The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-10-05
The LahO1s or the JOIN. Committee or Ac-
cO0nts--Statenent az Homer Franklin.
SR9 YoRk Sept. 20, 1858

coants--St.tement ar Homer FRANKLIN.
Sss Yoak, Sept. 20, 1888
DEAR SIEWe. the undersigned citizens and taxpayers
OF the city Of New York, have watched With sccisude
ana approval your various your entrance
into the Common Council in 1851 investigate the
o alleged Encouragement Of city affairs ami TO
pos the cof"aIons and disorders under which the city
was az es' to suffer The position You have assumed
ono OF such vta interest that desire 70 know the
circumstances uader which you placed the nature
and progress Of the work under your supervision, what
is designed 10 accomplish, and the and time
4ured Tor It thorough complexion We have noticed That
N b'ay 1887, whio you wcro a member o; he common
Council through your efforts, committee appointed
70 examine into the condition the Finance Department
Your report vi October last Chairman of that Com
teo and It's disclosures, hayo been conaTne. hy
the publication q official statements to the payments,
tho contracts the ASSESSING nts, tho issue OF bonds amt
the general details OF the Street Department Ioa have
now been engaged scvcra. months in this oxarina, on,
and your The inquiries herein will en-
able citizens generality appreciate your position
and TO determine what means If any may be necessary
70 assist you and strengthen in the labors have
JOHN niliLY, isi tifth avenue
MAiTrY G LANE, 70 roar ; p avenue
SHEPARD KNAPP, Twelfth ward
WIN. 4. MOTT. s5 East Broadway
WIN. E.uOn;OOD, 43 West Seventeenth s.root.
TT LUQUnER, 81 Wall street
EDWARD r. COwits, 100 East Eighteenth st.
JOHN MILLER, III Eas, Fifteenth street.
GABRIEL MEAD, IS Pine street.
JOHN q: STORMS. "a Wal street
NATHANIEL. PI-ATT, % Washington square
TIMOTHY Q; CHURCHILL, 90 Fast Eighteenth St.
II.
WILLIAM K. STRONG, 50 Pine street.
MR.. FRANxLIss Reilly TO THE ABOVE
New Yenk. Del. l. 1858.
0ESzzxAKS: Your communication under date OF Septem-
Der co. has been received By me- and affords plea
sure to lay before you and my fellow citizens generally
full and detailed statement OF the various
City Departments, so far as my examinations have
tended together with position, progress and
barrassmcnts In the great work have undertaken.
On the Grst day Of January, 1857 took my seat as
member Of the Common Council Of the of New York
had occupied my seat but short time before became
where that tho details OF vari0ns offices very
loosely manag.d that the business operations Of The CITY
conducted very irregnly that in the midst OF the
disorder and confusion such a. existing. the corrupt
and designing politicians could find ample means to con
summate their schemes Of fraud and p'unGcr.
On the 22d day Of May Of last year committee ap
pointed by the Board Of Councilmen investigate the
affairs Of the Finance Department As OF that
nittce il my first secure the services OF an
able accountant Such found, and the result has
proven the wisdom OF my choice. That committee en-
tered upon the discharge cf lis duties regret say
that during that long and patient the FL
nance Department. found myself ncasusably, alone in
tho prosecution difficult task ON the S2d Of Oc,o
Der presented report Of the result of abors far
as had gone The Common Council having refused to
continue the work further and the Comptroller having
fused to pay the insignificant expense already incurred
found myself unable 10 proceed.
An examination OF that report viii show you that the
bookkeeping OF the Finance Department in a most de-
plorabie condition, and that the manner keeping and
rendering the public accounts most disgraccfu all
the departments Large discrepancies found to exist
between the books and the published reports.
The amounts OF stocks and bonds issued by the city
not properly entered the books and large dencl
encies known 70 be ewhere, which only a de-
tailed examination could deveopo. The public was
Oiled with establishment and alarm when the publication
OF that document made and lis mort fearful appre
hcnsons fully realized by subsequent reports, the
suits of examinations in the Street Department Frauds
were exposed With astonishing -apidity.
The Comptroller il discovered, deceived by those
whom he had most trusted and BY those In whom he
Obliged 10 rely had paid moneys and issued bonds on
contracts which we're immensely fraudulent had no
existence and payments had been made, largely in error
in almost all branches Of the city government
The astounding revelations Immediately succeeding my
report induced the present Common Council to take
carly step toward full and minute examination Of the
various departments and To audit tho accounts OF eosc
tors and sbursng officers. The Joint Committee on Ac
counts, the only Joint Committee provided by the ofd
nance, instructed 10 commence the work. That
committee, In view Of the disordered condition OF tho
accounts and the difficulties in the of the undertaking,
employed me TO snporntcnd and conduct tho work.
have been engaged in this difficult task, and
have presented several reports 10 the committee, which
they have sent H. the Common Council and which have
been published. As have stated, the accounts Of the
various collecting officers for the last five have
been audited adjusted Whenever difficulties have been
encountered, the shortest and most summary method
eeems TO been adopted the gordan knot and
balance accounts The following copy Of entry the
journal OF the Finance Department exhibited TO you in
order 10 show that disputed accounts Of hundreds Of thou
thousands Of dollars adjusted at once by few strokes
OF the pen
on journal folio ga December 81, 1855
HARVEY HART Receiver OF Taxes, DR..
For The follow ing unpaid taxes of various years
sh wore .5anserred by an entry ~ The journal October
rcars rev rceharss 70 Harvey Hart Receycr Of fares
thc-e officers not having adjusted their accounts IN
tate said adjustment. SsfftTT ~.
The following amounts have been placed In the hands
OF the various collectors for collecting in the past i've
gears
Taxes for the year 1853 os7 31s II