The New York herald., 1870-11-07
Co.npsrolIsr .cosuolIy,. Acoou.,..

our uisapproVai Vi tne Practlce OF the party
press in circulating ISLANDERS against the private
character and public conduct of officials and
OF candidates for office. Among the charges
and impuations of this nature that have been
industriously and designedy spread abroad by
certain journals during the present political
canvass, none have been more serious and
malicious, and none have been more groundless,
than those against the integrity OF the New
York City Department of Finance We
regret to have seen SO often in some Of our
contemporaries rcpetitions of charges and in
situations against the Comptroller which it
WAS impossible FOR them to subssantiaie. Ac
cordiag to such representations his accounts
were in q most unsatisfactory condition, his
books were prepared 10 Disguise the frauds tha.
had been committed, his re gular reports had not
been rendered for fear Of detection, there was
q deficit OF some five millions Of dollars in the
funds committed to his charge, aud he
dreaded the idea of an investigation. Such
charges are too serious to be circulated by any
respectable journal for purely party put poses.
Mr.. Richard 3. Connolly, the Comptroller
Of the City Treasury, has pursued manly
course with reference to those slanderous as
saults, and the sequel shows that all the
charges and insinuations against the regularity
and honesty Of his administration Of The finan-
cial affairs Of the city governne..L are utterly
unfounded. After such accusations had been
made Mr. Connolly astonished lis dc.ractors
by inviting the investigation iato the affairs of
~
SO anxious to avoid. lie requested
committee OF some of our most
highly respectable and wealthy citizens,
nearly all Of whom belonged to the
opposite political party, to examine the
accounts of his department and the condition
of the securities under its charge, in order
that they might satisfy themselves and The
pnblic as 10 the manner in which the financial
affairs Of this city are conducted. The COM
mittee was composed Of Messrs. Moses Taylor,
John jacob Astor, Marshall O. Roberts,
George X. Sistare e. D. Brown, President OF
the Mechanics and Traders Bank, and
Edward Schel, Treasurer Of the Manhattan
Swings Bank. These gentlemen, whose
names are sufficient guarantee for
the faithful and thorough performance
OF any duty they would undertake, made
careful examination Of the affairs of
the Finance Department and. Sinking
Fund In their report, which we pub
lishcd yesterday, they showed that the
entire Office aud al the books, records
and sureties were thrown open to their inspec-
tion, ard that they found everything in a
peri city satisfactory condition. With refer
ence TO the city debt, they ascertained and GER
tilted that at the rate at which its
redemption had been provided for dur
ing the incumbency Of Comptroller Con-
molly the whole city debt, amounting
to nearly forty-nne millions of dollars, would
be paid oil in less than dozen years. After
presenting an exhibit of the condition of the
city and county financial affairs all the gen
tlemen composing the committee signed a
certificate to the effect that tie books Of the
Finance Department are faithfully kept, that
they had personally examined the several
surc.ies and found them correct, and had como
to the conclusion that the financial affairs Of
this city under the charge of the Comptroller
are administered in correct and faithful
manner"
No public officer conld have higher tribute
paid to his ability or more complete vindi-
cation OF his official conduct than Comptroller
Connolly has in the report Of that eminent
committee, composed as it is Of some OF the
heaviest Taxpayers and most respected bnsi-
ness gentlemen of the city. The party press
mistakes its true vocation. We trust that
hereafter it will devote itself more to the prin-
cipes and The public measures which its re-
spective parties advocate tlan to siandering
the public and private character of respected
public servants and Of candidates for eficial
responsibilities and honors.