The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-04-01
Manicrre's Little Picking..

Mr.. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MANIERRE IL
one of the four Commissioners of Metropolis
tan Police. BY virtue Of his office he is also
member of the Board Of Health, and member
, Of the DJagd Of F':c's, I'y the election OF
his colleagues be is Treasurer OF the Board Of
Health, and Treasurer of the Board of Ex..
| else.
Mr.. MANIERRE's salaries, us fixed by law,
are: As Police Commissioner, $4,000 year
as member of the Board of Health, $500 q
year; as member of the Board of Excise,
81 500 a year; Us Treasurer of the Board OF
Health, $500 year and as Treasurer of the
Board of Excise, $500 a year. Total,
$4,000
The salary of Police Commissioners was
formerly $1,000. Notwithstanding that the
Board of Police had just passed resolution
iorbidding any member of the force from
| going to Albany to ask for an increase of
! pay, Messrs MANIERRE, BRENNAN, and
HENRY SMITH found means to obtain from
the Legislature an act raising the salaries
of themselves and their fellow Commits.
sioner, BoswoRTII, TO the present figure. In
1867 they had procured the insertion in the
tax levy for this city of clause allowing
Mr.. MANIERRE the $1,000 we have men.
toned above as the salary of the Treasurer
of the Board of Excise.
In addition TO all these salaries, Mr. Ma.
MERE claims, and has Just been allowed.
the further sum of $j,178 for past services
as Treasurer of the Board of Excise, and has
been voted the further sum of 81 500 year
in addition TO his previous salary Of 81 500,
making his total official emoluments $13, 800
year.
The pretext upon which this extra 81, 500
is claimed and allowed is that the first 81 800
was intended as compensation for taking
care Of the excise moneys derived from this
city alone, and that the Treasurer was Justly
entitled to an equal sum in addition for
keeping the excise moneys collected outside
of this city That is TO say, an official who
already gets $l2 900 for duties which permit
him to spend weeks and months at Albany
in lobbying bills through the Legislature, is
to have 81 500 more because some of the
money he fingers comes from outside of the
city of New York
When we characterized this transaction
few days ngo as stealing, Commissioner
BoswoRTn promptly moved for an investi-
CATION of the facts. lie could do this, and
did do il, with clean hands 1t is a matter
of record that he Indignantly refused
check for 81 900 which was voted him at
ha tlot al, 4
Commissioner MANIERRE. The official re.
port of the investigating committee was
published in full in yesterdays SUM- but If
our readers can see in it amy justification of
Mr., MANIERRE's lrapacity, it is more than
we have been able TO do On the same prin.
ciple that he takes the $5,17s and the an.
nual $1,000, he might take a gratuity OF
$4,000 and an annual allowance of $15 900,
or any other amount
BY the way, the report Of the investigating
committee omits to mention who were
present at the meeting or meetings when
these sums were voted TO Mr.. MANIERRE
Why s this ? There is also no reference to
q previous opinion of MI DoRMAN b. EATON
to the effect that this action was illegal. but
only to second opinion, in which Mr.
EATON is said to lave approved it, These
are significant facts, and ought to have been
SGT forth.
AS the case now stands, Mr.. MANIERRE
has proved himself perfectly qualified for
the new appointment as Police Commissioner
which Taxpayer TWEED has barSained to
give him in the new Democratic Commits
sion