New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-08-31
THE CITY ACCOUNTS.
TIE PROPOSED COMMITTEE.

TIE PROPOSED COMMITTEE
Secretary Hardy caused letters to be sent,
yesterday the Committee of citizens appointed to
operate with the Joint Committee Of the Board of Super
ysors and the Board OF Aldermen to examine the city
accounts, asking them If they will accept the appoint
ment. II they willing TO accept Alderman Dimond.
the President the Joint Committee purposes to call
meeting at early day.
TIE ANTI-TAMMANY MASS MEETING.
1t is stated that ex-Mayor Havemeyer has
accepted invitation 10 preside at the mass meeting of
taxpayers to no held Sept T.
POINTED QUESTIONS FROM A GERMAN-AMERICAN.
To the EdftOr Of The Trtbune.
SIR: The Mayor in his defense against the
charges of the press states that the warrants for the
payment Of the exorbtant bills signed by him, be
they lad been approved by the late Board of
Supervisors and that. in executing these warrants be
was left no discretionary powers and simply performed
"mnsteral acts in the regular course OF official duty
Aside from utter bOllowness of this palty excuse,
permit to ask What of the bills audited by the late
Board of Supervisors in secret sessions held by them of
which not all the members legally nformcd' What
Of the suppression of the minutes of that Board although
the law required their pubcatonI What Of the fact that
one member of the late Board about two when
the wholesale robberies began wrtnga
the validity OF bills passed in secret sessions OF which
they had not given him nOtce What Of the fact that he
confederaes from another from the Clerk of the
Board the Controller and Uce when In search Of
information IA To minutes, items ana Dls ac'el upon III
secret session, matters which he never could Obtain
never saw, and never read In print.
Surely Mayor Hall cannot pretend that he never heard
framdnlcny ordcre for payment may yet be sued for
and recovered II there be any means OF getting al the
accounts that were thus passed ratified and ordered
far uov,neu when the member who had eynced opposi-
ton TO secret sessions aud the suppression OF minutes
was necessarily absent Can any one Of the Ring make
why the printing of the minutes of the Board OF super
visors dispensed with contrary to the REQUIREMENTS
of the awt II not. this fact alone must stand as eVl
dence that those members, who sanctioned the secret
sessions and took part in suppressng the minutes each
and OF them accessories 10 the robberes and 1t
furnishes of the links In the chain OF corroboraye
evidence that must condemn them If they should ever be
brought TO trial. and all the witnesses be summoned VINO
can furnish evidence a 70 the mOdus opdddt adopted
by the conederates of the Ring in the late Board OF
Supervisors
members OF the late Board OF Supervisors called
upon through the Republican papers to explain their
there ought TO have been more than one member OF that
Board conscientious enough TO vote conviction should
have dictated when these exorbtant bills for plasterng
furniture, &C., passed When the acts OF the late
compelled every one Of the Republicans In that Board
come out against the criminal practice OF suppressng
minutes and holding secret sessions, which could have
been instituted only for the purpose OF liking things
the connection some OF these men maintained with Tam,
many Hail. and IL must be conceded that they full
sgnedly acquiesced in this under hand and awless
OF passing aud ordering payment OF bills that out
the community. a bEkMAN-hhbhCAh
Heu- York, Aug. 80, 1871
SUGGESTIONS TO THE INVESTIGATORS.
To ne Editor Of The TrtDune.
SIR: To facilitate investigation, and to OBJ
tain facts from the examination about to be made Of the
city and county accounts, / Would make the following
suggestions:
Procure from the iantor person having charge OF
courtroom, school, arnOry engDehouSo, or puOHc
building of any kind this Island, an inventory OF
every article portable property under his charge ana
| rtaiu % Y -
been in the possession Of the cit! or county.
Select from the list every article which has not been
paid for, and set il against IL the amount due.
Compare these lists with bills PAID ana offered TOT set
Eec York, Aug 80 1871.
NETWORK TAXPAYERS.
From The London spectator ~
We have told the story of New York cor.
rupton that hardly hope 1t will interest
readers but there is one point In connection with IL
upon wncn we nav eyo has AWAY been matter Of
surprise that that patient person GA not sur we
nt mn with mons1o taxation for gas and water
improvements, that he Will pay anything plumbers IKE
ANYTHING like adequate care. But then the Londoner
pays head for head only one-sixh OF the Neior tax
probably much less. And even here good Dig thet.
In any parish, say of one years income, ~oG,u
duce some impairment accountant TO INSIST on
exposure and would certainly emu III tng eAps,U , 81
ties OF robbery. 1t almost appears as II te III
New York liked TO be robbed but we are Old s U
]
of this kind The bulk of the taxation Is eEeu ny an a
sessmen all visible property, ana as lne nass vi
VOTERS particularly the Irish, own no property; oy
little they scarcely feel the pressure OF taxes wnch
"a ELECTORS decree Indeed large classes OF tne peent
by them being paid enormously for all WORK zone on
condition of political support All tne{ ied' Is IN ma ,bat
administration OF the city Is very hDera anu Una.
thew get share OF good things, ana they WI les,nt
economy lust az much a. GIeenWch rcSen. mo us
i.sai OF unnecessar dock yard aD0reIs lney ether
urefer an eNtrayagant outlay, or lNns outsiue new
York as Thousands OF them do, are comparatively ihH
1erent to H. . -. ,,,o,, mariana rho hest one
ION in r civ ma. not numerical superiority Oh the
Lowest and though IL feels taxatlon more Oo PooI "
ote an energetic fight. What IL small shopKeepef,
m he never 80 decent TO do IN courts where ms oPpo
nents NAV own the judges, ana can speu nii tnc o ~
~ a. rg,i,,ing him 1y iongprOtracted litigation. We
suspect too though this We do not Know that uaeCi
trrr il moi wanting and that any small man VINO heo
a hin of discovery against the treasury "ouu hnu ms
"yanin, waIl. interrupted FOR long while Ana tne
,a cnr1a IN thc rich Well, the rich are terrOrlZed
too "A the Ring assess theIt taAapir PtoPIy
M any sum they like and tht\ nave scaIcSiy t 49,
1noiye for rsIng such eXt0Ition. The value OF new
WrL Geometry has increased almost incredibly fast
III rom he prosperity Of the city, parity from inc
hr.,se nf nopuatiOu. and partly from the geOsIdPn
i nrcuiafities of the place, which being on an sau
cannot be greatly expanded. IN the largest tel VI
ur0perty moreover houses thc rl.h NJ @ ~. a.
inf AZ IN n the Ring want another hye per cent the
ners mt II on 10 the tenants and the tenants on
The sutenauts TIL IL falls al last upon the masses VINO
think the propretors harsh and exhcng put 10
49, ,a ultimate eXtortiOners, the men VINO govern the
i The circle Is therefore complete Inc upper cli,s
- Innvy do NOT nay aud do not care: The middle
VIM nv know and Do care, cannot afford To night Ana
IN. masses who neither know nor care No'c .p "Aee
smd i'm humble but sufficient way share tue spoI!s'
III"