The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-05-03

be more at home than In the arid mains ~
science.
Moro Csspos atisn Frauds,
The joint committee Of the Common Couu-
ell, which has been, during several month"; a.
gagged In examining into the numerous csses AZ
city defalcations, has, II SCENE, only Just com
menocd Its work. Like the industrious Cshfor-
nian miners, this committee Is opening new velss
and striking novel placers every day; and y
will soon appear plain to the people that the
Developments Of public fraud, robbery, ohioa-
merry and corruption already made are but
trifing when compared with those which this
devoted city hes reslly suffered.
1t will be remembered that short time
since . small nugget. of the value OF nine thou
ssnd dollsrs; wss found in the pocket of Hesyy
Erben-sn upright reformer, stern In his insee-
rity as q Roman father. This was discovered
In excsvating aad ventilsting the extension Of
Canal and the widening of Walker street. 1t ID
now stated that there Is a still richer lode Of
corruption undermining the Improvement a
Pearl street and the opening of the new
Bowery. The extent Of the several plsoers In
this new mine has not yet been quite defined. but
they have already netted not less than forty
thousand dollars Iodeed, in the case of any
street opening, your respectable operator win
not look at less than thirty or forty thousand
dollars clear profit from the Job. Anything
less Is low, vulgar, and waste of time.
If the whole Bureau Of Street Improve
ments for the psst ten years should be opened
TO the public, With all its secret history, there
would be such an uprising of popular indigna-
ton az has never been seen before in any civil
lied community.
The community has not forgotten the charm
ing case of Mr.. "Chemung Smith," the coniiden-
tial clerk Of the "watoh-dog of the treasury"
Mr. Comptroller Flagg. 1t will be- remembered
that while the watch dog aforesaid was baskipk
in the warm sun Of Office, or catching flies at
MONDAY, or rubbing his paws over few sbli-
men, other doga younger and hungrier, were
making free with the kitchen, aud selling tho
joints from the spit These circumstances have
opened splendid quartz view fer the miners Of
the Corporation, and those who are nov en-
esged in following up this vein think that, With
Cbemung Smith and all, It will net at least
seven hundred thousand dollars
But these are only small items-drops in the
great bucket Of corruption. If we take short
retrospect, say ten years, and make a cslculs-
ton within bounds, we may safely say that the
amount stolen by Corporation defaulters will not
be less than an average Of two millions per an
mum, or over twenty millions for the whole
time. During that period the amount to be
raised BY taxation has trIpled, and the leading
Items Of excess are precisely those which
give the fIest opportunity for plumber.
Thus the Corporation defaulters and swindlers
have robbed US Of q sufficient sum to lay out
the Central Park, TO build new City Hall, TO
open new Broadway from one end Of the city
10 the other, 10 reiae. sdorn and beauty
the metropolis In every low and infected quAe-
ter-aDd We have nothing to show for the mo
ney-absolutely nothing The Identification Of
the city Is the work of private hands, the streets
aud avenues are only preserved In q moderate
ly clean condition by drafts upon private
purses Every department of the government
Is in q dilapidated condition. The most i'm
portant-thst Of Finance-is in the greatest
disorder. Here we find that some of the
iedeers are twenty-five cent paper books, suoh
IA those with which prudent housewives kece
their butchers tally, and bought undoubtedly
by the Comptroller 10 save the citys money.
His splendid ideas Of economy have opened the
way to scenes of fraud, robbery, plumber and
corruption altogether unprecedented. The con-
fution amongst the books, papers records and
dozen If tho rttv a "a hoyn
ton as II exceeds parallel
With commendable pride In our national
glory we are often given to drawing parallels
between our happy condition and the distressed
state Of the do~n-,rodden millions Of Europe.
Let us for a moment indulge In the luxury
Of q comparison between the government OF
the city Of Paris where "a bloody minded des-
pot" sits upon the throne, and the free city OF
New York, where the people alone are sove-
reign. In ls47-As there was peaceablc revo-
ton la this State. The constitution was
amended, or rather renewed; the city likewise
was established In business, with new charter.
The rule Of democracy was adopted; every do
par'ment was placed under a separate head,
which plan was supposed 10 embody the ocau
deal Of everything that was pure and honest.
About the ZANE time the people Of France
elected Louis Napoleon to be their President
He found the department system In existence,
and speedily instituted one man power by
making himself Emperor. While he did NOT
forget the provinces, he still remembered that
Paris was France lie improved aud beauti-
fed the gay capital 30 tina, II could hardly DO
recognized by its best friends A great park,