The New York herald., 1871-08-24


THE CITY ACCOUNTS
for 1869; but they are as yet not sufnciently ar.
ranged in order to Gull from accurately 1t il said
that when the entire accounts shall have been all
printed they Will 5000 closely printed octave
pages. It wiz thus be seen. to quote from them. or
rather from that portion already completed would
be Of little benefit to the general public. When the
big bundle OF accounts marked "Quarterly '60,"
was laid upon the Presidents desk one of the old
clerks in the Comptroer's ONCE remarked, ''Well,
declare, I've seen accounts for the past twenty
years open for inspection. and this is the first time
ever heard anybody cared to look at them" There
may have been great deal Of truth in the clerks
remarks. The following are the messages.
The Message to the Board of Supervisors.
MAYORS OFFICE, August 16 1871.
To THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
The COmptrolers annual report for the mum.
cpal year ending May 1, 1871, was accompanied by
statistical tables intended to furnish In detail lists OF
the expenditures which that report merely aggre-
gated. These tables were being printed when 1t
became evident that public sentiment demanded
much more mlnuteness OF statement than had been
usual for the Finance Department to give or than
the tables In process of printing supplied. The
Mayor, therefore, with the hearty concurrence of
the Comptroller. recalled the tables, and in
place OF them has provided the budget herewith
sent They comprise accounts also OF the additional
quarter Of the year tnat has elapsed since the
Mayors message was fled and reprints for the year
1859 In the form selected. They make chronolOgi-
cal collection OF the the @ Is drawn upon the
the LIST of July, 1871, and are substantially trans.
scripts in current order rom the warrant books of the
Department OF Finance, and necessarily include eacn
and every sum paid out from 1t during that period,
with the name OF the payee ana reference to the
subject matter OF payment. The printing OF this
huge budget was begun; but when the accounts Of
1869 were ready for publication 1t became apparent
that the delays In completing the publication were
used tnturlOuSly to the city credit Therefore the
printing has been interm1tted In order to afford to
both friends and enemies OF the city government ac-
cess to the accounts. although they are partly In
Those which relate to the county are now sent to
you, and those which relate to the city have been
<transmtted to the Common Council. 1t is due to
our constituents and the public credit that two off,
cal acts be done:aairst the Mayor sno%ld furnish
second. that committee OF your body should be ap-
pointed las the only legally appropriate commlttee)
to investigate these ana all county vouchers az
need investigation and at the same time TO permit
participation In your labors Of any unbiased unex-
ceptona6le ana bipartisan committee OF taxpayers
We are ali generally familiar with those legislative
passage Of acts populary known as the City Charter
and the Supervisors law OF 1870. These laws could
oesn eca nd noss
legislators or bt ,!een them and county or city
officials nad been first made. The recovery OF
supreme local government by the city and county
appeared, to large majority Of the cOmmOnaty, to
be OF vital Importance. 1t wOuld.have been incOn-
and independent Board of Supervisors as some egis.
lators wished Besldes the existing Board was COM
posed Of both republicans and democrats, and the
eject Of the inooted change would be to make its
new members entirely OF one party-demo-
Cratlczsndh to egisIate out Of odlce all who
prepared to vote for the Charter who would not
vote for the abolition of the Board OF Supervisors
existing contracts and claims then pending before
the Old Board should be paid Sufilce it to say that
ing section OF the county tax levy was agreed 60.
1t was one which received the votes OF leaders in
both parties, and 1t was understood to be legisa
tive direction to pay or the claims aforesaid:-
SECTIONS T. All liabilities aganat county OF New York
previous to the passage Of this act shall be audited
Of and the Which ar" found ae
be due shall provided for BY the issue bonds
the Board Of Supervisors shall include ordinance
pay said bonds and the thereon Such claim. shall
be paid BY the Comproer to the party or parties entitled to
herein. ''''''
In this section are used two words Of broad signi.
1cance-''llablities" claims They were only
limited by the sentence incurred previous TO the
passage fthis act" The word incurred" was also
phrase, found to be due" Itwas clear tnat the du-
ties OF the officers who were to give the certlfcate
were merely ministerial, and That when liabilities
had been legally incurred, and precise amounts
upon them haa been previously determined as and
found, due under engagements or contract, they
TO be paid according the intent and wording
OF the legislative mandate, and that the officers
named did not constitute court for claims but sim
ply ministerial board for inspection and certifca.
tion Soon after the passage or the act the or GERS
named in the section met and adopted the following
CoMPrRoLLER's OFFICE May s. 1870.
The undersigned meet as a commission under and
by virtue OF section OF chapter 3s2 OF Ine Laws OF
On motion Of the Mayor 1t is
Resolved That the County Auditor coec, the appro-
pirate committees of the Bord of Supervisors aud
aud that the evidence p ie same
'Sf er ssd Or sIpre r,S, g, s
and ha. tnerenpS. the said COUNTY. Aatr the
the section Aforesaid and payment ~'
Signed by the officers named.
They reposed the utmost confidence in the County
Auditor, as indeed they justified IN doing be.
cause for great number OF years, as Treasurer OF
County Auditor for two terms in the Comptroler;s
ONCE ne had given satisfaction and inspired conn.
dence. The claims and liabilities contemplated by
the spirit and letter OF the legislative mandate were
found by himto consist almost wholly OF employments
and purchases made and for services performed
during several years In and about the court house
and armOries-sublects which prior leQsletures nor
OF democratic majority, had exclusively and pecu.
arly put under control OF the Supervisors as sub.
stantial commissioners and which the Supervisors
mad acted upon.
The Mayor speaking for himself, was impressed
with the magltude Of the liabilities claims and
amounts found TO be due, and especially by the
enormous interest that had already accrued upon
law making him ministerial agent OF the Legsla-
ture TO pay on the claims found due IL was aso his
onicia desire 70 extlngush all debt legaces of the
Old county government large though they might be,
80 as to not cucumber the operations OF the new
one nor 10 emoarrass IT'S treasury with the clamor
OF claimants yearly at Albany, or with ADDITIONAL
costs, charges ana interest There was, and is,
nothing upon the face OF the bills as they were col,
ected from the custody OF the Clerk of the Super.
visors and adjusted BY the County Auditor TO sug.
gest suspicion OF bad faith TO any one ana especially
OF the iegisa section, even IL inquiry into the In.
curing and progress OF the liabilities mad been
suggest that the charges more exorDitant than
the generality OF deferred claims OF years standing
urit by creditors who driven TO swell their bills
ofeh as Is said TO provide against the contingency
or public debtor possibly postponing and pr0cras
tin1lng payment. AT all events tbev were an q arc
to n, considered matters OF express contracts and
had been TN the language OF the act 'rncurren ~
Ne Com DtIOller Issued hls revenue hond a ~ n aor