The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-03-08
THE STATE CAPITAL.
The Charges 81 Corruption Against
the Board Of supervisors
or New York.
Passage Of the Constitutional Convention
Bill in the Senate.
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE uF the HERALD.

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE Of THE HERALD.
ALBANY, March TIP. NJ
rE CHARGES OF CORRUPTION AGAINST THE NEW YORK
SUPERVISORS.
joint session Of the Committee Cities held in
the Senate anteroom this afternoon hear the state
ments Of Mr. smith Ely Jr Of New York. with regard to
charges Of corruption against the Board Of Supervisors
Mr. Ely quoted the law as to the organization and for
nation Of tho board He referred to the constitution
the state and commended has the appointment Of
Supervisor each year (the second highest can
'didatel was illegal. He declared the board was
thoroughly corrupt Bills Of appropriation had
been publicly passed, and afterward items Of
large expenditures had been interpolated. The mum.
Der Of the board could be reduced 70 four with great ad
vantage 10 the interests Of the public and Mr. Ely sug
gested that the four having the longest term TO serve
should be continued in ofce-w which, he said, would
break up the ring that A. present controls the board
He would enghten them as TO specific acts OF corruption
and in response to inquiry from the committee
stated his belief that the entire abolition OF the board
would be unconstitutional He quoted from the columns
of the HERALD item OF news that the board had
adopted resolution authorizing the Comptroller to pay
bills OF the various committees which were never au-
ded made public In the matter Of stationery, he
charged that while four years ago the annual
expenditure was but $15 000 in November and Deem
Der, 1866, the Board paid 500 600 tor stationery
alone. One bill for taking down stoves-nsignifcant as
such matter was-amounted to over $4,000 He would
not refer TO the County Court House. the facts Of that
job were generally known But there was bill Of
81 600 for the printing Of the which report
was aferward transferred, with mere arrangement
Of the columns of type the Transcript newspaper,
which cost $4,000 more. There had also been
rupon in assigning quarters Tor the military regiments
OF New York.
Owing to the necessity Of hearing testimony
another matter before the committee an adjournment
was had without enabling Mr.. Ely to make his state
mere as fully as he was prepared TO- the fifteen min
utes which the committee accorded Mr. Ely having
pired
THE EXTENDED POWERS OF CENTRAL BOARD
The Senate committee has unanimously reported the
bill giving the Central Park Board power of OPEN
ing and improving Streets taking it away entirely from
the Common Council. The bill will also be introduced
this evening, very probably, in the Assembly, which
held very short morning session, owing to an ad.
journment to attend the funeral of the late Clark B.
Cochrane.
THE FIRE INSURANCE COMPANIES
The bill to permit fire insurance companies whose
capital has been impaired to operations their
reduced capital up In Committee OF the Whole in the
Assembly last evening The bill progressed third
reading and will II is expected, pass 1t is be
gretted that will pass because the failure of these
companies was the result Of their Encouragement,
the bill enables them to evade the punishment of their
own folly Mr.. Creamer of New York, ably opposed
the bill, but imprudently, think, stirred up party
feeling ON the subject which Is likely to pass the bill by
strictly political vote He charged the New York in
companies with having effected the passage OF
the Metropolitan Fire Commission bill in 1856, and
deemed it right that they should suffer the conse-