New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-07-25
TIE LINE OF DEFENSE-MAY0R Halls
CjRD

view (thOugh not for pubilcatIOn) III our laSC
We will now consider its positions as follows:
l. The Times has made bad record, and
comes into Court with uncloan hands.
Having printed all the documents on which
this arraignment is based, we need only say
here that it il, if not irrelevant, insufficient.
II. The "claims" adduced by The Times were
all audited by the old Board of Supervisors,
which was selected by the people AID cont
posed equally of Republicans and Demo
Gratis" mo responsibility for them really
% rests with either the Controller or myself"
This is every way mistaken. So far as we
can learn, they were not claims" at all, but
bills rendered in due course for work done and
supplies furnished to the City under proper au-
thOIity and in regular course. A claim is
not made for goods furnished or seryiCe rem
GaTed to the City on the requisitiOn Of its
proper authorities. A mans horse aud cant
falls through a corporation dock and is total
loss. lie wants the City to pay for it, and
makes claim. If he were mt work On one OF
the City's parks, be would present his bill for
such work, and, having undergone the proper
scrutiny, that bill would be paid in due course.
a claim for his lost horse and cant wculd take
a very different course and would encounter
! raf greater obstacles. The Mayor seems to
confound the vital distinction between bills
| and claims.
As to the old Board of Supervisors the
Mayor fOrgets that the People saw fit TO de-
s.roy its balanced or sec-saw character by
choosing hr0 Democrats in 1907 after which,
it was not balanced, but consisted of five Re-
publicans ard seven Democrats All the bills
which make up the very grand total OF
S5GC3,c4G 83-1C0 which figure in The 1imes's
first expose appear to have been contracted
as they certainly were audited-months il not
years after the Republicans ceased to have SIX
members in that Board.
Nor can we admit that the Mayor and Con-
troller could cOuntersign such bills without
responsibility" Their signatures are re-
qured expressly that frauds may be detected
and exposed. Suppose bill were presented
to Mayor Hall, duly audited by the Super
vsors, calling for One Million of Dollars to
dcfray the expenses of a Committee of Alder
men who had spent week inspecting tho
watcr-works OF Boston or Philadelphia Would
he feel bound to counter5ign it ? We say No.
he would (at least, he sdcuiCD say to the pre-
scnter-" That bill is sVinGia: viii not
approve it mandamu5 me II you dare, and |
"will go 10 prison, there to stay till the Peo-
"ple shall devise tie ways and means OF
illegally setting me free
II. The Mayor states that "a full statement
" OF all the accounts for the last two years is
being printed for public distribution, AID in
manuscript accompanied the Mayors Mes.
sage"
We arc most happy TO hear it. The
Mayo.'5 Message was very long, yet gave no
intmatIon of this most interesting fact. We
trust the printing viii not require another
month
Could MT the Mayor obligo by stating why
these accounts have not been published quar-
terly for the last two years, as the law directs
Shall we have them quarterly hereafter
Does he consider once in two years often
enough We do MT.
". The Mayor observes that every one can
not be allowed to inspect all the books and
"papers in the City offices" at discretion.
We entirely concur in this. Those books
and papers are needed by the City's officers in
the hourly discharge Of their duties. They
cannot be held subject to every ones call.
And that is precisely why the City's accounts
of receipts and expenditures, item by item,
ought to be published in full quarterly as the
law certainly did require, and we trust still
does.
V. The Mayor Indignantly repels The TimeS'S
charge that "the moneys obtained upon war
rants for the very large and perhaps exor-
"bitant claims were shared with the Mayor
We certainly hope this may prove true.
We have said hard things of Oakley in our day,
believing them true yet we should deeply re-
greet that any Mayor of this City should prove
so recreant to his high trust, and SO shameless
villain as The IimeS's charge if proved,
would make the incumbent.
But, Mayor Hall-and we speak to you the
words of truth and sobeness-this matter can
not rest here. You cannot afford to let it if it
might Talking about the defunct Board of
Supervisors will not answer the purpose. The
Ingersoll who has drawn S5CG3,G4G SO out of
the City treasury for Furniture Carpets, &c.
for the public Offices, and for carpenter-work,
repairs and alterations in public buildings within
the last three years, is no shadow. He is one
of your appointees as Courthouse Commits
soner last Fall-appointed by you to finish
and furnish that very edifice which has already
so nearly finished the resources and credit of
the City. Who is his "Co.n we hope to learn
in due time; but the Ingersollr is your fresh
appOintee, and you can doubtless put your
hand on him to-day.
JVW yOu make him tell rho DID pocket all
this money! That he did not is plain, for he
has 60" Let us see who will "blush to
find it fame" that he is Ingersolls "Co.'
The furniture, carpets, &C., in County Off
"ces" bought since August, 1868, must still be
there. They can easily be inventoried and their
original value ascertained. If there is one
quarter enough of them all to justify the millions
of dollars paid for them to "Ingersoll g. Co..