New-York daily tribune., 1858-03-08

On Saturday occurred new and significant
event growing out Of the long litigated question OF
right to the Office Of Commissioner of Streets. On
that day the Supreme Court decided that Mr.
Charles Deyn was law fully entitled to the place;
but this decision was made pro tormd, merely in
order that the quo lcdrr0nO might be carried to the
Court of Appeals, where the counsel on both sides
agreed to present their arguments. 1t was further
stipulated that whatever the decision Of the Su-
prone Court might be, neither party should, by
means Of II, take an advantage over the other, but
that both should peaceably await the adjudication
of the higher Court. Yet scarcely had the decision
been announced, when Mr.. Charles Turner, the
Deputy under Devlin, and some of his clerks and
frieIds, rushed into the rooms Of the Street De.
partment and demanded possession. Mr.. Con-
over was absent, but his clerks refused to give
way, and regular fight was about to take
place, when the Mayor interfeIed, took possession,
locked up the Office, and set police force to watch
il. Mr.. Deylin was not present and his friends
assert that he does not countenance this attempt of
Turner. Brannigan, and their crew. If so, they
serve master singularly Indifferent TO their
value Their very first effort was to seize the
assessment rolls, especially those recently re-
ferred to in the Fraud investigation. There can
be no doubt that it was their intention to destroy
them, and thereby annhilate the palpable proofs of
fraud and forgery which they contain. Mr.. Charles
that the Aldermen's Committee on Frauds on
Monday last reported that he was guilty of udi6g
with Farley (the bosom friend and assignee of Devlin
and the bOndsman for Fernando WOod) in various
sins of omission and commission, whereby the
people have been cheated and robbed Mr.. Turner's
eagerness to get possession of the altered and frau
dulent papers was shared by host of contractors
surveyors, Inspectors, and their friends who figure
upon Mr. COnOyers recent List OF thirty separate
jobs in which Oyercharges of SlO0 to 1900 each
have been made. One of these contractors was
Charles Deylin himself, who undertook the paving
and tagging of Firy-fOurth street from Fourth to
Fifth avenue. For this work the legal charge,
according te Mr.. COnOver's statement, was So
905 70 vet the assessors award to Deylin 81,
81 &c, thus giving him an excess of S3,47l 81,
or nearly double the amount due. No wonder the
friends of the contractor wanted to seize such an
interesting document. OF course We must suppose
Deylin himself to be Indifferent in the matter since
he assured the world upon his personal veracy that
he had never done an act in his whole life incOn-
sistent with honor or justice: but hi Deputy, his
son, his confidential clerk, and some of his warm-
est friends among the contractors made up the
gang that attempted TO eject fhe occupants and
take forcibe possession of the place. Had they
succeeded it is quite possible that by this time not
paper in the Department would have remained
to prove any of the charges preferred by Conover
and the Fraud Committee. But the Mayer fortu-
natey stepped in in the nick of time, and the pub
lie records are safe in his charge.
The people will see in this hgh-handed proceed
ing another evidence OF the now notorious truth
that certain departments OF the City Government,
especially that of the Streets, have been insti.
tutions through the medium of which horde of
knaves have robbed the people, without stint and
without remOrse From what has been brought to
light. it is conjcctured that complete research
will show frauds amounting to millions, of which
large amount may be recovered through the courts.
Suits against several parties have already been com.
menced, and these assessments are to furnish the
proof upon which the Mayor expects to get judg-
meut in favor Of the city. 1t is fortunate for the
people that the attempted seizure was not success
full fortunate, nthat their records are preserved and
the real character of the men exposed whom Fer.
iando Woods man Deylin had gathered around
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