The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-09-19
TEE COMMTTTEE OF SEVERITY.
Their Decision as to Their Course on the Basis
of the --latest Devslorments-The Tone Of the
Committee Through Henry Clews, J.
II. Choate, Joseph Blumen!hal,
Judge Barrett and Others

The growth Of intensity Of feeling in the public
mind touching the charges against city and county
officials was not satisfactorily or fully seen yes
terday in the groups Of lower class politicians In tn
neighboThood OF the City Han, IN the inner passage
ways, IN front of and throughout the Still Incom
pete County Court House, as at the money Gsnose
OF the metropolis and in the pta5eed to have been
lives have heretofery in commerce, finance and
occupif1rsonal business affairs. In these-among
| The noted business men, those who for years have
occupied pruInincnt positions In the commercial
and financial word-there were from morning
until the late closing hour gatherings OF men who,
While long representing large personal interests,
have not been heretofore ognized giving either
thought or time to the consideration O.
NEW YORK CITY AFFAIRS.
The regular business OF the day seemed to have
become the secondary conse luence as compared
with the desire to learn the latest details OF the prog
ress OF the revolution in local government affairs
and instead OF queries to the condition and pros
pect IN stocks, gold and exchange, the question
was, elias the committee OF seventy met to-day,
and If so, what have they donefn
The committee did not meet formally nor we're
Its members even informally together In mass: but
the offices and business houses OF the better known
members were occupied by other members, and
these, aided by others OF prominent social and nan-
cal standing, considered the latest DEVELOPMENTS in
the crisis and gave their opinions thereon.
AT THE HOUSE OF HENRY cLEws
IN Wall street, there was a continuous in
coming and OUTGOING Of prominent busI-
ness men. all anxiously inquring OF MIR. Cews.
as member OF The Seventy, what would
be Its probable course IN view Of the fact that tho
prominent city officials and members Of the so.caed
ring mad, evidently quairelIe1 among themselves
IN nese questions reporter OF the HERALD gained
and received from Mr. Clews the following declare.
lions as TO ms own position in the case and what
Henry Z. Stebbins. VIM. f. Havemeyer, W. R. Yer
nlilyeI ). u. Choate, and In fact, the other more
prominent OF better known members OF the now
FAMOUS COMMITTEE.
Mr. Clews said, In substance, that IT the deter.
l naion o. the committee to meet as far as may he
condition oi affairs: that they would feel bound to
deal with The more prominent OF those VINO are
charged WITH having had tue direction and control
OF the wrongs that have been developed not sinQiy
and as individuals alone. but a combination. the
action of each OF which was more less In the ne.
cessity Of the conditions, known 10 the other and
therefore placing them. each and ALL equally re.
known to have been done Nothing but a fuli er.
poe OF the wrongs, frauds and losses would, he
:, in. Soc satisfy tine public mind that
THE ENORMOUS FRACDS
tnat nave been perpetrated for years. II was not In
mat one could have borne all the guilt attaching TO
tne wrongful transactions. VIVA. was cone by one
committee would hold II TO be necessary for ali 10
clear their skirts before they could ask again 10 be
Shti'icI W puDuc COuuueiice III punllc position.
Question 10y kEfoRTER-Mr. Ciews. what is the
1eellng IN relation 10 MI. Connolly as he has chosen
10 develop ms standing In the case?
Mr.-CLBws Wei, at present he has doubtless
more OF public sympathy than the rest-not
uiat ne Is oeiievel 10 be any less guilty than the
others, but simply because OF the impression that
an eHori mas been made TO make him the scapegoat
upon whose back should be carried into private lie
me l0ad OF SIN OF his fellows. They were he said
simply determined TO deal with mr.. Connolly as
WIN the others, ana with the Others as
WIN nun, holding them all as responsible
LOT tne slns committed individually. ana also for the
sns Iiiey were knew, rs city officials, to have been
,h oy each other. And yet he felt free TO say
,i az we investigation should proceed himself the
10 I, ~, ~ seventy and the pubic at large would
NC eiau W ne convinced that they all, or even apy
oie ol anenl, were free from responsibility for fraud
way. " '''' '"u"' 'n any
EEpoRTER-Haye you any definite expression OF
,eeiins' IN we part OF The more prominent financial
hVnscs VI .s cily IN regard 10 the present crisisY
Mr. CLEW5-Ies; my own house that Of Brown
Brothers-and might name many Others wnye y
nccessary-feel that n our local government cannot
be reforIned the credit OF the metronnIis viii ~"
gone, and that with that Accomplished the stand
Ing OF every large house In the city will be more or
less affected. '' VI
REPoRTER-Should not thai feeling inauce ,o
more thorough interest ana acuon as mankind are
gSueed, tDan where's simply ''purey and Simply
payiotlc feeling" is invOved2
NY CLEws-Certany. There is now a strong
feeling tiat thorough investigation and charge II
necessary, moi only for the maintenance of The
cy's good name generally, but also for those wbOse
name ana means are involved IN business here
And with iseng or the danger In both cases fully
aroused, feel That reform must surely come.
Leaving M. C'ews and the other prominent gen.