The New York herald., 1871-09-26

K HERALD. TUESDAY. S
resolution just read; whether, in other words the
powers they would exercise would be In accordance
with law. Now, IL was question 10 be considered
whether the Board had the power to pass thus reso
The MAYoa-what is this resolutions
Mr. CoMANwIo appoint s sub comntee n 1 70 con; @
AUTHORITY to grant the requisition OF The citizens
The MAYoR-I read this resolution this morning.
and 1t is point OF great delicacy TO diner from
my legal brother but It strikes me- without having
made any extensive examination OF the question,
that a committee OF this Board might be invested
with the same powers as o committee Of the Legis.
resolution Is a good thing, and should be passed,
legal or illegal. so far as l am individually con-
proceeding. / think the largest liberty or license
for investigation should be given, and IN my own
ms re Restitution and re-
quest OF the Joint Committee appointed to examine
the city and county accounts is one one deserving 90 OF
rally construed, Is that the Board OF Supervisors
may confer upon the committee OF their Board here,
tofore appointed to examine the CITY and county
accounts power to send Tor persons and papers.
NOT THE REAL INTENTION,
and such Will not be the practical effect II the reso-
lutlons called Tor by the joint Committee are
plisned is to confer the power to send for persons
and papers upon the Committee OF sixteen ClzenS
VINO nave seen ASSOCIATED WIN 1e JSS 90 h &c
Aldermen. His Honor the Mayor, IN ms message TO
this Board and to the Board OF Aldermen, recon-
mended that q committee OF this Board be ap.
pointed to examine the county accounts and that
similar committee OF the B0aru OF Aldermen he
appointed to examine the city accounts; and also
recommended that the committees associate with
them prominent cItzeas OF this city TO cooperate p
with them in the examination and investigation.
Acting upon this suggestion, although containing
an implied aud
both upon this Board and :he Board OF Aldermen,
the Joint Committee met and after organizing
sociated o with them in the examination OF the
city and county accounts. In making TINS
selection ne an
whose standing IN the community was such as 10
insure pubic confidence, and have every reason to
believe tnat the selection made by the committee
citIzens. majority Of the citizens thus selected
met with the Joint Committee OF the Board Of Su.
pervisOrs and OF the Board of Aldermen and stated
that they were prepared TO cooperate with the
Committee OF supervisors and Aldermen, provided
they were accorded the privilege Of filing vacancies
In their own number, and that all reasonable
facilities were afforded lem iEr the ss eXamaaoa NM
| ceded to by the Joint Committees. and since
nat time the Committees ,n,sSo q Citizens have
possible assistance for prosecuting their examina-
ton. Subcommlttees were appointed to investi-
gate the various details into which the abOrs OF the
Committee were divided, consisting OF two citizens
| and one Alderman on four of the committees, and
| other two These committees have met from day to
DAY, have appointed their own clerks and account.
/
the committee OF this body. have prosecuted their
Investigations without inviting the assistance and
make % up and ID i submit TT their several reports
without any regard to the views or opinions Of any
member Of the committee OF s a BSafd or
not to snow tnat the Committee Of Citizens nave
treated the JOINT Committees of supervisors and
| Alderment with disrespect, nor TO show that the
committee have wilfully refused all CO operation OF
the Supervisors or Aldermen associated with them.
| but merely to show that the Committee of Sixteen
OtlZens Is today, TO all practical 1ntentS and pur
poses the Joint committee to Examine the City and
| County Accounts. Having been invited TO act with
| us In the examination the committee coud not do
| otherwise than allow them TO proceed as they saw
dt as they did not desire the active cooperation
| of the Supervisors or Aldermen they have
| gone on without their assistance aud now such
zens IL practically the Joint Committee, ought this
| Board TO confer upon such committee the power OF
send for persons and papers There Is. to my mlnd
accounts and the power to send for persons and pa
pers. and the right to examine the persons so sum-
moned. In the former case 1t Is impossible Tor the
| public TO know whether the examination Is pro-
rerly and thoroughly made or not, and they have
therefore to rely upon the character OF those who
certify 10 the correctness and thOoughness OF the
examination AS part of a committee TO maks such
an examination II was eminenty proper tnat there
should be gentlemen whose names were the guaran-
| tee OF
But the exercise OF the power OF sending for per-
sons and papers II exercised publicly as 1t should
be, no SUCH guarantee Is required Inc N people can
| and whether the examination Is conducted In the
public interest and the lurtaerance OF Justice lam
CLzens should be allowed the fullest scope TO con-
| tnue their Investigations, and alter they have
concluded their labOrs and made their report to the
| public, then, II 1t be found necessary TO send
| Tor persons and papers to make the examination
complete, that proper committee OF TINS Board be
| appointed upon whom the necessary powers should
be conferred In regard 10 the county accounts, and
a like committee or the Common Council should, If
necessary, he appointed Ia regard TO the city ac-
counts.
the Committee OF Sixteen upon whom this power
is practically conferred have not as vet shown that it
Is necessary that this power should be conferred.
Only one OF their sub committees reported. ana
thai subcommittee report that they have found
everything correct; that the books they were called
upon TO examine were models OF neatness and cor
rectness and that all information required WAS
readily and willingly given. And have we any rea-
son to suppose tnat any OF The other SUB committees
will find any different state OF affairs if so, let
them report tue fact to their colleagues OF the Board
OF supervisors, and they Will not he slow TO afford
| county has refused to be examined or TO produce
| his books, or when the Committee OF Sixteen can
show that 1t was necessary for the prosecution or
| their examination that witness should be exam.
ined and that such witness refuses to testify, then
request from the Committee OF Cltizens VINO are
Chamber mystery which their official colleagues are
not allowed to penetrate, might be justified In max
| ing the request they now make. And now, MI.
| Chairman let me here state that am utterly Op
| posed to this mysterious
| STAR CHAMBER METHOD
| OF investigation adopted by the Committee OF Cti-
zens. 1t can, IN my humble opinion, accomplish no
fore, utterly opposed to confer the power to send
| for persons and papers upon any committee that
sits with closed doors, or whose proceedings are In
any manner secret or mysterious. Already suspi
ciOn has fallen on another committee OF citizens
who hold Star Chamber sessions and 1t Is currently
reported that certain members OF that committee
using their secret power TO advance themselves
| 10 pubic positions, and that one very active mem
| Der Of The committee
| is A CANDIDATE
for very important county position. to which he
expects to he elevated through the mysterious Ter
rorlsm OF the star Chamber OF Seventy and the
pcion Is intensified from the TACT that one, II not
more, OF this star Chamber are OF those who in for
mer tImes still fresh IN our memories, innocent
men, without Knowing their accusers or the charge:
against them, tOthe
| DUNGEONS OF LAFAYETTE.
Some men love darkness better than light, for th'
reason stated In the Scriptures. and II Is semewha
Ominous that the men who figured IN the Star Cham
ber darkness OF the Fort Lafayette imprlsonmeuts
marking they do the darkest and most disgracefu
pages IN American history, should reappear In III
Star Chamber darkness Of the Committee OF Seventy
And now, Mr.. Chairman, think the time has com
when all this