New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-11-22


ao funds FOR the satisfaction thereof were PROVIDED by
tie Legislature In tie Tax Levy The funds laFl been
litigation wOud hsSe been absurd. The judgements we're
entered not with my permission or consent D ~ sie OF
ny opposition and by the orders OF the Court 1on say
there Is another law constituting bar 10 tese daiHs
with which am bOuudte I've familiar. presume That
you refer 70 Section Of the Charter OF so aia quite
familiar with ~ bit don't think It docs Constitute
bar TO these actions, IN any mauher afIts 70 tAeh
81 52s IS were Irinting" which your letter admits ia
excepted from the operation or me PrOSis1u me re-
furnished to the Common Council, for which experience
has proven tina; IL IL mpracucabe 20 man Sogao
Of Appeal5 In the Harlem Gas-Lght case the plaintiffs
were entitled to recover "qI'htum hloiu" ior the
"a advertising claims the law, az have shown
shove. has required certain adyertsemts 70 DO pan
ton The law has authorized tho employment OF papers
IN which to publish ana the papers pIplsmAg 10y que
OF the rates That they charge 10 their adVeitsnS
patrons In complaining % the entry OF theSe JUDGMENT
aw-aganst the courts which have interpreted inc iaw
and not against the Corporation Counsel VINO has Done
oil that proper aud possible Ia procure TIE enforce
meDt ~ the law. but some one reading your it, ny
fa @9g so many }pce9s t "S eYorS does not re.
from the Leg stature authority 10 raise enough vi
money In any wear 10 pay It's necessary expenses within
TIC year. Ills il one u the "pennywse aud poundi0o
iSb" economics OF Albany legislation TAKE iOf Iua'uco
rea o cdntysc, 6e early enpTopson allowed by
the Legislature the tax levy - always Too em0l 70
meet them Thus when the bills are presented to the
solvent IL owes the money, but il cannot pay IT, tho
creditor Is obliged sue; and what YOU complain Of Is,
that tie counsel to city, and tho Courts and the law,
don't couspire to defeat these just claims You want
the city, In fact TO sWndlc is creditors and yon Teset
that its law officer, by legal machinery or device,
conpascs the fraud Has this been your style ~ conduct
Ing yOur mercantile rausacionsi or has this tLeoty OF
civic morality been taught tie citizens Association uy
any who has himself IN his own mercantile career
tested its alyantagesi But, as have before stated the
legislature OF 1867 has removed all questions as to the
coIsiituonaiy OF tho clauses IN the laws OF lodG ma
simple OF excepting class OF claims fromits effect
sion which tle public should be nade aware Oh IN
ton OF the Sane act, SIX gentlemen are coistatl
Board Of Audit 10 gdjus aud settle al icgdt ana elIe
outstanding prior TO January, 1861; and are even empoT
by 81 law because Of the absence Of en- apIopF
| alton To meet Tie claim. Does NOT NC uCuOG OF we
Court and Common Pleas, as 10 TIE unconsnoua.iiy u
tie nprl Vrltou clause iu tc act OF 1866 ana 1861 Ld
on my part o. contest such Daimst Rem mber that ana.
vaing M .aon only add- to ,he burden the city must
IL The Board Of Audit It proper for inc here TO re-
mark tlat "as present IN Committee 81 me siha,el
sStcnrv ~ lsi ifinn which raised no defense M one
hs WIS proper dccorous n i1e. protest eanst s1c
course nG WA, the only one there to utter one wod
"r8r.tn alf,.1t..b one ~ lie learned counsel who
! usually appears behalf Of tic " Citizens AssO-
citation" Nas present. so far as TO the charge
! against the cry the charge IS simply untrue.
Ihe judgments vIc entered by courts OF competent iu
rilictiou on bs furnished TO Jy the Fiuanco Do
uatturnt corr tl and audited a. correct both
Instructed In i. rI. Uses That ms debts had been con
tnlcicd by the city aud justly due. such docntrs
Get up and FULLY and fairly argued. 1he Courts decide
br1Ls the city, oucred 10 y. i,u 'e
subsequent FcDou 81 the Atuic 81 1917 IN tI'et -
inns aud GIIro,e- ~ the acton ~ these Courts Ih3
cIargc a-uai therefore. IN al Tespccs uuiouhaed
tuiC-t, AID j a. Ily regret ~ believe Do Mctc"tF,
J.! The next change ouy 0ni LIT Is neglect u icirailng
frcm taking app a 10 higher courts from doubtful Juds-
in III Ct implies to tina Tic objection 81 "no nppiora.
