New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-04-12
II is rumored that the Mayor will this afternoon
too common,

1t is rumored that the Mayor Will THIS aiternOOh
ask the Aldermen to remove Charles Devlip from
the Office of Street Commissioner, but that the
Democrats in the Board will decline to do so, and
that Deylin will get immediate possession of tho
books aud papers from which Mr.. Conover selected
the oyerwh elmng evidences of fraud which he has
from time to time presented to the Common COun-
ell. In looking over these documents, one cannot
fail to recognize the reason why Devlln and bis
,scile Deputy Turner, should never have the Gus
tody Of the records Some of these reasons are
as follows: In July 1854, John Quin contracted
violation of the law giving work to the lowest
bidder, to regulate and grade Fifty-seventh street
rom Third to Fifth avenue. Quin assigned the
contract to the Bowery Bank, and the Bank en-
poyed Deylin to fnish the work. While the work
was in progress an addition was made in the con
tract in the Street Department, by inserting ''re-
tanning wall, per cubic foot, twelve cents In
October, 1856, while the Common Council was hest
tatiDg to confirm the regulating of Fifty.secOnd
street, from Fourth avenue to the East River, to
j. Foster, for S1l rs, contract for this verywork
made with Devln, by the Street Department, for
6,450. Since that time the recorded contract
has been altered by inserting retaining wall, per
cubic foot II cents" which is at least 40 per
cent too high, beside being illegally added TO the
original contract. Foster, the lowest bidder, went
on with the work, Devlin took the pay, and Fitz-
patrick (Deyln's assignee, who figures i'll the }.
b. Smith frauds WAS the surety. In October,
1876, c. c. Ellis was the lowest bidder to regu-
late Fifyseventh street, from Ninth to
Eleventh avenue, at an estimate OF SD, 34i 81.
The contract, however, was made with one Taylor
at $50 O2l O5. Subsequently Devlin turns up as
assigning this contract to Ellis and Ellis turned it
over TO that grand reservoir of contracts, the
Bowery Bank. Ellis, the lowest bidder, is really
doing the work. while one whose estimate is nearly
fifty per cent higher gets the pay-Devlin and tltz-
patrick being sureties. In April, 1851, Ellis ap-
peared as the lowest bidder for tagging sidewalks
in Fourth avenue, from Seventy ninth to Ninety
second streets; but his bid was informal, and
Deyin took the contract at prices said to be about
one hundred per cent above fair rate. Tnis job,
never confirmed by the Common Council, cost
SI2, eel. For setting curb aud gutter in Eighty
rinth street. frOm Fourth 10 Fifth avenue,
Deylin Was the Only bidder, at - % per
running foot while 80 cents per foot would
have been good pay. Mr. CoDoyer Gays that
q contract was duly made; but during the time that
Deylin Was in procession Of the Street Department,
last June, the contract was torn out Of the book
and another contract was made by Turner, Deviin's
deputy with Fitzpatrick, assignee in general of all
of Dev!ins work. Fitzpatrick was not even
bidder for the work, aud this Illegal contract was
pre.dated one day before Deyn got into the Office.
IT, September, ls55, Peter Connolly undertook the
regulating Of Fiityseyenth street from Eighth to
Ninth avenue, Offering to do rock excavation for
LOtbiDg, earth excavation for 30 cents per cubic
yard, and earth filling for nothDg-estimate
for the job, Sl,S06. Deylin got this contract
by sssienment, and when the work was done
got S5,346, based upon rock excavation at
~ 30 per yard instead of nothing, but duly GER
tiled IS correct by the Street Department.
In ls56 Deylin was the lowest bidder for
paving Forty eighth street, at Is cents per
YARD, including all the necessary work. The
lob thus done would haze cost not quite
s7CO: but the Street Department falsely GER
tiled to specifications Of various kinds. 80 that
DeyIn got in On extra bill for 500 yards Of gravel
filling. which he swoEe 10, and got $685. 50 added.