The New York herald., 1865-02-18
The Senatorial Invcstigating Conn
mittce.


The committee appointed by the State Senate to nvcs
tigate the affairs Of the ey departments of New York
met pursuant adjournment in the special term room
OF the Supreme Court half past O'Clock yesterday
Judge Edmonds and Mr. Mcdonald appeared before the
committee counsel for the Citizens Association of the
Eighteenth ward and after short consultation the
pittce adjourned to ono o'clock, at which time Mr..
Mcdonald stated that he had paper TO read, which he
submitted to the committee for their consideration.
The following the principal points contained in the
involved the city in debt the OF least $3.50
000 without authority of law and in violation Of their
duty; that as the law now stands in respect TO th
election OF Supervisors half OF the Board
is elected by minority, against the expressed
wishes OF majority Of the voters; that, as in the
State finances there is annual examination
and TO II they agree with the appropriations in
other words to see they have been authorized by law
and whether not the Will OF the Legislature has been
set at nought by the executive officers, such exani
nation regard To the city and county expenditures is
made although they amo mt to fifteen millions of dollars
a year The want Of responsibility in city and county
officers under the present law Is such that the Common
Council choose to violate the organic law there is no
power restrain them, and that the executive depart
mcnts independent Of each other and Of the lcgs
ative departments that there is one to whom they
responsible and that the power OF removing them Is
o remedy In name only
The counsel then submitted comparison Of the city
expenditures for the last ten In 1852 the vaua
ton Of the property n this city 1851 100000 In
1868 was 1894 600 0O0, showing increase Of wealth
of about seventy per cent Our population IN 1852 was
about sixty per cent The raised by tax in 1852
was So, $50 000 or about nine mills on the dollar. In
1865 the taxation Sl2 09 000 about twenty two
mills the dollar showing increase Of about $50 per
this last including the extra expenss OF the
In 1860 The taxation So 75S, 900, showing an
increase OF nearly 800 per cent In eight years In 'c
meantime the city debt has been growing that u has
increased In six years In 1883 the city debt
was S22 eco GOO and In 1868 was 500 SOS GOO within
the last ten the increase has been still greater FOR
in 1854 the debt OF the city only S0270 o00 All
this is In add on to the county debt OF $42 0Oo con
faA hat hula
and county d. b as y stands oots up the startling
sum OF over $50, coo, ,000
The committee then called upon Mr.. Mcdonald TO state
the points which he intended to make the examina
ton and also the substance Of the paper submitted by
him, which he did in brief address. After which MT
Tweed who was present to represent the Board OF per
ysors, took copy OF the brief submitted by UT NC
Donald and stated that he would be prepared TO answer
the Monday, 70 which time the further consde
ration Of the matter postponed The committee then
adjourned TO ten o'clock this morning. when the inves
CATION into the affairs OF the Comproers Department
lxif be cofnm urgd