New-York tribune., 1867-08-13
cut from somo paper. saying that was the

|
corruption should long ago have appeared before tne
Grand Jury Of Albany County and have invoken your
aid as Prosecuting Attorney. Indeed ala addteSS
letter to you shortly before the adjournment 0l o is
ature last Spring, directing your attention 10 one M th tn
grant case. which thought might he sustained Dy the
necessary evidence TO lead TO cOnyctlOn Dut was u
suaded by friend from handing J. 10 YOU o %UeIa %
be absurd 90 punish one poor devil Mheh IheI4 arc
hundred others as bad, or worse" This caused me 10
throw the letter in the fire. A,nc
large discretionary powers and not being restricted 90 10
legal rules in taking evidence conceived IT possible ZOE
that body through u committee, to establish facts II
they failed TO bring them home individuals Ilence
addressed myself TO II instead OF the Ga9d Jury III u'-
that a remedy might be provided for the future. ,+
Assuming that my information respecting your your % gor
IN requiring my attendance before te gianu jury ~ 70
rect may presume that you differ from me III Iuh, ht of
the nadequacy Of the present law i0r te more
corrupt officials, and that you consider IL sohe'ins ''
Nv Communication to the Convention and the news oyG
DapSr articles which appeared during last session. anu
more recently especially tho letters Of the ALBANY GId
spondent OF mn NEW YORK TRIBUNE. open largo H''U
for testing the value of the present lWs ~ names OF at
Your Indictment will have TO tre Ionthht % which THE
TKIBNE and ITS correspondent allege 10 nave
of corrupt practices 'N moW to prove these satcmens
to ne true by incontestibc evidence nancy @ .s o @ @
6g2s%i fo the names parties who received
It. il would might be equally l an,n M tbe cri
Wis Who demanded pay yment for their votes But here
am afraid may be begging the question as OuSn % 70
Of which am ignorant With view of assisting you ad
in sustaining 50 st9n ae 9c an amS hc
names parties, which have not appeared III the
"a
Nv knowiedge of corruption has acquired
during sessions of the Legislature aud IN efforts TO
secure legislation for project which W1gnated Tor sup
plying this city with a cheap, rapid and comfortable
hallway This stated my letter to the Convention,
of which you have taken cognzanee, as suppose VIII
therefore conne myself 10 facts bearing that matter
when before the legislature In order to gye confidence
to the public and as Rh0Se'y S thOoSH, Ho foTmed t
company in 1864, composed OF fifty very prominent ana
influential men, mostly Of this city Articles OF assoca-
tiOnu
ing corporate powers and working maohneIy Oi com
pany. bin introduced into the Legislature about
month before that year TO authorize thiscOm
pany TO build the contemplated tunnel railway lthen had
no knowledge Of Albany affairs ana went teIe Wtnout
money enough To pay my hotel bill and travelling ex-
penses But then had many hatterng letters 10 10 dls
iugshcd members of both Houses and proposed To get
bill passed the merits OF the undertaking and the
respectabity of myself and associates delivered my
letters, and within couple OF DAYS some 1l nS ge% %
men candid enough TO inform me that such ulls
fcrred from one another and went on explaining ana
talking up the undertaking. until one Gehteha an old
was all useless labor was performing. He said ho
thought the Senate pretty honest body the Oh,
the case before the directors but they declined to enter
tain any such proposal then abandoned the bill for
During the next the project was much talked OF
i'm the papers and my friends and myself did all We cOud
10 popuarze it, with view of bringing such weight Of
public opinion TO bear IN the Legislature during the ses
sion Of 1865 would secure the passage OF the Com
pany's bill 1t would occupy too much of your valuable
time enter into all the "details OF what TOOK pace IN
respect to this bill during that session IL VIII suffice 10
stale that ii passed both branches OF the Legislature
without the payment of a dollar in money TO any |
member. If, however, were % stop here, should
greatly msead you There were Senators enough that
YEAR above repoach pass the bill without being paid
Tor their votes, when It got into the Assembly 1t
made no progress for several weeks The member who
had it in charge repeatedly Srneu M g % nnt to n tbS
orders requiring, as you are aware tWOthfds vote
and it was TOO late to be reached otherwise One OF the
agents employed declared Of the Directors that
the bill could not be passed without considerable sum
They refused it, but authority was given to place
100000 OF stock at the disposal OF certain ls
members would not take scrip in payment The dini-
Guilty stated to parties in the city VINO agreed TO
takf All such stock the dollar. As this
fact communicated TO the agents the business began
TO progress. large number OF members on having az
was genuine, party Of them called ON me with thus
object refused in every instance 70 compromise my
self and simply replied, that knew that certain allot
mens of stock had been made 10 certain parties for their
services Cal-lists shown me- by which appeared
that over sixty members had demanded compensation
for their votes and that there about dozen who
would vote without consideration. The House
| Railroad Committee refused 10 report the bill,
either favorably or adversely, and 1t was now
| within four or fiye days of the adjournment. In.
