The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-07-26


notSso Or ArcSusss.
The numerous and gross frauds which have
been discovered In the Assessment Department
induced member Of the Board Of Councmen--
Mr.. Brady-to move, at the meeting Of that
body ON Friday. that the joint Committee OF
Accounts be directed Immediately to enter upco
thorough investigation of the mode of co.,
Quoting business in the Assessors office The
resolution was adopted; but IL was attempted 10
he nullified by motion of Mr.. Genet, that the
Joint Committee of Accounts be discharged ON
the ground that they had developed no frauds,
and were imposing upon the public.
This is rather curious conduct on the
part of Mr.. Genet but whether it can be
accounted for by the fact that he repre-
SCENTS the Nineteenth ward, where some of
bis leading constituents may be affected By
too close an Investigation into the affairs Of
the Assessors office, we cannot say. But what
are the facts respecting the developement Of
frauds by the joint committee! They have
shown deficiency of eight millions in the city
revenue, all of which must be raised agaia by
taxation. They have traced to various depart
ments and individuals Officials and contractors
msinly-between FIVE and Fix millions of this
amount already. In their very last measure to
discover where the frauds Icy in the opening of
Canal street by issuing circulars to all the as
sessed parties, they have found that 500, 900
had been paid the collectors, for which re.
ceipts were produced, and which sum was
not accounted for. They have collected
$4,000 more from parties who had never
been notified that their property wss
assessed at all, many of whom had to pay
thirty. six per cent-three years interest-on
the amount of their assessment, showing clearly
that the whole affair has been systematically
fraudulent throughout; yet Mr. Genet has the
effrontery to say that they have developed no
frauds. or all the committees instituted fer the
purpose, the joint Committee of Accounts is the
only one which has accomplished any thing and
it is doing better than merely developing frauds
it is preparing new order of things cutting
out new rules and systems, whereby there will
be some check on the official conduct and &C.
counts of officers under the Corporation and
hence the opposition the committee has met
with in certain quarters
If the Common Council which created it
does not sustain it, it can do nothing; but from
the action Of Mr.. Genet at the last meeting, and
other previous proceedings it looks as If the
Council were alarmed, like Frankenstein, at the
giant they had bresthed life into. The Street
Commissioner reported, Q short time ago,
deficiency of quarter Of q million in the &C
counts of Joseph r. Taylor, and requested the
Common Council to have them investigated
One would suppose that this would startle the
Board, and that they would have at once
ordered the joint Committee of Accounts, who
have staff of competent clerks employed, to |
audit the accounts of Mr. Taylor; but, instead
of that, they referred the document to the
Law Committee, of which Mr.. Genet is Chair
man. This is the first time we ever heard
of q complicated account containing millions of
figures, and running over three years, being
placed In the hands of q committee On law for
investigation
Whatever may be the opinion Of the Common
Council regarding the joint Committee of Ac-
oounts-whether they fear its potency for good,
or are disposed to encourage its action-we are
well assured that ii is just the thing the public
require, and that they will insist upon seeing
its course of action carried out without OBJ
struction, to the end and that the honest por-
ton of the voters in the city will visit with
displeasure every member of the Council who |
throws obstacles in the way Of full and free |
investigation into the sbominsble system Of |
fraud and corruption BY which the property |
owners have been robbed for many years past, |
and our city has become shame and dis |
grace to the nation
Massacre OF CHRISTIANS ny MoHANxEDANs.-- |
In the telegraphic news from Quebec brought |
by the steamer Indian, we find an account Of |
dreadful massacre Of Christians by Mohamme- |
dams, at Jeddah," in Arabia. Twenty persons,
including the British and French Consuls, are |
reported to be victims to this outrage. At |
tacks OF this kind by the Mohammedans have |
been painfully frequent within the last few |
months. Christian missionaries have been |
cruelty assaulted ct different points in Syria |
since the commencement Of this year. In Jan
uary last the bouse Of an American minister |
Rev. Walter Dicksop--at Jaffs was attacked by |
party Of Arabs, his sou-in-law murdered, the
wife of the murdered man and her mother bru- |
tally violated, and the missionary himself |
beaten senseless by the guns of the marauders.
In May, at point farther north--the little !
town of Zahleh, half way between Beyrout |
and Dsmascus-epother American missionary |
(Rev. Mr.. Dod) was driven out of his home by |
the natives and compelled to take to the noun
,ains under scorching Syrian sun, with his
wife and infant child This last outrage, how.
ever, is represented Of more bloody and
alarming character, and will probably demand
the interference Of England and France, whose
representatives are among the murdered
Stree the outbreak Of the Indian war there
seems to have sprung up among the Mobsm-