New-York daily tribune., 1861-08-27
A mONaTROUs Jon.

"Rogues," o. tho Spanish proverb says, "neY-
Z" er sleep "a fact nov In course OF illustration
among a. by the exploitation OF scheme nav
ing for it's immediate object to steal S2oO,OOo
out Of the City Treasury aud with the money
thus acquired to make unlimited peculatioh not
only possible, but part of thoroughly organized
system. for the future. Take 1t for all in oil,
the plot is more Asgrant in itself, and more
menacing to the best interests OF our city in Its
uti,oate consequences, than any we have known
durin. pretty severe experience of political
rascalities. In order to expose the larger rami-
fcatiohs of this conspiracy and thereby do our
utmost toward Its defeat the following brief
statement must suficei
A Special Meeting Of the Board Of Aldermen
was called together last Wednesday evening, on
a requi.iton purporting to be signed by a
majority of the Board, consisting OF Aldermen
Genet, Farley, Smith, Charles j. Chip, Cornell,
Boole, Henry, Allen, and Russel-.ths requis-
ition having been Issued by Mr.. Valentine, Clerk
of the Common Council on call signed per-
sopay by three Of the Aldermen nSmed, and
with six other signatures appended BY Alderman
Charles J. Chip Of the Ninth Ward, Coal
dealer, who stated that be had been authorized
by the City Fathers whose names he used, to
affix their signatures.
The nominal object Of this Special Meeting
was for the purpose OF considering the pro-
priety Of amending the ordnance providing
I" aid for tho families Of Volunteers" but go lit
tie was this the true object, that when the Board
came together, no reference whatever was made
10 the matter until just as the meeting wa, about
| TO dissolye--whes Alderman Genet stated curtly
| in reply to Alderman Boole, that the pretended
subject Of the call was q humbug and thit-as
all present very well knew" The Common
(" Council could not legally alter or amend
" the ordinance recently passed creating the
"' Volunteers Family Aid Fund without i'm.
"pairiDg the fsish Of the city pledged Tor the re-
80 demption Of the stock"
This being Alderman Genets decision, il might
be asked, we're he 40 ordinary man, Why he had
been first TO sga the requisitlon for Special
Meeting, well knowing rs be did that no action
could be taken. But this alderman, as the po-
lice and public are aware, is not al ordinary
man by any means; and when We consider tho
multiplicity of his engagements In the way Of
cock-fehting, rat-kllIing, boxing matches on the
race-course and elsewhere, together with the more
Exciting sport Of decoyIng unprotected females on
board bis yacht-it must be seen at once that be
cannot properly be judged by any Of the ordinary
standards Let us drop circumlocuton, there
fore, and state at once that the real object of
the meeting was developed when Alderman
Terence Farley, against whom several lhtrled
indictments are still peudng, moved for the ap.
pointInent of twenty-five Street-opening Commits
sions, his motion being adopted by the following
vote:
YEAs-Aldsrusn Saith, Russell Frvsr BOOis, Ale, Farley,
Genet snd CH,HLxs ). Carp.
HAis-hdeImsn Dayton sad Froment
We shall now explain as briefly as possible
what these Commissions are; what ends are
hoped to be accomplished by the patronage thus
created; how much money is likely to 10 eI-
pended in them and what class of "the unem.
ploy ed poor" are TO derive benefit from this
last exhibition Of Alderrnanic public spirit:
Each Streetopening Commission gives en-
ployment to three Commissioners at 81 pei daily
session, making 81 200 year, together with
occasional extra charges in each case for carriage
hire and 4" incidentals;" also, to one Clerk at
tho san salary, said Clerk having liberty, like
wise, t. make out bills for " stationery" against
the city, I'D Hbitam; also, TO one Surveyor, the
only officer who has any pretense of real work
to do in the whole business, aud whose charges
usually range from $500 to 81 900; Also to an
aristocratic Bill-poster," who receives from
$40 to 800 for doing nothing; while, finally.
from $500 to $500 annually is thrown as "Room.
" rent for the Commission" into the pocket of
who may be relied upon to do the square thing
" in dividing"
The daily sessions OF these Commissions are
daily farces, the members charging "a per diem for
their services, whether present or absent. Numer.
ous cases can be pointed out in which Commission.
ers have received payment for three hundred and
thirteen sessions in the course Of a year, some OF
them acting as members Of two, three, or four
Street-Openngs ati the same time, and receiving 81
daily from cach although il has been quite motor.
ious that they have not beon within hundred
miles ofsMsuhattan Island, during eight or nine
months Of the time 80 paid for out of the City
Treasury.
In plain language, each Commissioner.hip is
q sinecure worth, with its incidentals," not
less than 81, 400 year-thus giving, with three
Commissioners to each case, sirty.six handsome
snecures on the twenty-five Commissions in
cluded in Alderman Farley's motion. Each
Clerkship is substantially sinecure of the same
value, the Assistant Counsel to the Corporation
acting rs Clerk to very many at the same time,
and also making other charges for room.rent,