The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-06-13

MORE CORPORATION FRAups.-The report az
the Collector Of Assessments, submitted 10 the
Common Council by the Street Commissioner
at their last meeting, and published in our
columns yesterday, opens new chapter in the
history of the financial affairs of this cruelty
miseoverned city. In such condition had his
predecessor and his deputies left the sccouuts Of
the Office Of Collector of Assessments that the
present incumbent is wholly unable to tell how
much of the assessments collected has been pa
over to the City Chamberlain, and how much
bias gone into the pockets of the officials or
elsewhere. He reports, however, several large
deficits in certain sums paid to the late Colleo-
tor by his deputies, and not credited to then.
nor paid By him to the Chamberlain amounting
in one case to about $35 900; and in others to
various smaller sums, aud making q total II
about $l44,O0O due to the treasury. The oaiI
data for this calculation he found in the return
books Of the deputies and in the Collectors
ledger The condensers Of some of the deps-
ties have been carried off; so that the Collector
avows that he cannot tell how many more de-
ficits there may be from January l, 1856, to
May L. 1858. The late Collector, it appears.
deposited with the Chamberlain 1872 900 col
lected on assessments confirmed before his terra
of Office began, upon which the former incum-
bents claim the commission, though they never
collected the money. Again, it seems that the
liens on great deal of property upon which
the assessments have been paid long ago,
have not been discharged from the re-
cord, greatly to the inconvenience Of
property holders, who cannot effect sale while
this incumbrance appears on their property.
Such villanous system as this is disgrace to
any public Office In view Of such facts, We
cannot wonder that the taxes are increasing at
the present enormous rate. Ia all probability
twelve millions will hardly cover the taxation
of this year and they will continue to increase
| in the same ratio until the taxpayers take the
| management of the city out of the hands of all
| political factions Those taxpayers, to what
ever party they belong-whether Americans, re-
| publicans, or either of the two democratic Or
| CARNATIONS who allow their prejudces in favor
OF their own faction to control them, to tue in
| jury of the whole body of property owners, are
making gIievous mistake, for which they will
have to pay heavily out Of their pockets The
| government Of the city is now in the hands Of
men, the majority of whom pay no taxes and
have no stake in the community. We referred
the other day to the Office holders under the
Corporation, but a small part Of whom pay
taxes; by q glance at the tax list for 1857 we
now observe that u msjority of both boards Of
the Common Council are non-taxpayers. OF
| the sixteen Aldermen only seven pay taxes aud
| of the twenty-three Councilmen only nine. The
disposal of the money of the treasury is at the
control Of these bodies; and the majority at
least, if not all of them, should have some stake
in the city, and contribute to create the fund
they disburse. If the taxpayers cannot organ
ize an independent party in time for the next
election, with ticket of their own, they can, at
all events, select the best men from the other
tickets and support them. And these men
| should, in all cases, be owners Of property aud
| taxpayers II is absurd and mischievous to
give the disbursement Of the public moneys to .
set Of men who have 10 stake in the commu-
nifty.
The taxpayers should hold meetings at once,
collect a fund for election expenses, and hasten
on their organization to a head as speedily a.
possible. There Is no time to be lost; while
they are waiting, the city is going to ruin.