, 1864-06-21
A SHOCKED COMPTROLLER.
hr. S. S. Hayes Asks for an E1p'anatlaa---3e
receives lt--Authority for Paying
Notwithstanding by ca:a
other--Nho'l pays

5. 8. Hayes, City Comptroller, complains th.
the article in MONDAYS TRr1UE3 under thn c,+,
ton BADLY Shocked" is calculat ed to do him y,
Justice. The ines to which he takea arcco,,o,
are these:
They VIII be shocked when charpes srr nrn.
ns,,3a ~ tnc City Comptroller for Illegal dis.
poslnon o. Inc public moneys. They viii be
enocked when the bondemen Gf that ofacjai ma
caAed upon Tor moneys thus illegally eouauGeredS
ne nave noticed that when any Of Nj. Hayes'
omcaaa ac1s are rcteIted to, he construes the rc-
marx az blow aimed at his Official integrity. So
re Wefe not surprised early yesterday morning to
eskeo 70 exP:ain6the sllusion tn our columns on
doing 80. ~
Some time ago-we can't recall the exact dete
LAT consequence" whcn-the Common Council Of
the city OF Chicago passed IN ordinance appropri-
stsne $lo.to pay the EXPENSES Of 4 war meeting
call for volunteers then j1st issued By tbs Presi
dent. This money the Comptrolle. refused to
psy' because when the order passed the Coun:
vo:es OF az II. Aldermen entitled to
e esats in that body as required BY the Chart =.
Tuerc was quorum present and the ordnance
cisely similar crcumstances, the compensation OF
tue seceeh Organ tor doing the public printing
W1s increased four fold. We haze not the record
8. According 10 the provisions of lhs section Of
the Charer, copied hclow. It shuuld have received
9! least sescnteen votes and VAS 1no2eratl7e il II
did not NoN 1t IL. 10 ssy the leaet somewhat re-
naskablc, lhnt In the former case, when the IN
M telrsts Of the eovernment were to be conserved.
.ee e ws IN s se sss
1ot sailsisnS; poxsltu e eu to s'e''i pressas ss6f
oi he 5s nss4 eaa ssn II q he ls ss
ordinance Was not legally passed. The last was ia
the same condition. II II WAS wrong to pay 800,
many than.snds under pree,sely siiiaf ercams. II nss
s'a1eesf The answe1 IL unaonstedly to be found
10 the fact that The one was intended 10 serve the
was serring the interests Of the rsbe1s and sonr
The following IL the provision of tho charter to
which refe1tnce hasbcen made:
Chapter 4Sect.on 7.-"Upon the passage Of all
ordcrz, ordinances or resolutions appropr1sting
money. imposing taxes, or authorizing The bor.
shs b @ S
::ss IL 1oa1a xii i = - azsssaey g s"tzs ss
Now, We claim thst the vote whereby the CON-
pensation Of the Rebel Organ was enlarged and
Increased, WIS to all intents and puroosc, and in
taa an appropriation; and that at monies paid in
less than majority o! all the dermen voted for
l. II docs not alter our opinion Of the transac-
fon 1hnt pa,tssa Aas9 paixsa Finance
tizan Corporation Lawyer thought otherwiee
There is the plain provision Of the CHARTER which
uot all the opinions IN christc1 dom can gainssY
u overcome. II onr view Of the matter is not
correct. the Comptroner't acton in the 500 case
il yerS singular. to say the least
We give another interesting extract from tbs Re
vierf City Charter, which seems to have consider
able benfir: npon the present discussion:
"Conr. s, Sec. 43-No contract shalt be hereafter
made by The tommon Council, or Any Committee
or member thereof. and no expense shall be- In
cured BY any OF the officers Or departments OF
tatd city government, whether the object Of ex-
pcnditnre shalt ha re been ordered By The Common
dan p,erionav nsade ooneesa!ng sash IL espsna.~
Now. we understand that an appropriation OF
S5,tG0 was made for the payment of the expenses
weeks after this appropriation, upon ihe petition
Of the propei0re Of the rebel shtct the pr1ce for
tteir sefyices wns Increased four fold, but the
We are informed md bclieve 1t to be true that to
meet this large extra expense the Comptroller
hse issued city bonds under the authority con
t,on &c, chapter S, secms TO meet This cas-. Chap
ter s, section 81 aass: Neither tha Common
Co1ncd1 nor any department or officer OF the city,
anything over and abo1e he amount T Provided M iof
in the animal appropriation bill Of that year. ex-
cept as is herein otherwiee specially prov1ded.'
creaee Of compensation to the corporation news
paper. and It Is not 20 pretended. We believe by
any one. The Common counci1. By an Illegal
The Rebel Organ from 5000 to $a0,6M, and this
latt sun, we contend, the ComptolIerh1s In who1o
or part illegally paid. II We are correct in onr
CONCLUSIONS, the money must be refunded By that
officer or his bondsE1en.
Having stated plainly and uDequiyoca1ly our po-
eston, and the grounds upon which We arrive at
our conclusions, It ds but Justice to Nj. Hayes
led:
Mir. Hayes sAys, that 1t the tiuae the ordinance
was psesed, knowing that It did not receive the
minority required BY the charter. he refused to
audls The tirst bill Of orer $9, 900. presented by
the propr1etors Of the JEFF Davis Organ, b1.
lnittee. Our reporter called upon Mr.. Hayes and
with him examined the documents on die In his
Office. The correctness of the bill was certified to
by F: G. Sherman, Mayor, and by John Comtsky
and c. L. .WoodmAn-stRunch friends OF the Rebel
Organ al-Flpance Committee. Mr. Hayes was
Counsel for his written opinion Of the leea1Ity OF
the payment, which that accommodating official
Immediately furnished Nr. UAyes informs III
That this is the corrne Always pursued In his de-
partment when doubtful claim IL presented.
and that in this instance he paid the money, or
Iuled by that Of the Finance Committee, fortified
by the opinion Of the Corporation counsell
Now. we have Just this to say in relation to the
position Of Comptroller Hayes. II the increased
compensstio was Illegally voted in the first 1n-
stance, not Ill the partisan opinions OF al1 the
the face OF the earth would MAKE the payment oi
the money legal. 1t may be that the precautions
he took to eatisty himself that the claim would
hold water, will relieve that gentleman and hi.
bon1snen from Official responsibility. hut thai
he money was illegally paid+ ana that someeody
hoDdrmen, o. the rebel organ+ We presume thert
In little doubt.