New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-09-23
THE BUSINESS OF STREETCLEANING.

To Tan Payers:
BY Section rs of the new City Charter, which took
effect May 1857 il is expressly provided, that n all
cases where any work &c. is to be done for the Cor
yoraton involving the expenditure OF money over and
above $780, the same shall be done 6y contract, unless
tbe Common Council by vote Of three-fourhs of the
members elected to each Board shall otherwise order
The appropriate heads Of department shall advertise
for proposals in such of the city papers as are selected
published ten days the opening bids to be done
by the officer advertising which opening shall be done
publicly and in the presence Of the Controller. Said
contract shall be made and entered into by the appro-
pirate head of department. who shall give the con-
tract 10 the lowest bidder. The adequacy aud sufi-
cheney of the security shall be appro0ed and aakaoo
edged by the Controller.
New TO ordinary minds nothing can be more plain.
But have the provisions Of this clause Of the Charter
been complied with by the head of the Street Depart
ment George w. Morton, City Inspector, since the
new Charter took effect
Has he advertised for proposals 10 clean the streets
by contract in any Of the city papers The answer is
No. But why Is it because the Common Council
by vote Of threefOurths of the members elected to
each Board have otherwise ordered The answer is
No; and, strange as 1t may appear, CItylnspector
Norton in direct rotation Of the City Charter, has
taken upon himself to clean the streets 10 10 Wards
for the past three months, not 6y contract and there
fore, appropriation has been made by the Common
Council TO pay for the wOrk-that body having sppro
praed s2400 600 for the year 1857 for the purpose OF
cleaning the streets, but only on conditions, that they
be cleaned by contract and therefore: no contract no
TO pay for the work II cannot be drawn from the
City Treasury legally. And so long as his Honor the
Mayor and Controller true TO the trust reposed in
them by the taxpayers of the city neither OF them
will sign warrants for tho payment OF work Mepdy
done and for which no appropriation has been made
And certain It e, that neither the the other
can be compelled by writ OF nlandamrs to perform an
illegal act But if George w. Morton City Inspector,
takes upon himself TO riolate tie CITY Charter and
perform services for the Corporation, when no appro-
pra.On of money has been made to psy for the work,
well and good; the men perhaps under his employ In
cleaning the streets willing to take City Inspector
Morton for their pay.
In view of this state Of things his Honor the Msy0r
addressed communication to the Common Council,
about the I'd of August last past calling the especial
attention of that body TO the subject OF street ceanng
and elso TO the fact that over 100000 had been
pretending TO clean the Streets and in direct violation
Of law, without contract when responsible parties
offered to clean the entire city by contract for sum
less than 100000 In reply TO this communication OF
the Mayer 70 the Common Council, City-InspecIor
Morton gave notice that be would give facts and
figures.
Accordingly be came out with lengthy statement
in The Ner- York Times but by 10 means did he at
tempt to Justify the taking upon himself 10 clean the
streets in thirteen Wards of the city, on the ground
that the Common Council by vote Of three-iolrths
of the members elected to each Board had ordered
of the hind s offered and if such had been the case,
he would have fully answered the Mayors communi.
cation 10 the Common Council.
II is but fair and Justice demands, that those who
perform the labor of street cleaning should be fully
appraised of the fact that the work is done az the
quest OF George w. Morton, City Inspector, aud not
by the authority of the Corporation, atd therefore the
Corporation ia not responsible and cannot by auy pro-
cess 81 law be compelled TO pay for the work.
ONE WHO KNOWS, AND AFRIEND TO JUSTICE