New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-02-12
THE HON. HORATro N. SHERWOOD


1t appears from the report Of II. N. SchieGe-
lin then Collector of Assessments, dated June
10, 1853, and transmitted to the Common COun-
ell June III OF the same year, by Edward Cooper,
then Street Commissioner, that Mr. Ira Z. Libby.
Deputy Collector Of Assessments under Collector
joseph Il. Taylor, was found by Mr.. Schiefeiiu
to be defaulter on the face of his accounts TO
the amount of $85, 1908 SO. Deputy Collector
W. Oakley appeared in the same manner to be
in arrears to the city in the sum of S70,527 80;
while Mr.. Horatio N Sherwood, now member Of
Assembly, but then Deputy Collector appears
also as defaulter to the neat and respectable
little amount Of S490l3 5l-these three officials,
on the face OF their accounts, thus showing an
aggregate default of 520i, $50 l9-Mr. Schiefeln
adding in bis report that the cOndensers
" account books of Messrs. Libby and Sher-
Z" wood, Deputy Collectors, have been taken
- array from The office. Whether they would also
81 show any further dcfch than is shown by their
" account-bOOks cannot say"
1t may be well to add that Messrs. Libby and
Sherwood, in refusing to surrender their COO
densers aud other public records Of the Bureau
of Assessments, when called upon so to do by
Mr. Edward Cooper acted SO openly in violation
Of law that even the lax official morality OF tho
then Corporation Counsel, Richard Busted.
could not be brought to sustain their acts 81
:" am of the opinion, writes Mr.. Busted, under
date of May. 6, 1853, that neither the Col
/" lector of Assessments nor Deputy Collector Of
4" Assessments has the right on removal from
e L tLa IA
Livery of unccllected assessment lists, or any Of
+" the books and papers appertaining to has Office"
Nevertheless, and in the face of repeated de-
mands by Street Commissioner Cooper and his
successor Street Commissioner q. w. Smith.
both defaulters have refused down to this day
SO far as We have any knOwledge-to surrender
to the Street Department the books and papers
which must still be in their possession, II they
have not been Yiifuly destroyed.
II is claimed confidently by the friends OF
Messrs. Libby, Sherwood, Taylor aud Oakley,
that Controller Haws, after a private examina-
ton Of their accounts, has satisfied himself In
some peculiar manner that the various defaults
were not defaults at ALL and that, acting upon
this faith, he has given all four gentlemen clean
bills of financial health pulling down thereby
the flag Of pecuniary quarantine hOsted over
them by the Street Department, and allowing
them to NIX in with the other fast-SaiiBg craft
Of the city, as if nothing bad ever been tho
matter with them. But this action on the part
of Controller Haws is very difficult either to
credit or account fOr-tLe Street Department
properly having charge Of the affairs OF tho
Bureau, and no evidence having yet reached that
Department of nature 10 justify the alleged
action of the Controller.
Under these circumstances, it is, perhaps, lit
tie to be wondered at that for the last three
sessions of the Legislature, persistent efforts
have been made to wrest this bureau from the
Street Department, and transfer its direction to
the Department Of Finance; and that finally ono
Of the deiauting Collectors, in his eagerness to
acknowledge the Controllers generosity, should
have procured his election TO the Assembly, ap-
parently for no other object than that of lobby.
ing through this particular scheme Under tho
Street Department, as managed since tue termi-
nation of the Deylu and COnOyer controversy,
one Collector of Assessments, Mr.. Scbieleln,
cleared up all the business of his Office in sn-
gle day, banding over to his successor, Dir. Del
ayan all his books and papers aud accounts in
good order; and Mr.. Delayan, on being suddenly
promoted 10 higher Office performed simi arly
surprising feat by surrenderiDg the Bureau in
perfect order and with all It's balances arranged to
his successor, Mr.. Jonathan TrOtter, the present
Collector, at few hours notice. We learn that
petition is now being signed by the largest ana
most influential taxpayers of the city, without
respect to party, protesting against any disturb
ance Of the Bureau in question.