The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-12-22

Balance on hand .........................S4S ,2ll
Commissioner AGNEw, who had been associated
with Mr.. Wood as special committee to wait upon
the Comptroller and represent to him the great
need In which the Department stood for want OF
the funds they were entitled to to carry on the
work on the docks, said that the committee had
called on the comptroller, Dnt had been unable to
obtain from him any satisfactory reply to the repre-
sensations. The committee went over the law in
the case ana detailed the various measures that
would sufIer the funds were not forthcoming, but
all apparently to no purpose.
Commissioner WOOD may az well state that
asked MI. Green II he would put his answer in
writing and this request he would make no salts
factory answer.
Commissioner HENRY declared that 1t was q great
shame that the department should be compelled to
retard it's work on The docks, simply because GER
tam men had stolen money out OF the public treas
ury. He had personally invited editors OF all the
newspapers to call and look into the AFFAIRS OF the
Department, and had told them that they could IN.
vcstigate their hearts, content, as the Commits
sioners had nothing to fear. He had made the lnvi
taton very special to the editor OF paper that had
made several violent attacks upon the Department,
but as yet ne mad not accepted. The Department
had done Ats duty faithfully far, and he deAed any
body TO show whore there was single dock under
the Jurisdiction Of the Board that not In good and
excellent repair In the iurtherance OF their plans
for the new system OF docks 1t was necessary that
they should be able TO purchase private property
along the river fronts; but without funds thas they
were clearly emitted TO everything would nave to
Commissioners WooD then offered the followine:--
wnsrs.. The fnssSsa and s Of hi. De-
mee wait upon the Comptroller and ascertain from him
Se % sss ~ bonds ?: e s
Be by the Of Sinking on or
QUESTION Of the Board dated 18Th septsmeer ISM and
interview with The Comptrosr, could get
satisfactory answer from hin In relation to the said
That Secretary Of the Board DO instructed to
sPss pss
q snfns n. h
s and from ne 70 furnish this depart
se.ov ' q" Il furnished tn. Com
opinion ssssss
70 s shs 81 S1S wSsS
within the next twelve months the whole Of these s4oOoOo
ment
Commissioner WOOD said he wanted to De put
right on the record in the difficulty between the
Board auG the Comptroller. In 1870 tile Commas
sioners only asked for one-slxth OF what was due
to them. The question now at issue was just this:
dollar or which they had received; and. what was
more they had no idea when they would receive the
amount. The engineers letters were urgent for q
speedy prosecution the work. they were en-
titled to three millions next year; so IT was on this
should be compelled 10 pay one million dollars ut
once for II they waited until next year they would
only &c. inc three millions The Board, In his opinion,
ought put itself the record, so that If they did
not get the money In the long the people would
know who was TO Diane for the delay in prosecuting
Commissioner HENRY hoped that they would get
along harmoniously with the Comptroller without
taking the step advised by MIR. Wood. He didn't
feel ike forcing money out Of an nnwilIing
ofhcer.
Commissioner wooD remarked that II the Board
had HOY
would not have been able to get the $500 900
they did get. Now they wanted million, and he
the same means they got the s56o, 1000. =
Commissioner HENRY stated that the Board had
fused TO issue the bonds was taat he had been
ordered to do so by his superors, the Commissioners
inora4am was IN error wnen he Delivered his Gee.
sion In favor OF the Board. (LaughterJ
Commissioner AGNEw acknowledged that the
situation was extremely dsagreeable. RI he had
the control OF twenty millions OF dollars lie would
not pay out one dollar Of 1t lniudicl0usly. When ne
too the position he occupied ne did not take 1t
the sake OF any salary attached TO 1t. He mad been
merchant Tor the past thirty years in this city,
in the matter Of unloading and loading mer.
chandise, &c. he candldiy admitted that he was
mncm ~ pc a. the result OF the Boards
begun under such good auspices, ana all on account
OF the difficulty about the funds. He knew that the
why he should refuse TO- issue the the
thorIty. He would rather not vote for the rcsOlu-
tons, IN the hope that the Comptroller might soon
see that ne was not clearly IN the right IN the stand
that he ned TAKEN
Commissioner WooD SAID that il was true
that great deal OF the citys money had been
stolen, but not q cent OF the money OF tire Depart
ment OF DOCKS was gone The bonds that were 10
be issued were payable IN thirty years, and then
only would the burden he ielc by the taxpayers Ii
the bonds were issued they would be readily taken
up.
The resolutions were then put and lost, Commits.
sioner Wood alone voting for them.
commissioners Agnew and Hunt, In explaining
their votes, said they voted in the negative simply
because they thought tnat Judge Ingraham's man.
damus covered the whole case at issue, and that the
fault OF the present ''hItchu lay solely with the
Comptroller. Tney wanted the blame to rest where
II belonged.
The meeting shortly after this adjourned.