New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-08-04
THE CITY ACCOUNTS.
ABOUT 1.-THE RING"

ABOUT THE HING"
While we are awaiting az calmly az we may that
long promised, ptill withheld Controllers exhibit Of
the City's Receipts and Expenditures for the last
two years and over, nd the following spicy out
giving in the last Erenin0 Post We do not warrant
it's absolute verify, but give 1T for whatever IL may
be worth:
The cur,ous 4" ouadrilateral" behind which the Tam
many Government of this city ntrenched is commonly
known as " tho Ring" 1t Is the only fourcornered
ring history; and the namo has probably been gwen
TO It In tho belief that 1t ia morally, or perhaps
we ought to immorally, bound ana weiu-
ed together as to present one SOLID, UNIFORM
mass TO resist attacks pressure But IL runor s To 10
trusted the description applies longer, and the meta
physical name OF ring" may well DO dropped. Inc
" Ringo Ia broken; tho "quadrilaterap has gone 10
pieces All that Is publicly known OF the matter indeed
lies in nutshell But while it ia not enough to prove so
startling an assumption the breaking up OF strong
government, 1t goes to confirm the probability tht 'no
rumor in question may have some foundation We there
give the story hear 1t, without asserting ua'
any part of IL Is true.
The Ammany Ring Is commonly said TO be dentlcal
with the Board OF Apportonmen TO which the Ieglsia
ture has given absolute control OF the finances Oh t'
city Mr. Hall, tho Mayor Mr.. Connolly, the Controieri
Mr. Tweed, tho Commissioner Of Public Works. ana MI
sweeny tho president OF the Department OF PARIS
These four gentlemen muet all upon every measure
for taking money from the people and for paying It out
the dissent OF any being sufficient TO defeat resou
ton Now rumor has it that this Board held meeting
many weeks ago. at which number OF claims were pr1
sented for services rendered to tho city before the new
charter went into operation Among are nancdhe
claim of ex-Sherif O'Brien for about o quarter OF
million dollars services Sheriff; that OF Edward
ones late Corporation Printer for very large sums,
amounting in all TO about 100000 and that OF Garvey
and others for plasterng and the like These claims In
clude those for which q snit has just been brought
rainst the Controller In the Supreme Court The meet
ing IN question continued In session long time from an
carly hour until at least O'Clock in the afternoon, ana
it is said not to harmonious 1t reported
that letter from Mr. OBren wac read in which he
threatened II his claim not allowed, at once TO
pubsh the list of warrants for exorbtant claims which
had already paid by the Controllers that at least
one member Of the Board wished 70 obiSc their old
friend but that obstuately but quietly stood upon
the new departure and declared that not another dol
lar should be paid by the Board upon CLAIMS or
work done before it was constituted because the law
gave the Board no right to adjust such claims.
Just after that meeting the lists OF the warrants In
question began 70 appear In The fines Three members
of the Board the city and from that time until
now meetings Of the Board have been appointed from
day to day. and from week to week, but none has been
held 1t Ia even confidently asserted that the meeuhB
which has been announced for to-day VIII not DC helu
and that because, while the three gentlemen VINO
are at their posts and the effect when
tho disclosures have on the puphc minu are
eager for it, the fourth persstently shuts himself up
10 his leisure his enJOyments at Lake Mahopac ana
yes no heed whatever TO the wishes or his associates
The only apswer he gives their invitations runor mas
H. ia that since they corpse to bury with when
he has no concern they had better do II at once ana
thoroughly and need not ask him to assist at the tunera
that by law his work member OF the Board was com
plete when the appOrtionment for the year was Hade
and he does not anything further for the Board
TODD.
IL is also asserted that the member who has hitherto
been supposed be the father Of the Board divides his
time between NewYor City and the rural solitudes OF
Connecticut and that in both places he Is open with his
friends in his protest against two things-Of the two per
cent restriction upon taxation under which he declares
that the City Government cannot be carried on and OF
the Government of the State, especially of Gov. Hof
man. who since the late riots counted ont" by the
Ring Further, it is said that Gov Hoffman, since his
veto OF the Code Amendment bill, has found no favor
whatever with some departments of the City Govern
ment and I'm particular, that there has been no
personal intercourse between him and the head
Of the CITY Government II all this true, the position
of the Mayor and Controller, compelled to stay at their
posts burened with official duties, badgered on every
side with claims and which they cannot adjust
and bounded down ty hostile press, IL certainly dIih
cult and disaeeablc. But enough OF this for one day
Rumor has supplied us with vast deal OF addn0nal IN
formation on this subject, which wish to investigate
further Meanwhile there is reason TO suspect that
there il really breach in the city quadraeraI quito
large enough invite the greatest energy and skill on
the part OF opponents Would ii not be singular II
they the reformers should actually find themselves in
possession OF one Of the Of it, and able to make it
their impregnable fortress against the resti