New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-09-24


We give this morning one more eh.,,
financial rsscslity in the City Governnen. ~.
mediate subject being the collection Of s,.a,..
for local improvements. For i've yesr. ma, -.
perhaps longer, the account. Of the ysro.,. -
leetors have been neglected or mys,iseJ x;,,
confusion Of errors Of all knds-by fr,,a. !,
erssures and other devices, 10 cover up def,lc,,.
and proven, exposure. Our report state, In, ~
ingenuity and shrewdness shown in con...r
these delinqneneies, in twisting and tu-r;..s
counts 50 as 10 deceive, is truly ,.,o,;.s
Heretofore the assertions in regard 10 ,k... .-s
have been seen general rather than particular. A..
now the Investigating Committee coma -.
particulars and specify names. lob, ana -
Although the labor is ye, incomplete. AMI u,...
may be vet undeyeloped, VIA. We h,vs 49,"
would be sufficient to 'tartle the public h,I
We not heretofore enjoyed many and man, 5.,.,a~
ments Of the kind. OF the returns mad. - ~.
Clerk of Arrears, containing more than 4OoO H..
on real estate in this city, amounting in al IA a..
ly $500, 900, il seems that large portion !, L,.-.
to have been paid, and the general imprsso, !.
that nearly all Of it has been collected .,a -,
credited; and the Committee sre Of the o~.,..
that the whole sum viii ultimately have "a \.
charged 10 profit and loss. Commencing IN lxs
with the beginning of the term Of Isaac EdwsH,
Collector Of Assessments, and his deputies, A.
pointed by james Furey, Street Comma
k.fn k.
ell statement of each account, expoSn,
the errors as they appear, which consist Of enron
in footing up, and in returns and further s,il !,
payments made TO Collectors, and the money n.
tanned and no entry whatever made in regard to il
Individual accounts are then taken up and de6cieo.
eies shown. varying in amount from 81 or sSto
thousands In the widening Of Duane street. thu
assessment amounted TO S2s2, CO., Of which $l&.
34l ha. been paid into the Treasury, while s6aoI
remains unpaid and charged, leaving an unsecoun,.
able deficiency of Sll,5oo. In regulating and
grading Fifty.thir street, from Third 10 SiIth
avenue, there appears deficiency Of s3,ao3-sAs
same man being collector in both cases. After ex.
planning the lodges BY which this last 6sur.
ing was achieved, the Committee ~
that, owing 10 the want of proper books
of account in the Finance Department, the Con.
troller has no ready mode Of sscertsining to whs.
extent bonds in anticipation of assessment hare
been issued; hence floating debt bearing nterc:
is constantly being created and augmented, which
does not appear ccnspicuousy IN the official npork
but which the taxpayers will find in due time to 10
painful reality. They add that the unsatisfactory
condition of the accounts of the Finance Departures.
has strong tendency to disturb the confidence o.
capitalists in the value of city securities, aud hens
the weight Of excessive interest falls where def
ciences and frauds also bear the hardest, upon tk
taxpayer. Among other DEFICIENCIES noticed W
observe S35, in opening Fourth avenue, frea
Thirty-eighth to misunderstanding
$1,000 in sewer in Second street, &C.; making
in all the accounts examined and reported upos
thus far, a total deficiency Of So, 9i5. AssaS
the interesting items discovered by this ersmna-
ton, were receipts given by collectors for moceI
paid in where the accounts were not discharged
from the record, amounting in all TO nearly 5000.
This system Of villainy has been going on for
years, and az We turn from one branch to another
IN the City Government, the mind grows slck WITH
disgust at the amount Of depravty which has H.
fected and invade almost every one. The evil As
spread through the whole municipal organization
property owners all over the city have cone 10 The
Committee exhibiting receipts and demanding Tho
canceng Of liens against tho estates. II not
surprising that such demands have been ATTENDED
by the most bitter denunciations Of the City Gov.
eminent, and especially OF officers imnedia.sJiS
terested. Citizens of the highest character and
standing, as well As more humble property ownerN
have given vent TO their indignation in the mos
first time that liens have been standing on their
property for years, on which they must pay iro"
thirty -six To sixty per cent rs arrears. Inns IL
also in addition 70 twelve per cent per annum 90
Gus To the property 0wners scarcely ono Of wnon
has ever been advised that they had been assessed
at all. We grow tired OF these constantly recuf'
ing exhibitions of scOundrelisn, and hurredy pas
over some other accounts in regard TO erron 10
footing up, and the insertion of Illegal items
contracts for street work. system Of increasing
expenses to the profit of the jobber, which Wa
pretty fully developed in the we'll rememberrd es~
Of Charles Deylin.
What shall b. done IL seems that olmx
without exception the City Government, in snn
branches is desperately rotten and corrupt; ~
the rule is thsyery, ond the exception horssF
That all these thing, have been going on under%
knowledge and with the conniyance of whatever
in is branch Of the Government, is beyond doas1
l. il not possible thst after these damDing eIp
.urrs; after Showing that year after year. and az