The New York herald., 1863-10-27
BOARD OF suPERvIsops.
Full Report Of Tho Comfy Substitute
and Relief Committee.
100000 Appropriated to Provide Substitutes
for the Mex DIait,
60, &C., DC

Tho following report and ordinance were submitted In
the Board Of Supervisors yesterday and adopted
me undersigned committee, appointed by the Board o.
Supervisors In and for the county OF New York, in &C
oordance With an ordinance adopted BY the Board ant
approved by the Mayor August %, lso3 entitled "An
dnance 70 provide for the Of substitutes fo
certain citizens Of the city county Of New York. who
have or may hereafter be drafted to serve in thu
Army Of the Union during the existing war; and for othel
purposes" respectfully
That your committee, Immediately upon the adoption
OF the ordinance entered the OF the
duties assigned and have prosecuted them without inter
mission 70 their final close.
They have found those duties arduous and In some re-
spects intricate and dcult but have completed them In
which the undersigned trust and believe will be
satisfactory 70 your honorable body as vol - 70 our
Tho duties imposed upon your committee were Of q
most delicate and important character, involving the n
citizens well the taxpayers OF the city and
county, and affecting 70 greater or ess degree some OF
Interests your COMMITTEES fe a. every true and loyal
citizen doubtless feels were at this crisis In the history
of country TO be At all hazards dsended protected
and preserved TO the fullest extent and while they be-
eved that certain citizens for the welfare OF their fam
lies and for the safety and good order Of our city and s
eeming population should be relieved from the govern
ment draft and retained among mineterng 70 our
wants and 70 necessities they ss' knew and felt the
st greater importance OF meeting me urgent ;s
rested with the undersigned and at the same time nd
the loyalty and patriotism Of citizens In this the
most terrible and desolatng contest or arms known
with this object constantly In view and governed b7
the loyal sentiments that actuated your honorable
body in appointing us as your committees they believe
they shall not fail to receive approval OF the course
Of action adopted by them and in insisting upon each re-.
eved conscrpt furnishing substitute for the armies OF
the Unon that they shall have mered the full approoa
ton OF the constituency represent and Of the general
Your ordnnnce provides that for tho purpose OF pre-
venting the withdrawal from the city at the present time
Of considerable number OF active abebodied citizens
whose and services deemed necessary FOR
the maintenance OF public order and the security OF its
Inhabitants the Comptroller hereby author ized and d.
reced 10 pay, hereinafter provided. such sum and
money may be to procure acceptable
substitutes not exceeding three hundred dollars for any
who liable under the provisions OF the act OF Congress
passed March g. 1863 TO be drafted into the military ser
vice OF the United States and who may have BEEN or
may hereafter be- actually drafted to serve during the
existing war exceeding three years. that Is to say
/. The active members of the Fire Department who
such on the tenth day Of the present month OF Au
q The exempt members Of the Fire Department who
g. The regular members OF the Metropolitan Police force
residents Of and doing duty In this county.
a. The regular members OF the active militia force o.
The ordinance further declares that whenever any
citizen other than those enumerated In the first section Of
support who are in such ndgent circumstances as TO
qure pecunary assistance, shall be drafted and actually
mustered Into service Aforesaid the Comptroller Is
hereby authorized and required TO 10 addition 10 the
aid provided allowed TO the families OF vOlun
the Soldiers Family Aid Fund Of the Corpora
on Of the city OF New York. the Of three hundred
dollars the to be paid In such instalrens and at
such times In the Judgment OF the Comptroller will
best afford the assstance needed by such family"
Here would TO be amount OF labor laid out for
the action OF the undersigned perpexng in its nature and
almost hercuean In its multarious characteristics in
vovng degree of close application rarely called for from
any legislative committee
But this not all tn imposed upon the under
na no M sc s
inquiries into the condition OF the families OF all INDECENT
persons conscrpcd to the furthesmost point Of nvestga
ton
They therefore adopted rule with especial reference To
indgents, defining what your committee believed to be
the character Of the persons entitled 10 relief under the
ordinance, as follows
l. man having wife and child,
2. man having wife only. w,o .,o vho,,v Al.
