New-York daily tribune., 1859-01-11

myth. Some idss of it, condition msy be formed by
the following extract from the report Of special CON-
mittee pre ,sn nted TO the Bosd of Councilmen Oct -
1857:
"The statement marked +, is let OF returns made
TO the Clerk of Arrears from January, 1913, TO De-
cember 1856, from the Office OF Collector OF As.css-
merts. They are seren hundred and ten IN number,
and as shown on the footings made on the returns,
amount to 81 40 46o A. The amount of these returns
should equal the difference between the amount OF
each depoeited with the chamberlain and the
original amount of the assessment Lists. But your
Committee learn that Of these seven hundred ard ten
returns not ore has been officially exanined-in the
Controllers Office; that no attempt has been made 10
audit these accounts. The amounts correct, should
have been charged to the Clerk OF Arrears when
placed in his hands for collection and he held repons
be therefor; but no such charge is made TO him.
Ever since the organization Of this Department bs-
re1u) 10 record Of the returns has been made; 10
charge whatever maze OF the amounts
Oar examination hes revealed the fact that the ag-
gregate Of items which should have been charged to
that officer when he entered upon his du.ies is ovef
81 COO CO., To which must be added the accumula,ion
of four succeeding year, which will make the amount
placed ia tie hands of that officer FOX collection exceed
the sum of 81, 900 600. Not ole dollar Of this vast
amount has bsen legitimately properly charged to
ths. bureau sny book in either department, aud the
Clerk of Arrears, when examined by this Committee,
stated on oath ttst under the present system Pecua
lion in that bureau can never be detected.
Until those returns were properly sadted By our
employees neither the Controller nor hs head book
keersr nor any ether officer of the City Govern nsnt,
ibcludIg tire Clerk Of Arrears himself could tell for
what amount the lsst-naned officer shoud be held
responsible This truly is frghifal Pct IRE; bu' is
the CoLtrolr slone ID be held responsible lis sub
ordinate jus.ed in permitting himself to be used a. an
ir:'rnment to perpetuate error Who adopted the
system. go pregnsrt with evil upon which the affairs
OF tie Bureau Of Arrears have been conducted!
When Mr.. Fagg entered upon his duties q, Con-
oler the affairs Of that Office wers, ompsrativey, ia
healthy state. Their confusion seems to have it,
creased with each successive year. AID has eliminated
in the defacst Of officer - the extent OF $lH,
000 Is Mr.. Flagg alone respocsble because the ac'
counts rendered 70 that Office were not properly audit
ed L. he answ ersbe for tee discrepancy between
the bookkeeper ard stock clerk s 70 the indebtedness
OF the city on stock account an inclined to the
opinion that we have had about as many Controllers
for the last few years as there were clerks in that
office. Let those therefore, who have taken afvsn-
tsge Of the nrmities of age, be, to some extent held
responsible for the wrongs the city ba, suffered
hold that though the accounts of the city should
be kept CT notched stick, honest official will not
rob, nor knowingly permit Others to do 40. Those OF
your readers who are with the examination
OF mystifed accounts csn form correct idea Of tle
nsture and magnitude Of this branch Of our labors
Some fifty books Of records containing many thousand
items were carefully examined, to ascertsn-
|. The amount placed in the hands Of collectors for
collection.
.. TIE amount of moneys collected by them and paid
into the Treasury.
3. Whether the amount Of unpaid items agreed with
bs'ance of their accounts.
and to make correct return OF this amount, With
the nsmes of the deinquents according to law, and
to cba,ge the TO the Clerk Of Arrears. All this
has teen done, in thorough and systematic manner
Every lien for improvements standing az ans property
the original records has been transferred to
books, and properly indexed
II now remains TO examine the credits made by the
Clerk of Arrears aud post them against the delin-
quen,s on the new books. This work "a well as all
that has been done by this Committee, belongs to the
Finance Department. The law gives the Controller
full jurisdiction over all the accounts Of the city, 1t
proper il should be go. The moDeyed transactions OF
the city all radiate toward and center in his office. To
him we look for reliable Information touching the cys
naI cisl affairs and if unts are rendered to him
not in harmony with his system, how is he to know
much less inform others, Of the actual liabilities and
resources of the cty' JAMES NJ. Cross.