tun made u tic supero. Court uuu common Peas az
TO-. you remark say, toe ty nom Judgment hfu
4. Thcfo was reasonable pirp hiy ~ reversal OF
ts decision ly appeal to ne Gcnri@ Term o. lhcse
C)urt three ~ TIC Judges having dccuen mat lhe &c
fuso was uoi good and further Its4iion there seemed
u.eless, and, n us'lrs' improper; 0ecaq,e u "oud
! I.acd en these cases decided against mo, as
TG , S Sa1. {o Gn E Eg for MI e.G claims
rouD have been fruns.red ~ r Louri ~ AuGi W hero
moreover I'm most 81 icse cases ia which judgment bad
ben recorded. iIo,-Jn vas soon after made Ly the
moving the cnly oIiesfion which the Finance Depart
ioent originally bad 20 tt settlement Of tle claims In
mcfi no GOOD ed would ayc been az med by arpcing
The people of tits city, IN elccrg me 90 c Office hold
CONT hat thu dsncnt nave act d. and VIII I'll ac re-
.pec for Nh t9oier ana h3 as,iy ana l'i l.,
j.. The fub,equcut lcgisat!on, the Constitution OF the
Hoard OF H1a hs ',Sn o. ap ~ a1 th inS
gt Ia on these eases, reneiEher tiat ihe only
purely Technical OF Le services rendered, The value
hereof question could hove been r.s,d by me; no
duy examined and audited by The proper department
Iu every cafe ~ FAR - could ncrtan ne G. I'M "ns
just and Ccutahlc claim, ard tho only objection you
urge AID unt-iy urge against Is. that I'D no. use
every technical defense possible Oh the part OF tie cor
! puistion 10 defeat such claims.
III The fhrd charge against me Is "eNtnvasance IN
rent and office appointments" As 10 extravaganza ~
rent, AN 30 lo-s 10 understand on what iact TINS ale
gallon ~ founded when came into this ONCE on Jau
I. no found that Tho Department had no cfice pro
Nldcd foI II except lo'e 9Nn'd " Mt i'lnanuo 1000
IN Nassaus Nos. ll5 and III. declined 10 take M my
aud the rooms unsuitable end my responsibility
leased The ,lces IN No 81 Nassau-st, where Low am,
partment by my two immediate predecessors for six
| years previous For these rooms have been paying
Department having authority 10 aid me or 10 supply
me VITA other rooms / did apply 10 the last Legis-
the rents 50 paid. They allowed me s5l3l 20, III OF
winch has been paid out by me on account oi rent ara
again called upon 10 pay the reut ont Of my own
resources until tho next Lcgelture shall MD me with
further appropriation 20 cover The outlay say The rent
Is extravngaLt, bat reasonable ard fair. THIS l.
Sonpetent person could have best Judged by Visit 10
the offices But rnsnuch other Official ~ the CITY
Government h unproyided by Tie city with offices;
suitable nparimcnts-lasmuch especially ~ my reason
for occupying these rooms III No - Nassau st. was be-
RSa double ho aenn mt now now Pa & % by S s o
w.t. the rent OF rooms In Nos. IFS and ~ Nassaut NJ
which Mr.. Wood Is the landlord, think your charge
against Of extravaganza IN rent is Gbol unjust,
fair, unf0undod and shameful any charge that have
ever read heard Of As 10 extravaganza In Office ap
Iontnents of which you give Items an somewhat nj
a loss how 20 deal with H. The subject - quite new 10
by the charter ~ the city, aud the ordinances q the
Common Council regulating the Furnishing 81 supplies 10
the various departments az the municipal government,
that whole matter Is cOnhded 10 the Bureau Of Repairs
and Supplies In the street Department. Whenever any
particular supply IS needed from any Department.
TequisltOp Il drawn upon the Street Commissioner The
Street Commissioner alone has authority a. procure the
article ana to hX the price TO be charged therefor Tic
moneys necessary for these expenses arc lot drawn
out by me nOm the city treasury. | know
nothing about them. They never have como
INTO hands, bnt paid BY the Controller OF the solo
certificate oi the Street Commissioner of tie Necessity OF
the expenditure and the thereof do not know
from whom tbe supplies received by The Law Department
were purchased, OF What they cost have no power 20
charge city with payment of sheet Of paper used In