formed that member Of the Committee demanded
10 receive less II determined to take the bill out Of
! their hands by vote OF the Assembly. This was ac-
cOrdngy DONE and enough votes were cast IN the Affirm
alive 10 fleet this Obect167,I think, the number
ThereupOn large number OF members changed nom the
vote Of g3 leas-those who changed as atterward
learned, calling on the agents for their pay The Gov
ernOr did sign the b aud all the agreements about
fell through having, "a was Informed, been made
contingent on the bill becoming a law.
These aware, not facts to before a Grand
Jury they facts from which counsel may draw
conclusions to the inadequacy of the law, ana which
ucnts OF the state have referred the Cons uon for re-
vision and amendment. What follows will have equal
interest TO both counsel and Convention The next
suing session Of 1866 the Company with which was
posed work, and bil introduced prepared to
obviae the objections Of the Governor BY this time,
however certain lobby agents had become impressed
with the idea that the franchise question would be a
good speculation, and learning that my Company refused
appropriate money 20 bride the Legislature conceived
the plan Of Wrestling the undertaking away from the
orignaor who had now spent much time and money
their efforts 70 pOpuarHs IT, these parties appeared
at Albany with their bills, and they managed TO
get people in this city TO advance them money
enough to get bill through the Assembly. Two
Of these gentlemen afterward Informed me, in
the presence Of one or two parties whose can
furnish, that they had dlsbused $4,000 in money
the Assembly. They had votes, and Of the two re-
isature of New-York adjourned to my room in Il bella
House 10 get their pay" can furnish you with the
Their bill failed in the Senate which refused
just an act as TO ve the result OF the abOs Of set OF
men TO another set Of men who had honest claims 10
and shows the demorazing eject of epotiy" c"rrn
ton, and how men who sell their can lay aside
every honorable sentiment and commit gross wrong.
now come down TO the last memorable session Iegs
lature which it argued on all hands the cor
Tupt that ever assembled in this any other state
al you are doubtless I1are OF very high rcpuic for oo
raty and TRUTH contained lls members who sold their
| votes. Allow me, pdSsant TO remark that a very
shrcwd gentleman who acted Legislative broker at
Albany last Spring and who made thorough canvass OF
the Assembly declared 10 me last Wednesday, the day
prior TO receipt Of your subpoena, that he only found
| eleven members OF that body who refused pay for
their votes rather who did not demand pay when
asked osupport bill having money in IT." This gen
eman, have no doubt, would give his testimony before
the Committee on Corruption appointed by COnyen-
tOn but OF could not give it without eliminating
himself before Grand Jury Court Of Justice where
would have TO be specified.
To proceed with my narrative OF facts After the fail
OF the Underground Railway bills OF 1885, some Of
the opposing parties thought 1t best TO form coalition,
and my friends and myself asked 20 Join IL. We
did So and all went harmOniOusy, until the Legisla-
te met on the first Of January. We had formed
company under the laws Of the State, and all parties
signed the articles which were filed The company was
called the Manhattan and bill prepared by and
a1rt LIZ. nLcr o. for t. AIr IlI.