The New York herald., 1869-03-04

will give as much light as four DurnSrS usually give
OF the ordinary coal gas.
cmno n Lee Secretary OF tne Ssw 1orx Says hesS
have access to all the books OF the company;
make the entries OF the dividends; am
forbidden by the terms OF my appointment to tell
cannot state what the dividends were; do not
know what the receipts OF the company last year
were; when received the subpoena spoke 10 MIR.
Adams, the president on the subject; he DID not
tell me not TO bring the books but regard my posi-
n az one ana H1 noe ~ S 10
decline to answer whether am stockh0lder or
not as that Is my private business.
The Chairman stated that he should insist on the
gentleman answering the question asked and should
insist on having the books produced The company
is public concern and being Incorporated under
general law should be held the same as any other
corporation, 1t was not private affair The public
wants to know something about IT. and companies
generally publish the dividends declared, but the
New York Gas Company pays It's dividends In mys-
teriOus manner, and AZ we have found to-day the
company is declaring large dividends.
Mr. La Bau declined to vote on the question a1 70
compelling the Secretary to furnish the o0okS aS the
president Is the proper custodian Of the books. The
question was thereupOn waived and the vote being
taken the question a. to whether the witness
q stockhOder all the members present voted to COM
pei the answer; In response the witness stated ne
was q BtOckhOlder but declined to tell how much
stock he owned. 1t Ia . small amount.
Examination resumed:-I do not know how much
Coal VIC COmPduy uScu, 10 NOT kuOW dDytulnR aDOut
the cost OF the coal cannot tell how the expenses
would compare last year with the year before; the
salaries were increased and that would naturally
swell the expenses; decline to answer as to how
often dividends are declared; make public only
such matters AZ the board directs; the board con-
Messrs. Guy Richards, Z. ]. WoOlsey, OF Astoria;
Moses Taylor, Henry Remsen, Henry Chauncey, John
Jacob Ast0r, Joseph sampson, Percy r. Pyne, James
X. Taylor, +. W. Stephens Cornelius L. Everett and
one other whose name forget; Mr.. Everett Ia vice
president and treasurer, aud, together with the
PRESIDENT comprise the officers OF the board;
keep the minutes at the board meetings. the divi-
dends are declared by the board; still decline to
answer how often and TO what amount dividends
are declared; decline simply on my own Judgment
Swer that questions the president is the only person
who has access to the books besides myself.
Mr.. La Bau, who had been examining the Witness
stated that he felt disposed to the question at
the decinatton OF the witness to answer as he
thought it looked rather unfav0rable to the COM
pany.
The Chairman asked II the witness ever knew OF
any dividends having been declared otherwise than
by the board at Its meetings. He answered tnat the
dividends when they were declared were by the
being sent to stockholders. He answered that such
was the practice when dividends were declared.
The Cnairman-How often do you send these
checkss
Witness-I have declined to answer that question
before.
The Chairman tried two or three other ways to
get as the number OF times or the amount Of divi-
dends declared, but the witness was wide awake
and would not be caught He would not tell how
much salary he received, evadng oil questions by
stating that the minute book would show all that
was wanted
After waiting some time for the appearance OF
other witnesses the committee adjourned to meet
this morning at ten O'Clock.