New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-10-31
CONTROLLER CHURCH PLUNDERsNs'
THE TREAsURY.

The Atlas and Argus, ana olhel uns'iuPu4o"'
DREAMS of the Lecompton Democracy in this
state. continue to declaim upon =" Republican
sextrayagance. and Republican punderers,
in a style which would seem to Indicate that
they have an abiding faith in the efficacy of
their often-tred cry of 81 stop thief" as means
of covering up the delnqueucies of their own par
tisan officials. Just now, they are making passion
ate appeals to the people to retain Mr. Sanford l..
Church, gentleman whom they commend tor q
model of immaculate financial and political purity,
as the guardian Of the State Treasury. Whether
this special audation of Mr.. Church arises from
conviction on the part of his supporters that his
character needs more bolstering than those OF
his associates on the Democratic state
ticket, We will not undertake to say;
but We feel quite willing to trust the Judgment and
good sense of the Electors of the State to decide
AZ To the relative merits and fitness OF Sanford r..
Church and Robert Denniston, both of whom are
somewhat known to the public, as financial agent
of the State The people are already tolerably
well acquainted with Mr.. Churchs little extra
charges against the State while filling the oiiice OF
Lieut.. Governor, and others growing out OF his
election to that important position, such as draw
ing mileage twice for one journey from Albion 10
Albany-once as member of the Canal Board ana
once as a Commissioner of the Land Office. But
the public are probably not as familiar with Mr.
Church's labors at Albany last Winter for the re-
lief of the Bank of Orleans and himself from their
lust Indebtedness to the State. We WILL therefore,
4 e off,fr in fha hnn
that it may throw some light on the question OF
Mr. Church's financial genius.
In 1854, the Bank of Orleans received on deposit
from the State $50 00Oof premium on the loan for the
completion of the Canals; which sum, with It's ac-
cumulated interest, now amounts to something more
than sos. 600 The sureties for the repayment OF
this money to the State were Messrs. Sanford +.
Church. Henry A. King, and Willis p. Collins. The
Bank failed leaving its sureties to pay this debt
Meanwhile, certain persons in Orleans County en-
tered claim against the State for the Appropriation
of property temporary occupation of property, and
injury to business, by the enlargement of the Erie
Canal also, for damages to certain mills, and In
terruption of business by reason of break in the
Canal in 1856, amounting in all to $50, 600 or SiO-
or its sureties by parties indebted to the nsttu-
ton. The Canal Appraisers, whose duty it Is, I'M
der general law of the State, to investigate claims
of this character, and assess damages, where the
facts warrant them in so doing, met once TO eX-
| anime this claim; but the claimants, for reasons
| known TO themselves, ard which may perhaps be
suggested to the reader by the sequel, declined
| to 20 before the Board with their case.
Accordingly, Messrs. King and Collins, two of the
suretes of the Bank, pettioned the Legislature at
its last session for the passage OF act for their
relief" while the other surety, Mr.. Sanford f..
| Church, remained in the background TO draw the
! bill and engineer it through the Legislature. He
performed his part of the programme by drawing
up a bill providing that the Canal Commissioner in
| charge OF the western division of the Erie Canal,
the Attorney General and State Engineer and sur
veyor, or majority Of them, be required to ascer-
tain the nature and character of all claims against
the State held by the Bank its sureties and TO
arprase and certify the to the Auditor OF the
Canal Department The Auditor of the Canal De-
partment was by the bill required, upon the receipt
of such certificate, to credit the amount awarded
to the Bark and indorse the same upon its bond,
and. as Nj Churchs bill concludes, "such credit
- and Endorsement shall be deemed full payment
and satisfaction of all said claims SO certified, to
- the extent of such debt"
By the shrewd management of Mr.. Church. this
bill passed the Senate without attracting particular
attention, and was sent to the Assembly, where it
was referred To the Committee of Ways and Means.
Mr. Conklng. the Chairman of that important
Committee. a gentleman who rendered the State
good service by his efforts 10 stop sundry leaks in
the Treasury during the past Winter, scrutinized
the bill, and was not particularly pleased with it,
though assured by Mr.. Church that it was all
right" as he knew, for he had drawn it himself.
Notwithstanding these of the Controller,
the Committee overhauled the bill and amended it
in several particulars such substituting the Au-
ditor of the Canal Department as one of the ap-
praisers in place of Mr.. Tremain; making the
award subject to appeal to the Canal Board, as in
cases of awards made by the Canal Appraisers
(Mr. Churchs bill made their award inal); re-
curing the attendance of the Accomplishment
at the investigation to examine Witnesses, &c, on
behalf of the State, and several other amendments
looking 20 the protection OF the interests of the
people. These amendments were obviously just
and necessary that they were unanimously agreed
10 by the Committee OF Ways and Means. Subse-
ouenfly, the bill was referred II that beautiful III