New-York daily tribune., 1857-10-26
ALLEGED STARTLING DISCLOSURES.
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70 as rdasv 4 TAs n " fSis~~s
SIR; The morning pspe,s Of the I'D iss- scs.si>
what purports to be report Of . special somnis.ss
upon the City Finances, &c, and hesded "a ssmise
capitals, Startling Disclosures" &C., attended, sv-
denty, to make the people believe thai iAs Special
Committee have been iIdu,triously engaged fr Ne
lsit three or four months in the lansshls object q
showing the causes Of the grsa, Increase 10 taI sion
But as it s we'll understood tha, but one ncmhe, O.
this Committee ever cav (et alone sroz,seD III.
books of the Frsrce Department, and he but for
few nome nts il is evident tina: the clsove arrive
at are the result OF the learned and prscca, book
keeIer and aceorLian." employed b. the Commdsse
Tie report, therefore should b. looked upon ~ the
production Of this "experitnced beokseersr," ssd
ret Of the Committee.
sser! that the report 90 tar as il ree to the eooks
Of the FiDsDce Department CARRIED AID fa 81 st2e-
mtnt from first to last.
TIE report states that more capabls book eepef
could have been selected. / believe No persos more
capable Of sounding hi. trumpet coaa have eeea
selected. -
the CITY OF NewYoik center IN the Coutrctsrs
'ofiee, and all transactions Of the y.toas depart.
"mens should appear IN SIose upon tns ieoSen SePsa
the ,fice Of tae Coz ;roller.'
IaIstt they shovld appear and withstandng
this indI assertion, sste without FEAR OF coatra-
dicton that hty do SO dpisar on The ledsess a toe
Controller, have apps Ared for st less ~ years
The next staten nj worthy Of atennoa Is thAs there
is q diftreIce between the bookkeepsr and stock
clerk of $25,76i IS in the stock accounts.
The report says, The Controller obtaEsi his s'A.e
mont PROBABLY from he stock clerk who - Hss)sb.-
"cdly correct. Toe accounts o, the stock clerk ss
clear and correct and proven to be 10. Your Com
"ntee have had this oepsrtm ent thoroughly exAm-
"incd ana they can bear witness to the correcsess
"of II account OF the stock clerk. bis fidelity an1
arduous duties"
Whether The following warrant has any reference -
the foregoing puff the public will judge;
No. IS.
"COSrRoLLEEs oTFIer. Cary os ss~;ysss
september b. 1851, 80. :.
To the Cashier OF the Shoe and Leather B,nh Psy V
GroRGr PEcKnsN or order the som % one nsnLen s y We
tteck department a.,
JAMES NJ sslfa Jr, Reeo-a.r
a 9. sLAGG ComP.ioiler
"THOS McsPEDON.
Chairman Finance c. ommittee Board Of Adernes"
Another warrant, paid in like manner to Wm. Doni-
uick in the sum Of $40 for slar serr,ce will, per.
Lsps taken tcgeter, account for the saassctory
nauie Of the accounts Of the Stock Clerk lie propsr
70 state that the Clerk 10 the Commissioners Of the
Sinking Fund Gays that the expenditure hn not been
brought before the Commissioners at any meeting
thereof for their sanction collectively.
"The Stock Clerk is right, bat the B'rkkeepsf
"wrorg." This is not 80 apparent, and ae;ordiss ~
the further reading, does not sppear to DO 81 clear "a
the txsnirer or tho committee, for they ssy where
the error or errors making the difference are 10 te
"tound, can oIly be ascertaned by going over the
"vaious stock accounts, which would require time
ard labor"
In relation TO the " Fire Loan Stoak" account he
acknowledges his ignorance Of what It Is intended IN
represent and says that which Is not correct when ba
ssys the bookkeeper cannot tell whet It representa-
Ibip s evidently bid for heavier job, to correct
(which long nvestigetion will be required.
The charges appearing the books against parties
who have been collectors Of the public moneys must
telaAh h,th narffo han
selves or some proper authority directs them 70 be
cancelled. The bookkeeper has no power whatsoever
in the premises. -
Mr. Hart, late Receiver Of TaIes, Ia, an unsettled
account on the books Of the Finance Department Of
Sss 39 % according 10 this report, but Ia resty OF
s9 lt9 ss This sum represents uncolected tASes On
personal estate levied previous to the year lSi3 Wben
Mr.. Hart was appointed Receiver this amount win
other une ect, taxes was charged 10 him with bis
p the whole being the aggregate amount Of odi-
''rfs Tpon s''d the induction % Of f. IT. Howard Rso,iv
he refused to have the amount OF personal tax
prior TO 1913 transferred to his account snd therefore
they reimoin charged to Mr. Hart, and viii OF necss:
sty 80 remain Lniil ne takes means to be relieved
ibtrehom. This amount Of $9 4O9 " is assessed =
personal tax agsLst psr.ies Who have dissopessed'
or deceased and con never be collected. Inc egs-
latye tepartnen alone have the power to cancel the
same. No Ore prettIds that soy Receiver OF Taxes 10
a dsfauer or that these moneys have ever been coi'
lected at all.
The report states that Henry H. Howard hiss charged
against him on the Ist Of January 1867 81 I9 643 02,
ard that hi, account is in the same position - thA cf
Harvey Hart.
On ihe lst January last Mr.. Howard was Receivsf
of Taxes ard remained 20 until April o. The amount
charged against him Jan. was the correct sxh,bt Oh
taxes in bis hands unpaid. Soon after HE r.agnsnon.
the boo keeper requested Mr. H. TO have HE socouos
settled and il was chcerfuly aud promptly a9endeQ
to, ard on the 30th june 1857 as will appear by ne
ledger his account was regularly balanced ms -
the explanation by those who have charge Of me
books.
The large sum due for unpaid assessments 10 nos
properly chargesbe sgainst the officers OF the Finance
Depa, tmert According 10 law passed some tnree
years since, the corporation are prohibited Hom sen
property for any unpaid tax or assessment until
shall have been due three yeau. This VIII Deceessc
rly csuse large accumulaons 10 these accouns Ano
according to an ordinance Of the Common CoucciIS
many contractors have received 20 per cent ON scscu
of their work, which Ia great many cases, nisn never
he made thereon as vet -y~a
Again these asse essmens have to large amya1s
bten nitted by the Common Council, which den-
ciercy will have to be supplied eventusby oy "As
ton.
This 10 brief statement Of fa.t they exist, md
orly the fear Of eIcroachirg your valuable s2sce
brevents more extended and comprehensive review
Of this veracious report. A..
As to the system of bookkeeping in vogue m tns
Department, it is the same - sstabhshsd 40. soo @-
proved by such men a. Bleecker, Waters, Wlnsmseas
A. A. Smith Even and other incumoents o. ihe om 70
Of Controller; and any citizen familiar wnn sco1s" ~
and ur pre JUDGED, desirous OF examining mo ss"',
invited to do 80 at any time:
AZ the writer bag no desire Of gaining nosoney d
the expense Of Others he will while leaving NE hsS9
with yo nj simply sign himself ,,
A CLERK IN THE FINANCE pErAATSsSf'
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DyxN OE CUApTTY PROPOSED