The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-12-21
The New York Courts and tho Bs ard az
Supervisors.

Supervisors.
The 'snew" County Court House, WI ich
has been in course of erection for the paA t
four years, and promises to be in course Oh
completion for about four years longer, is .
magnificent edilce, constructed at an outlay.
OF several millions Of dollars and calculated
10 AFFORD accommodation at some future day
ior the courts and the county officers. The work
Is ana has been from its commencement under
tne control of that deIectable ''ring," the
BOARD OF Supervisors, who hold in their hands
the superintendent OF the Sob and make
also the necessary appropriations from the
peoples money. About year since, by
almost superhuman exertions for such portly
bodies as themselves, they completed one or
two OF the chambers, so that they could be
occupied temporarily by the Court of Appeals.
and the next advancement in the work
was made at the other end of the
building, where several OF the handsomest
rooms in the structure were prepared for their
own accommodation and fitted in the most
elaborate and costly manner. Brussels car
pets, porcelain spittoons, finely gilt and deco
rated, and massive black walnut furniture
meet the eye in every direction, and the chair
mans rostrum resembles somewhat the throne
of sovereign. The sessions of the Board
are held about twice month, and it is there
fore manifest that commodious and ornate
apartments should be devoted to these frequent
and protracted meetings. The Supreme Court
has lately had three rooms assigned to its use,
and the Common Pleas and Superior Courts
remain in the dingy, lily ventilated apartments
they have occupied for years. The General
and Special terms of the latter court are held
in the garrets over the stables and engine
rooms of Engine Company No. 1, Metropoli-
tan Fire Department, and are notable chiefly
for their general discomfort and bad arrange
ment. In summer the atmosphere in these
rooms is insufferable. In winter it must be
kept up to boiling temperature to admit of
comfort, and if any attempt be made to reduce
that temperature the apartments become
chilled from the lack of proper means of regu-
lating ventilation.
On Friday evening last Chief Justice Robert
son, of the Superior Court, died of pneumonia,
said to have been superinduced by severe
cold contracted while attending to the business
of his Office in one of these rooms. Now, the
Supervisors of this county, if such be true, are
directly responsible for this calamity; for
though they are board Of county officials,
and the Superior Court has jurisdiction over
''the city Of New York." it is the duty Of the
Supervisors to furnish the requisite accommo-
dalton for that branch ofthe judiciary. Section
twenty-eight Of the code says, ''The Super
visors of the several counties shall provide the
courts appointed to be held therein with room,
attendants, fuel, lights and stationery suitable
for the transaction of their business" &C., and
section fifty-one is in the following words -
''The provisions of section twenty-eight of this
act shall apply to the Superior Court"
When corruption and truculent jobbery Of
the most outrageous character shall cease to
be one of the characteristic traits of the Board
Of Supervisors the people may expect that that
now shameless body will execute the trusts
reposed in them with economy and despatch
for the public interest, instead of making bar
gains with cormorant contractors for their
mutual pecuniary advantage. Then the public
will have the accommodation the public service
demands, and the lives Of the honest servants
of the people will not be placed in jeopardy
through the remissness Of official leeches.