New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-05-07

TIE first installment Of the labors of the Juint
| Committee On Accounts IN investigating the con-
dticn of the books and vouchers in the Finance
and o'ber Departments of the City Government,
was aid before tue Common Council yesterday az
terLocn. From hasty examination Of the docu.
ment. We conclude that the Committee have gone to
work in ea,ne.t, and made at le.st credit.ble be-
| nLipg of their almost Hercuean labcrs. The
movement was introduced last year BY Councilman
| Frsi.kllp, under whOse supervision the work 70
stil continued Ibis year the bu,iress was referred
TO tie JcLt Committee, consstiog OF Alder men
Booe, Ioffmre and Owens and Counclmen Cor
nell, Cross aid Mullgsn. A partial epOrt was made
last year, which We published at the time; aud We
now take up the present communication as con-
tinuaton Of the exposure.
In the account of stocks issued by the city, there
was difference between the general ledger and the
Stock Clerks b. oks Of 1891, 935. This, however,
has since been adjusted, and is stated only to show
the loose manner Of keeping such important &C.
counts. The general boobkeeper in the Control.
ers Office shows by his testimony that there is no
accurate method of keeping the stock account;
that the figures in his ledger constantly disagree
with those Of tie Stock Clerk, and that the bonds
have been issued by tho city for purposes which he
knoMs rothng about. The impression from this
testimony is that can tell how much the city
/ owes; what bonds are out, or for what purposes
they we're issued Other testimony shows that any
persons who chOte might abstract whole bundles of
paI ers from the Controllers Office with very little
rick of detection.
Looking into the expenditures Of various depart
mtpts the Con mitee found that pay ments have
been loosely made and many vouchers lost or de-
stroytd, while disorder ,eigns everywhere. To
remedy THE, the Committee deem a speedy and
radical charge necessary-a change involving an
entire reorganization, Of the Finance Department
especially; in doirg which they recommend the
entire exclusion of politicians from that branch OF
the City Government.
Turning to the Department of Arrears, they find
that TO proper account fas been made of the i'm
meme amouI ts placed in the hands of that bureau
e collection; the arrears running back for many
Years, are scattered through fifty books Of records
among many thousands of items. This loose man.
ner OF doing business has given the opportunity to
designing parties to pocket almost any amount,
which .hou'd have gone to the City Treasury.
While the investigation has been gong on, crowds
of citizens have appeared before the Committee
and complain of assessments still sanding against
their property which had been paid, of which they
had never received notice; and it is very probable
that much property has been sold for liens which
rad bee n lel since paid. The Committee present
| 90 specimens items amounting to nearly $1,000
stall ding IS unpaid assessments, which were
nj Ttau sfsfa az no hail
system Of assessing property for improvements has
been ecklessly abused, and that in most cases the
| owners ale not aware Of assessments hayiog been
made until the costs and charges for interest nearly
double the amount. OF the collections really made,
| large portions are kept out of the treasury, by
which m, ans the anua appropriations for interest
on assessments are materially swelled They add,
that when the accounts shall be fully Strengthened
out tie account for deficiencies will astound this
already startled community. TIE sum total of
unpaid assessments on the let of January last put
dow ut near SIR millions of dollars; but how near
this is to the mark they cannot tell until the work
10 finished.
They looked re1t into the management Of open
jug, widening and extending streets BY Commits
.ioners and the Corporation Counsel, and state that
10 almost every instance the Commissioners have
dore their work loosely that it is difficult 70 tell
what are the correct amounts awarded and ssed
Alterations, interlineations and ermures mystify
aid confuse nearly all the reports; copies do not
ssIee with the originals, abstracts with either.
Sums written out in the body disagree with the fig
ures in the margin, ard so on. In the opening Of
Seventy eighth street, from the Third to Fifth ave-
rue, there are discrepancies amounting to 81 100
sg.nst the treasury. The. BOwery extension is an
other beautiful job; but here We despair of follow
ps tie tortuous, disconnected, no systemst-all
Of what aniwers for the financial account of this
work. As On instance, one property owner had
seven awards for damages, amounting in all to
go $50; yet the receipt book shows three re-
ceipts for awards to this same owner amounting to
SIO4.9 $50, or SO, 600 more than the Awards; bat
on looking up the warrants the sums issued there
foot up S62, Ol2. The COMMITTEE state that errors
of still graver character have been discovered in
this examination, which viii claim further aud
more particular attention. The whole ameu0t
awarded for the Bowery extension By the Commis-
,ieptrs. compared with the amount paid, shows 81
oysr.pa,ment Of S4,426. In regard to the
ps,mept of warrnnt' on this job pur-
porting to be drawn to the order of
l.. H. CsubIsiDg, attorney, and reeepted By
that Lame for 81 $50, the Committee believe tat
tLe wloe lirs was forgery perpstIatei b: J. o
smtb the atlaiLtsd Clerk lsteiy 10 the Controller.
Cffee. There ~ss no awa,d to justify such pay
mont For tbs r.Ost incempFel el sble 81 lis IT,