wifo Is dead, for svnno,t ~t'A MN
other near relatives, for whom
he habualIy provides,
fined, their first purpose was TO find suitable building
for the performance OF their business This they did BY
taking the Supreme Court rooms, Nos II and % Duane
street, which admirably suited 10 their purpose
But the subsequently requiring these for their
own use your committee wcre after occupying them
some Hvc weeks, compelled TO renqush them, and on
the 10th o. October removed on Broadway near
the OF Reade street. which retained TO the
close Of business. After procuring proper quarters
the FIRST business 10 organize the committee, which
was effected by choosing his Honor the Mayor our
chairman, and Cornelius Corson and @. F. Thompson as
clerks. The official duties OF the Mayor however de-
mandng his constant and unremitting attention his
Office, Super sor Blunt was selected chairman pro
Being fully organized the committee found It necessary
In order facilitate matters to lay out such general
plans CT action would meet every liable 10 be
For this purpose series Of blank forms were hrs pre-
pared as various In their import tho involved
seemed TO require.
The printing several thousands OF each class OF thcee
will create heavy item IN the expenses Incurred but
this could not be avoided for nc progress could possibly
have been made without them.
Your committee also caused numerous handblls or
posters to be distributed throughout the city, for tho pur
pose OF Informing citizens Of the nature of the duties
Of the committee of the Board OF Supervisors calling also
through the same means for ten Thousand substitutes
aud al persons desrous OF becoming such pre-
themselves at the rooms Of the committee where tn, full
bounty of 1900 would be paid.
To these efforts perhaps thnn % any other
may be attributed the attending the action Of
your committee aud the readiness with which conscripts
were enabled to procure the desired Substitutes II i'm
med atey set in active motion Of Der
sons many OF whom were destitute and without any
visible cnp yment, and In too m1ny instances too indo
lent perhaps Ia feek II unless npee bs the
force found In the offer a bourtes % he paid cash
In hand. II brought also many q better cas5 rem the
interior OF this aud other states, creating supply
material far from being oxh,rstel, AMI which has
abcd committee 10 suptly volunteer substitute
nearly ccnscrpt relieved under your ordinance
This fact will doubtless be as gratifying TO houora
bio body as II Is to your committee The andcrssci
adopted the principle and acted up, M that the puverr.
ment wanted men ana not money Ia thcr toad that the
armies OF the tnin he llled ~ that the war
10 be prosecuted with unring vigor that With we'll
filed ranks grand dvisiups march victory
after victory, until tile rebellion nray CT shed and
the Union restored to Its original status
Your committee al the outset Is TIER labrs ircocov-
cred tnat Misrepresentation existed aou tosc
pec,ing relief under your ordracc regard to ,hc frl
OF the same and also the purpose os the com.
mittec appointed by IT. di-ection.
A poor MAJ who had been enrolled seemed % have
formed to idea that he hal hut appear before vcur
committee, relate hs bist0ry ard go flae mIh'isinRu
that he had only ~ brin h1 warrant conln s,yn to
he felievcd pol'cemlu or cHen oHil 90 show that
they bad been aproiuef Stl and the clAscl,s badge
world fDl 10 The ground
But white yonr G umNtae were wc1 disrosed - 30 ~
libcral tie character = the ordnance undef which
they aci'd would allow ,hev cOYi noe accent adopt
any suoh easy process ths end ~ cn-rc1 rer
sous ~ these several classes Who nilf themselves
for relief were pr0mHty Informed nai ,Aef frss duty
g. before Che fur''irr p'.rd ihe fiy their
notice uora te Provost N,rsis' hfc1icf nuo g. hold
Tor service, hcA .icseut hs nsclvos aan tier papers
before your committee
a tA.s rolt the Di1as l'fnf rf rr.i were 20 tn
usci. poor with q family - r,fsn nereons de-
rendirQ on fn fur HurrHri uisnk f.fH Vas hafno-
dAiey flci Ulh Ire several frcts eannectct with ,s
particular CasrvtatiHF ~ rcsii,fre rcc irat'On e1e
wherc n where eslans, ,he number years iestehi
of Tie city, The ana te rn9ticn towards him
OF such aercrfcrts tio amour, q bis etsnlss per week.
wha, suu, IL my. hc bid In reserve, ko u nfier