instructed, opposed concurrence aud ad
the bill laid over. In the interim he received the
necessary light and last night, under the gttering
eye of the Mayor himself, took the back track and
forced the measure through, by vote of IS to 10.
Upon looking at the paper the reason for the extra
5000 is apparent The resolution as originally
adopted by the COuneilmen read thus:
Resolrcd That the sum of s. OOO or so much there
Co.. h. nj
same is hereby appropriated to pay the charges of
such additional counsel the Counsel to the Corpora
ton may proper to associate with himself for the
purpose aforesaid
The resolution as adopted by the Aldermen is
amended by making it $4,000 and by the following
additional words:
"And for the purpose of defrayng the expenses Of
any suit or suits which may have been commenced
or may hereafter be commenced by the Mayor to test
the validity constuonality Of any of the recent
acts of the Legislature referred to-.
This modest addition and the alteration to ten
thousand dollars are in the handwriting of Fernan-
do Wood; they were fathered in the Board of AL
dermen BY Mr.. McSpedon, late Corporation print
er; when tool was wanted in the other Board the
Mayor asked the services of q leading Democratic
member but Was refused. Another was found,
more seryiceable and the resolution was concurred
in as We have stated under the personal supervision
Of the Mayor.
We think the Corporation Counsel has right to
complain of this attempt on the part of the Mayor
to usurp the functions Of his Office. But it ia not
however. so much desire to NEEDLE with a CO.
ordinate department as to make the people pay for
all the legal follies in which Mr. Wood may see fit
to indulge The first injunction having been de-
cided against him, this FIVE thousand dollars will
come-f the Controller sees fit to pay it-just in
time to settle the counsel fees already incurred not
by the Mayor of New-York but by the individual
Fernando Wood