New-York daily tribune., 1859-01-07
I TIE JOIHT COMMITTEE on ACCOUNTS
FOR 1853.

r. a< Faitor Of TAe " Y. Triosse.
SIR; A serious emb,rra.-ment under which this
Committee atored was he system of n-potsn pr Sc
tied by toe osjony IN the aDpoiomen Of subordinate
ce,ks Trey should have been seectei by the psIsoo
p aced at tie tesd o: tie work Nho would have been
ted re porsible or their eicetcy. So grevoas were
tire Arnoyaoces f. IN thi- and other TIE heal
employees were oonpele 20 seu1 IN tseir regnsons,
std could no, be induced wIthraS them un'l cer-
tain resolution prepared by themselves were adopted
b, the Committee.
In the abferce Of Of the deputy collectors CON
den.ers it was rece.sary in Oroer 10 audit their ac-
couns TO have access 10 their returns Of the money
collected on each asss ssuent li.t which they
quifed by Law 70 make the head Collector, to be
deposited hy him in the Fnsnoe Department, where
ttey should BE- carefully preservcd. When we applied
for tben, a fertemsu ~ho beld on important position
in that department introduced Us 10 pile OF papers
lyrg on the foor covered With dust, exposed to dep
lecstiops and to ebch little 10 oportance see de1
10 be attached. careful examination revealed the
fact hst ietuiI cr ceTtsu sssessuensts were missing
srd that the missing returns related TO the lists on
Which large dcfcieIce5 appearei. The Finance De-
parment cannot properly audit the accounts of Col
ectos d smeLts athOut the returns in question:
Ii is reasonable therefore, to suppose that that import
ant duty has been neglected for the last Fix or eight
yenrs ence y loose aud careless in whichthe-e
important papers were permitted TO lie about the ofhce
- Of no value. They bad DO, been long n the Com
nittee room when the gentleman who Represented
them as yalueless either by intuition or the ed Of
rotcal fienos discovered the fact that they not
only Of great Importance, bat tbs he ws taer proper
custodian whercashe had nothing more to do with teen
off Tally tban the IN tue moon Tcey were given to
him, however, uigen; was be- and when, few da's
aficrwaId &c applied to for few particular ones,
we were told they had been sen. to the bnderyi tas
they belonged 10 tho lead Collector, aud would De
returned to him wien bopnc. have minutes Of what
trsuspred at that interview. fLey are too lengthy
for newspaper article, but ye'y spicy. Tee story
that lie returns had been sent away TO Je
bound was discredited sud something was sa'd
about complaining to the District Attornsy
Of an e. atlempt 10 Withhold important testimony.
After sperdug nearly whole day IN the nesotist on,
al TIE returns excep. tie nsscg before reerrei
TO were sent to our room, and We were gwen 10 un-
dentaLd sc coald retain Il I'm IS hong as We Desired
Ii Wa my intention 10 lay the case before tae Dis
tct Attorney the following day, 10 see some dc as
ures could be takeuo preserve the papers IRON further
depreciation; bat on Ey arrival a. our room, about
~ ocock was told the Street Commissioner had de-
naIdei ana o5taDsd possession OF them.
These Ieurts are valuable testimony IN any civil OF
criu,s acton which m.y be brossht against deia 1t
II 2 col ectors and their cepulies.
| row coqe TO the time when the frat report vas
prepar,d setting forth as far bad gone the con-
ditioD Of the accounts Of III. El"ards and deputies
SorLe members of the Committee insisted that Oil
FL parfe report un'ar; that shOald open Cout
sud summon before ne the parties implicated t. siYe
them chance TO explain. ltwas apparent thai the
o,iect was Delay M Ejwsrds and depates kGe" ;
h1g time p.eyious that their accouots were beng
apd,ttd. Tney kn,w their condition, aud II eKpaua'
tiops could have benefited the q, ample Opportunity
wss given to make them.
As 10 the uuf.rness Of making partial report Or
Chi. accountant. we've well able - discnminI.e be
tween clercs. euOrs aDt euors that seemed 10 De
cb1otic. Il DO excuse to say, t9ough tn~y were
c,fcisot on one apparent lit, It uig1t appear on
ia al auditing Lat the deficiency had been made good
I'll moneIt Collector fails q re urn and account 'cr
every dollar received by him. that moment he violates
bis oath, and is liable TO n3ictn7lt
The report was fualty presented and published. The
EMPLOYEES sere then directed to flush the auditory OF
those stcn.ps and slso that OF Joseph 4. rayof a.
the earliest omerr. Tney we're completed sni re-
pom va, prepared 10 time for the muncipil eecIoa
ip De, emoer. but the majority would not preseni H.
nor vas il nade Iub &c til gave Il t)t,s press
Ip,opo,e in my reNt describe The work pert rned
.d m, unrper in which the Common Cenuch sp-
pIecIsted it. J.NL' M N"'