New-York daily tribune., 1858-09-10
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
CITY MATTERs-MAYOR TIENASY.

Te ths Editor Il TheS L. Trts4nA
SIR: \ visit 10 the CITY Hall just now. reveals an
impressive and suggestive scene. L. oacAened ana
desolated apartments heaps OF rubbish and the cohu-
zion and disorder that mark the spectacle, are n Illus
,raons and types OF the mismanagement that seems 20
preside over our devoted community. very oTtiua-
" degree of prudence would have preserved our city
irUm this shame and loss. Why did not Mayor TIE
mann detail proper force 70 protectthe baGing 'f"
the imminent hazard that always attends TIE use osach
dangerous agents candles and pyrotechnics Is Ii
charitable TO suppose thai the city champagne Devil
dered tie brains of exemplary Chiei Magistrate
or that i was bat OF a series Of exhibitions o' III
competency displayed by tie MayoT-resemohng, Tor
instance. his anwise defense OF the suit ID
The matter Of tie Wes;-Washlngton Market,
wherein lie has entailed upon tine city
peeuuiary loss, in comparison with which the burn
irc OF The City Hall but rush-h.ht In this market
case his lack OF Judgment is more conspicuous
than in the other. In the suit TO which ailude hs
first movement IS fragrant breach of the City
Charter That instrument j. supposed TO be our
governing law and il prescrbes distinctly that the
legal business Of the city shall be done by the Counsel
10 the Cooperation who is paid sl0,O0o per annnm FOR
his services Here arises simple question OF title in
which the Mayor himself in bis January message. had
expressed himself adversely 10 the claims o the city;
and in open violation of the charter, five legal gen.
temen are employed paid by the Mayor at cost
of $500 each and retaining fees to contest question:
already settled in his own mind Any respectable
realestate lawyer would have furnished HIM with an
abstract of title in week time, ior 500. Bu, this
Is ouIy the beginning OF the d,sgraeeful category Of
bunders. In this suit the Mayor, by ms counsel. has
stipulated .ha the city has been IN possession OF the
property for the last four and haf years and that
the city he's collected the rent, which by their ada
Wits show that abou, ortyseven thousand dollars per
wear has been received or collected by the city. for
which the city is bound by law and so it will be
decided 10 pay the same TO the State, which will be
in round numbers the snug little OF $2U0,O0o and
as much more the State can show the property Ia
be worth. Excepting FOR this folly of the Mayor, in
claiming that for which he knew and confessed that
our city had Just title, this fact would never have
appeared TO disgrace annals and further deplete
our Treasury.
The Corporation of this city has never been refused
by the State any OF the lands adjacent to the city tor
which the latter has asked. With what an III grace,
then does the resistance to the State in this matter
come from Mayor who suffers the City Exchequer 10
be- robbed in an Intellectual struggle to grasp that
which does not belong to us, and which might have
been mad Tor the mere asking ftTHups tile hayoT :
profound sagacity, now foresee the likelihood Of
the States compliance with his recommendation Of
January last that the State should cede TO the city the
very property in dispute. The manner in which he
has stultifed himself in this affair is pable indeed
Some one asks why the Controller did not interfere.
Ii any one is still deiuded to suppose that Mr..
Flagg s either able or willing to from such
peculatons, he puts his faith on very ra support.
He might as well
Hang his hopes upon .ha. hour
When Mercys self shall wan, the power
To save -
| We have trusted Mayor Tiemann with generous
confidence in his integrity and judgment. How unfor-
tunaely, the above, with many other instances that
might be adduced, will serve to exempGfy. When
weakness dishonesty holds the pursestrings, char
tered enac.men,s seem TO have restraints common
sense and decent prudence disregarded the very
vitals OF onr strength and life great city being
| gnawed away by the vutures of party and the COM
monwealth TO be cas-, ont carrion fl only
| ofral for the scavengers IL there 10 be end OF
! this A TAx-PAfER.