New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-04-30
GIDEON j. TUCKER on Supplies"

To as E1.te, II TIN Tr's1ns
SIR: You have been grossly misnforned as to the
circumstances of the refusal OF the Legislature, or
sther Of the Assembly Committee of Ways and
Means to vote the usual supplies for this office at the
ecent session.
In your editorial of to-day, you state tina, " asked
for g 500, kis gear, for clerk-hire asked the
Committee of Ways and Means only for 81 5Oo for the
remaining five months of this fiscal year ITO October
H. and for s. 600 for the Het fiscal year roin octo-
Der 1859 TO October, 1861. also explained fully,
and As supposed satisfactorily TO the Chairman OF
that Committee the necessity for this appropriation,
SLowng that the office would be crippled, ana the
cspying and publication OF The Session Laws retarded
az is now the case without 1t. AM informed by Gen
DIIyea that the Chairman never laid my statement
before the other members of the Committee. The
Legislature in 1853 had voted 81 700 for the same I'VE
month"; Of that fiscal year. For iSo' there was voted
r. 80 - that the amount asked for and was refused
was unusually small. reference to every spproprla-
ton and supply bill for ten years past will show that
none of my predecessors within that period, has car
ned the work Of his office with only " 9o, (which
you assume to say is " sufficient tor cierk-hre.
But you have been still grossly msinformed If
you had any information at all upon which TO base
your statement that number OF clerks while draw
I" ing pay from this Department have been for months
absent from their posts, serving their party by editing
its shabby newspapers, or otherwise. have never
hal but two editors clerks in my office; they were
EN- poyed as temporary clerks in busy seasons. and
they have been among the most faithful ami laborous
of my force. do not know how you have fallen INTO
this strange blunder but very little inquiry of per-
cons who have had business with this office VIII con-
vince you that you have done il and me great MUS
tce.
| ask place for this communication in your col
umns. GIDEON j. TUCKER,
tlbaav April Is 1859 Secretary Of State
mr.. Tucker does not fairly represent what We
said, and does not meet the points raised. For iu-
stance we did not assume to say that 81 900 was
sufficient for clerk-hire in the Secretarys office but
that S. 600 ought in our judgment, to be sufficient,
and based the opinion the fact that 81 HO Is the
sum fixed by statute, and that the Department had
been successfully carried by former Secretaries with
the latter sum- while charged with the care OF the
Department Of Public Instruction Had the Secretary
extended his researches little further back than ten
years. he would probably have found the facts -
stated Such men " s. Benton, Samuel Young,
j. c. Spencer and Christopher Morgan, managed the
Office with one Deputy Secretary of State, one De-
putty Superintendent Of Public Schools, and two
Clerks Mr. Tucker, relieved of the Department Of
Public instruction, has according to the Manual, one
Deputy and six Clerks. He is also understood TO
have two or three hapgers.on drawing pay from the
State, whose names do not grace the Red Book.
Mr.. fuckers letter represents The TRIBUNE as
making the assertion, that "a number of clerks
"wbile drawing pay from the Department, have
" been for months absent from their posts
&c. What did say was to the effect that,
had the Secretary given the information called
for BY the Assembly's resolutions, " such ufor-
{" nation would possibly have revealed the fact
that a number Of clerks" sc.
The Secretary Of State must be aware land he is
not it s because he is not well.infomed on the sub
iect that it quite openly charged at Albany that
his clerks or some of them, we're drawing pay from
the State Treasury without rendering adequate SER
vice therefor. He must also be aware that In conse-
ouenoe of such charges his political friend, Mr..
Rutherford introduced into the Assembly resou-
ton requesting the Secretary Of State to communicate
to the House certain information in regard to the
clerks in his Office Us follows
F,.t The name ard former residence Of all the clerks
poyd In his department from the 't day OF January 10 M
M DAY March, a specifying the and number in each
month during that time the salary month paid
Sseond The sotusy employed By each Of ssd CLERKS
drrns the ,us each
month employed when they have received py for the whole
TaTd. Whether any Of said CLERK. have, during the time
CLERKS.
FOuss Whether any clerks received their monthly
salaries without rendering any srr,io. therefor. .
FIN The difference between the amount OF clerk hire In hs
S1tA The paid and whom for indexinz Session
Lava SUD whether the ~ eI
ployed receipt of sssry not aud 60 the amount on
sa;a salary
This resolution seeming q little invdious, on the mo-
ton Of Mr. Scholefed, Republican member, 1t wss
amended so as to include in the call for information
the Controller Attorney General Treasurer, Auditor
Of the Canal Department, State Engineer and Sur
yeyor, Superintendent Of the Bank Department Su-
permit enden of Public Instruction, Clerk OF the Court
VI Appeals and Canal Appraisers and IN that form 1t
was passed on the l4h Of March, 10 due time, salts
factory replies received from all the State officers
except Mr. Tucker who for probably sstisfac-
tory 10 himself refused answer these pointed queries
II Common rumor had misapprehended the true state
Of the case in regard Mr. Tucker and his clerks he
had an excellent opportunity for setting himself right
before the public in an official form. The fact that
ae did not avail himself of that privilege will doubt
less have its proper weight on the public mind, not
witbstahdng oil the special pleading Of the Secretary
Of STATE. The plea that copies OF avs cannot be
promptly furnished because of the lack Of the neces
sary clerical force in the Secretary of States Office, is
the nerest bosh and twadds. II there i. fact
notorious than any other at Albany, II - that sol.
ierng among the clerks is the characteristic feature
Of the Secretary OF States ohice A. an illustration
OF the state of things in that Office while Mr. Tucker
Is complsnins though the Albany correspondent Of
the Associated Press ssd the editorial columns Of TIE
Journal II Comneree, of the Legislature for no,
voting larger extra supplies his chief clerk, instead
Of attending 20 he duties in furnishing copies Of the
recen, laws for which there seems to be such an eI
trsordnsry demand, has been quietly enjoying him
set n tai. City for whole week past. Ed. Tr'b.
MARRIAGE AsD LosGLyITY.-Nr. FAR, fis;in