The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-10-27

1t is already known that many property
owners have been assessed rather heavily for
the opening Of Church street. Yet, singular
to say, there has not been the first shovelful
Of earth turned up there 1t has been matter
Of surprise that as so much money has been
raised upon property from the Battery to Four
teenth street nothing has been done towards
the opening Of Church street. The Tribune
affords some explanation of the matter in the
following extract from an article published in
its columns yesterday. That paper says:-
The Church street opening and extension case is
familiar to the public We all know or that gigantic
job whereby three aud half millions OF dollars were
allowed to somebody for damages. and the assess
mcnt to pay Il extended all the way from the Bat
terry 10 Fourteenth street, between broadway ana
the Hudson river The iniquty originated In the
days OF Gunther, and was part of his legacy
10 Ioirmai,. The commissioners were John Scott,
clerk 10 the yirtuous Tweed: Henry w. Arcula-
nus, brother-iD-law OF Gunthcr, and John b.
Haskln, who dlssented from the action Of
his colleagues. When Hoffman was elected
he openly declared himself opposed to this
scheme. ON the 2ith day OF June, 1867, both
boards Of the Common Council repealed the ordi-
nance 10 widen and extend Church street. There
upon Holman got from O'Gorman-the scrupulous
invalid because II required three fourths vote; and
upon TINT ground Hoffman vetoed the repeating
ordinance, at the same time declaring himself In
scheme OF his own In connection with this big iobi
Let rs see. The Common Council drd not rcpass the
ordinance over the veto and the commissioners went
ON with their work. In December, 1887, the supreme
Court confirmed the report of the commissioners.
few months afterwards one Henry starkweathcr
weather's bond was filed March 10, ls6s, and hts
bondsmcn-for the small sum OF $2j,o00--were John
+. Holman and an obscure individual not much
known In this city, named Peter " Sweeny. Who
Is Henry Starkweaher2 He Is the father-inaw OF
John T. Hoffman What is the value OF the ONCE OF
a.
10 make 1t: but, taking one year with another II Is
probably not less than 100000 per annum. ny the
Corporation ordinances Of 1867 the compensation OF
the Collector OF Assessments Is nxed at two
and q hall Percent per cent on hls collections; The The
matter Of of wiiea i ana extending Church
street win amount 10 the enormous sum OF ninety
thousand dollars Just think Of ninety thousand
dollars for giving receipts for and putting into the
banks something over three million i've hundred
thousand dollars, the whole labor being performed
IA an ONCE furnished by the city, and by clerks paid by
the city! Mr. Hoffman nominaly gets seventeen thou.
sand dyc hundred dollars for his services rs Mayor,
and he SAYS himself that The ONCE u one OF paltry
powers and small responsibilities but What matters
II whether his saary Is largo or small II he can put
one hundred thousand dollars year into the
pockets or his wifc's father And with such 0inces
In his gilt, or within his influence, Mr.. Hofiman's
pretended opposition 10 such JOBS as the Church
street extension aa hs se'ue. a eor Lo 20 put
iecty intcgltle II Mr.. Starkwea,her y TO receive
two aud q half per cent on all ASST slhehs, what
street job will Mr. Hoffman ever oppose
NOW. SUCfl IL inc fidttultut VI VIC LffJWNc,
but we can hardly believe it, because just at
this moment the Tribune is laboring under an
unusual state Of excitement, being cleo
ton time, and the facts here presented may,
after al. he what Greeley would call in his
elegant language q - le-that is, II anybody
else said so Of political opponent OF the re-
publican party.
Now we would ask, merely for information,
whether there are any facts to sustain these
allegations concerning Hoffman and his father
n-law in regard to the opening Of Church
street. IT Peter u. Sweeny, who, by his
straightforward and generous dealing with the
city treasury in sirrcndering the interest on the
public receipts, has established biz reputation
as one honest man in the ring. will give us his
say upon this point we may, perhaps rely
upon his statement
VI The allegations Of the 7bTbpRc b. true,
Mr.. Hoffman. instead of being elected Governor