New-York tribune., 1868-11-02
,poo RDrR JOHN r.. HACKETr

At the oDe ming OF the CNnI Oh GeDe,,
Sessions this month, Recorder HackeH ~.
presided. made long charge against d.
! Citizens Association The Recorder has mai
other charges of a different nature, amon.
them several pecuniary charges against a.
| City. Let us examine them, and We Aan
perhaps, discover why he attacked the CHI.
! zens' Association. In December, 1866, JObs
| Hoffman, having been elected Mayor, ress,.s
his office of Recorder. There was yacs,ss
thereafter in the Office of Recorder until Na,s,
G. 1866. when John X. Hackett was appoptss
The salary of Recorder is $1,000 per aupu.
| His duty is to hold the Court Of General q.
sions every other month, alternately with a.
| City Judge. His salary is drawn quartsd,
Recorder Hackett having been appointed !.
! March G, 1866, was entitled on April /, 1854 n
proportionate part of that quarters sala,,
| Bnt Mr.. Hackett did not draw anything th.,
quarter Did he give it up as too Insignificant,
Oh, no 4! lie drew the next quarters saary
and the next, and tho next, until the year fss
. arrived.
| BY that time he had exerted his judc,
mind to an astonishing degree. He had con.
yinced himself that he was entitled 70 as
! April I, 1866 that for the period from Janusry
I to March 8, 1866, when the Office was vacant
he was entitled to pay. He applied for tho
whole salary for that quarter. The Mayor
and the Controller refused to pay it. But the
judicial mind of Hackett hoped to find more
favor with other judicial minds. He applied 10
his friend Judge Barnard OF the Supreme
Court, who saw the case IN the same light
IIackett saw it, aud granted mandamu
ordering the money to be paid And it vas
accordingly paid. And what, does the reader
suppose, was the argument used by these
| luminous judicial minds in support of Hacketfs
| claim 7
Why, that the salary of the Recorder was
yearly salary, that it accrued with the year and
belonged to the incumbent who held the Office
at any time in that year! 1t was in vain that
the absurdty of the claim was shown; that il
this view were correct a Recorder who was ap-
pointed on December I, 1866, might clam tls
salary of the whole preceding eleven monthsi
that if Recorder were to resign or die III the
early part of the year he would nevertheless k
entitled TO the salary for the balance OF the year;
and that il several Recorders were to be ap-
pointed and TO resign successiyely In one year
they would each be entitled TO full years
salary. The luminosity of such judicial intel.
lects was above and beyond the trammels Of
business honesty and fairness, and 80 Hackeu
got pay for the two months and six days when
he never held the Office Ii also appears THAI
during this period of two months and sir
days Hackett was working as a Counsel
for the City (hired by Mr.. Richard OGormsn.
the Corporation COUNSEL, and was paid out OF
the City Treasury about $4,000 extra for THAI
work.
1t also appears that after he was appointed
Recorder, and while he was Judge OF the
Court of General Sessions, he still continued 70
be hired by Mr.. O'GOrman as Counsel for the
City, and was paid about $4,000 additional a.
such Counsel in twenty months.
1t also appears that the City furnished Mr.
Hackett while he was Recorder, and still con-
tinues to furnish him, with about $1,000 to pay
his Office rent and to hire clerks with, and
gives him Il 900 additional per year as a mem
Der of the Board of Revision OF Assessments
Altogether Mr.. Hackett has had n lucrative
post, as will appear from this statement:
His salary Recorder 10 the present time. sie.ses
His allowance for rent, etc......-.-..-.-...- sDe
His salary as Commissioned. r....-..-.-..--- 2Aj
His fees from the Corporation Counsel. 27G
Total ......................-.......-. .-.tS2js
Mr. Hackett now deems il highly improper
for any citizen to inquire into the proceedings
of public officers. lie told the Grand jury so,
and said that association of citizens for THAI
purpose was usurpatiOn of the rights OF the
Grand Jury, and was unnecessary while this
reporters of the public press were always al
work TO discover and publish matters Of inter
est TO the public welfare But when the Crane
Jury inquired about the Citizens Association.
and drew up n solemn presentment and handed
it TO Mr. Hackett, in which they fully mdorsed
the course of the Citizens Association, thu
presentment was suddenly taken away hOm
the Court and suppressed Even the reporter
of the press, whom lIackett cOmplmcntcd st
highly, were not allowed TO see it, How Il
that Recorder Hackett did not put this paper
on the files of the Court, where the ndict-
ments and presentations of the Grand JurJ
arc always to be found How is it that, afta
charging the Grand Jury TO inquire into tla
Citizens Association, the report of the Grand
Jury is suppressed1 Was it too favorable .
the Association to suit the Recorlerf On 10
this one OF the reckless acts which the Benea
of this city are now boldly committngf
----
Has Hoffman not read in the daily police
rcports of the arrest of multitudes OF Demo
cratic repeaters?
4 Seymour oracle whispered consolation IN"
the ears of suudry dolefu brethren ON Satur-
h,I