New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-03-18
Oar City Tax-Onces at Albany.

To The Edt0- Of Ire ". D. lrtobHo'
SIR There is annually budget Of schemes
sent up to the Legislature to be passed into laws for the
benefit of this city, In this years budget is
biz now before the Assembly, the object of which is
10 abolish the Tax Office and then TO reorganize 1t by
the appointment Of new set Of Tax Commissioners.
Frs, Ivy way OF whipping the Constitution ronnd the
stump the bin proposes TO create commission to be
composed Of Andreas Wiilrnann, Supervisor; W. {
Conner, County Clerk, and W. II. Gedney Aldermani
with the express uetar ding that they are to appoint
Amor j. Williamson. Josiah W. Brown ard James NJ
Thomson, Tax Commissioners. Now let ne ask wia'
will ne gained by the passage Of this bill what good VIII
come OF it, what party will il subserve. what citHeh
OF taxpayer viii 1t benefit or what pnphc IN
terest wiz it promote. I answer 1t WIZ pro
mote no interest but the personal interest oi
those who are 20 hold the positions inc on
will create 1t does not require the aid OF neSionhnc
60 ei able person well acquainted with new i9fk -
cians 70 understand the and object OF thl- DILL
The fact H. Messrs. Williamson AID Brown are over
anxious to be again TaI Commissioners; ttey mace
most strenuous eIertioIs last wear 10 ger b through
Tie Legislature 10 extend their term Of Office they then
undertook to hold over by an appeal 10 the ootds, III
both OF which however, they most sgnaly illeo Ih u
but another attempt then part 70 recover 70
coveted positions. Now do these gentlemen realI! eS
poct the Legislature VIII pass this bi for them stand
ing The record they madeduriDg the I'VE Year, inc!
the frivolous Plea they OiIer, that things are unset
wrong and out Of jOint In the Tax once. IL ~ any
time things unsettled in the Tax once, dh teS
not do more than anybody else TO unseite men 10
books or records have been distracted from the once
and carried of since they eft. There has been no tae
Of subordinate Offices appointments Tor toor an!
other sums and no baokmai!ng since the IIeseh'
COMM toner's have had control 81 the once Ihtre
is no one there to negotiate matters or THIS KIND
Charley Mcneil 10 not an aitsehe OF tie Assessment
Bureau on the other side ofthe hail No one Co'in,
.srv "a, tf.1 IN
patronage Of the Office. and OF the same time Tor he
credit OF the Office. obliged 10 DO The work and as
charge the duties Of three Last year these men Wen'
before the Legislature 10 obtain tie passage OF p ior
m ex;en On 81 their term Of Office Prominent among
the they offered for is passage was that o the
merits Of Mr. Allen, able and eficient tx Com
missioner wisely keeping their own merits IN tie back
ground. lie then they represented the case could
not be spared from the Tax Office. Now change has
come over the spirit Of eT dreams. the wind blows IN
the opposite direction. Mr. Allen Is neither fit TO be
Tax Commissioner, nor worthy 10 Lo.d any oiher Po
sition.
they peti,oned In favor Of the bin then before the leg
islatre this year, in large Plumbers the same men
petition against the passage OF the bin now before The
seems after GIL thnt the people understand ther own
business last year the people petiuoned the
in favor Of the bin 70 extend the terms Of The lax
Commissioners mainly To secure the services oi MI
Allen ia tie Tax Office; this year they petition the Leg
il ature 10 let the Office remain il IT, IN order 20 re-
tain tie services Of Mr.. Allen and in this there Is no
Y,
that NJ Allen betrayed lis associates, and zen went
so far as TO imprison Mr.. Williamson. Mr.. Allen dld
nothing q the kind be went with them last year Tor
the BIZ until II lost; then the programme changed
on the pcpuar tide which run in bis favor; the Con
t-ollcr reappoinied Mr.. Allen Tax Commissioner
Messrs. Williamson and Brown finding themselves ON
in the cold undertook to hold over they contested tho
claims of Messrs Purser and Woodruff, and an appeal
was had TO the courts. Mr.. Allen was out OF the con
test he being secure in bis Place let the conIoy,Iy
terminate he 1t would. Mr.. Williamson was bea'cn
and The Court issued IL mandate requiring him 10 re
tnrn to the new appontees the books he had spirited
Nom TIE Office or e !, at en 40 'h from lG
arty atoms There NAV he force In this sreu-
inenf; If 20 the Legislature viii not egislate Messrs
Williamson and Brown back into thciT Old position but
will appo,t. cse 20 be appointed. three, OF al least
two good substantial Republicans on whom reliance
can Ne placed. NJ Williamson is nj best but shaEy
Republican; he has been all round the hedge. from
Silver Gray OF "A strong pro Slavery stripe down
through the Know Noihing concern into certain wei
known clique where he has brought up at last win
he Republican parry gain anything by exchanring MI
Allen for Mr. williamson Mr.. Brown is II Democrat
"a deep-dyed Hulker Democrat Of the Fernando Wood
school. WIN the party gain anything by swapping M
Purser, whatever may be his party afinities for him
Ar. Thompson has lately been appointed HarbOr.
Master this. doubt, meets lis appreciation, and Of
course with 1t lie is satisfied. The Whole thing then
resolves itself IL this: some twelve 81 fifteen Replol'
cans one OF whom ~ worth more 20 the party than
| ever Mr. Williamson was must be .egislated out If
Office to make for him, with his salary raised, and
the Whole Tax Office turned over into his handt for the
next five years. this foT the benefit Of the Kepubd
can Party and for the public good. IIs not surprising
that the people protest against the passage OF this bill
When the bureau for the collection of Assessments wac
stricken from the bin the last hope the people had
TINT anything good would come Of y, was gone.
Again. place the valuation Of property and the coli
lection Of taxes under one head VIII encourage rather
than prevent fraud. Then, again, II reform Is de-
manded aid really desired Why first q all Gsseil the
Tx Object Why not strike al once at the rotten de-
parrlcns Of the City Government The Tax ONCE is
well managed. never better conducted than now; the
Office about equally divided between Republicans and
Democrats, il is not parisan-nevcr was, and never
should be; and II the other departments OF tie CITY
Government ere as well managed as the Tax Oihce,
there would be necessity for change, aud none would
be desired