New-York daily tribune., 1863-10-27

| liability to pervert the resources Oh charity W
serve the purposes Of party; and, by experience
of the world, beyond any Of the numerous arts
of deception or alurement which never fail TO
follow and surround tho discretionary disburse-
ment of public money. In word, our very
best men should be selected as the trustees Of
the appropriation made for the relief OF the fam
lilies of absent soldiers-for, from the very ma
ture of the case, there is no possibility OF any
check over their wrong doings, if they see fit to
do wrong; no system Of accountability by which
they can be reached, If guilty Of malversation Of
their trust.
| Suppose council Of bankers, merchants and
propcrty.hoders should he called, and that on
their meeting this address were made to them:
Gentlemen, you have been invited together
to agree upon the names Of four citizens who
are TO be intrusted with the absolutely dis
cretionary disbursement Of some three or four
millions of dollars. They are to give this
money, on certain established principles, to
class of persons entirely destitute entirely g-
norant. You will see, therefore, that IL the
disbursing officers are dishonest, the Interested
benciiciaries can be cheated without fear or
stint. If the disbursing officers be partisan or
corrupt, how fearful ia the power they are thus
endowed with! You are men who have had
large pecuniary and other dealings with onr
citizens. II is for you to say, from your JOINT
experience. where you can find four men so
frugal in their habits that they can subsist upon
quarterly salary of S225 (S75 per month";;
while so strict in their principles OF integrity
that they can safely be intrusted with the dis
orc,ionary disbursement Of about hall million
each per annuml'
This question might prove to conscientious
men one not quite easy to be consceniiouSiy
answered There would he long discussions oi
names, characters and antecedcnts. To lind pa
trio,ic men retired from active business aud
willing to devote Themselves TO the duty a. II
labor of love- might be very possible; but To
find men to whom the salary of SO per month
would he m object, who, at the same time'
could be safely nirustcd with the unchecked
disbursement Of hundreds Of thousands of dol
lars, might not bc easy. Let us be under
stood We are no, citing poverty or moderate
income a. any argument against The strc,rst IN
| tcgrty: nor wealth and IA vast fortune already
made IN business a. proofs OF upnghtness. Far
/ from Il. In the world a. constituted. the hon
richest; the richest not always the most honest
| But il i. sound legal maxim. and has always
20 been held. that pcrsons holding large fdu-
ciaJy trus,-eycn tellers OF benks, and Others
oWr whom the s'ric,es, system of check IL ex-
orci-ed at the close OF each days labor-should
b. allowed salaries placing them above any
ordinary temptation TO be dishonest Such H.
duciary agents are selected after years OF ap-
proved and honorable service. Their habits are
scrutini,ed; their associations kept in view; and
IN. compensation given To them is sufficient for
all tho reasonable wants and many Of tho super
fui,ies Of life
But while bankers. merchants and property
holders are thus puIIlng aud wrangling over the
names OF the four proper ihen to be selected for
tho irresponsible disbursement, Of millions OF the
public money. lc, Us turn 10 the report Of Con-
troler brennan for the first quarter Of the
present year (Document No. Of the Board OF
Councilmen, April q, 1859, and see how the
matter Is disposed q. Mr. Michael j. Ryan is
the Assistant Treasurer OF The fnnd for the re-
lief ofihe families Of Absent Soldiers for the lVth
Senatorial District. embracing the fir,i Second,
Third, Fourth. Fiilh, Sixth, seventh, Eighth
! and Fourteenth WARDS; and his disbursements
] Ct .f tho
foo, 40 no less than $lO9,900, together with
.2sJ for his own very moderate salary, and
,.lOg fur room.clcanng, coal, wood, and other
EXPENSE For the With Senatorial District,
embracing the Twelfth, Nineteenth. Twentieth.
Twcniy-iir.t and Twenty Wards, the
'di.burang officer IL Mr. Daniel Kennedy,
and the di.bursemcnts in this district for the
period named reach the respectable. sum OF
slJ5 ,OoD, exclusive of Mr. Daniel Kennedy
salary. roomr.nt, clcrk-hirc, and other expenses.
In the yllh Senatorial District, We have, in
the first quarter of the prcscntyear, no less than
three di-bur-iug officers, showing how plentiful
.l us' men are among us. We have Mr.. \. A.
D,nman, who gives away $1,000, only charg-
ing ,2i 10 for his trouble; Mr.. Richard Barry, for
morly known AZ Dick" Of the Board OF Alder
men, who dishurscs another $40 600 oithe public
money, taking as his reward but S3l A.; and a
\ Mr.. n. Quackenboss, who distributes $50, O0O
for personal compensation Of only
$75 per month. The total disbursements i'll
this District, therefore, for the first quarter OF
the current year, arc so, 600, exclusive OF sala.
i ries clerk hire meaacnrer.hire rnnm. .rcni and