New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-01-23
MR.. Hustled AND THE GRAVEL coNTRACT

HIS EXPLANATION TO THE ASSEMBLY.
The following is fill report of Mr. Ilu-
tpds remarks in the Assembly yesterday in reply the
charges of The Nc,c York. Times
MIR. Hustled rose az smoke ms follows:
ME- SPEAKER: rise 10 question OF privilege. While
do not believe that the floor Of this Chamber il tho
proper Place for any gentleman 10 Ventlae his private
grlc!s or seek redrcs for what he deems ms private
WRONGS yet the circumstances Of the present. case seem
to present no other alternative.
On the 3o day OF December last, The Nctr York Times
published an article rejecting upon my character AS q
the House, felt was not III topic to discuss here
subs to that organization On the 81 day OF JaLu-
ary GcrOe1iory a!u0n was again mad, hearing upon
the subject. At that time / confined my
room 10y illness, 3nd was unable to reply.
On saturday last direct mputaticn was hurled
against mo in the editorial columns OF tho Journal.
TO that article, couched in terms demanding Response,
now propose To reply, and propose IN 50 doing TO vim
dicltc as in lies my personal honor take this
course, sir, fer and reason only. lead
ing Journal OF our party which has been active IN the
cause of Reform, to which we all pledged. has made
statements which. II allowed TO pass unheeded by
and most impartial minds Therefore, Sir due regard
for the good opinion of the public and especially for that
OF my faloWlEcmbCrs upon this floor, COnpcIS 10
make what. under other circumstances, should regard
private 9Ers. The article j. incorrect i'm many parc
iars. either inspired by pure malice and writ
ten 81 the iustica,on of omc personal enemy had
not the nanncss Ior the courage appear under his
own signature, or it. was based upon information which
had no fOUnGation IN truth.
The facts are these About the time that the Central
Park first laid out, bank composed Of gravel OF
Red Hook rear the Village OF Pecksli from which 10
present time the Central Park aud the Prospect Park
have been supplied. few years later other banks
The opposite Of the river Of the same general char
acterisucs, opened and between the lesSecs Of
their different deposits an bcye rivalry Sprang up In
the year 1870. in connection with other gentlemen, or
cauized the Hudson River Gravel Company which there
upon entered INTO competition against a olhers very
after the organization ~ the Company, me dhcr-
ent parties IL interest, finding that rivalry rendered
THEN business pronlesS 10 all, and being without the
capital necessary 10 MAKE successful contest. entered
into the service Of the COMPANY, which thereunon SUP,
pred the CITY OF NcW-fOf ~ Jhe same prices ll't Had
ruled FOR several years AZ the close OF The season an
examination OF the books showed that Tire Company had
lost money there being less tah S2D III me treasury,
amount insufficient TO pay the salaries or inc oihccrs
OF the COMPANY which was theroipon dissolved 10y mu-
In the Winter of 1871 determined possible TO mako
business successful leased in connection with Mr.
FRI ar the Rcd HOOK DIIk, AT rental OF sl0g year.
and also secured Subeases Of all the banks lying on
rraTeI We iierenpon under the title Of the Peclsk
Gravel Company, offered goods in the open market
point on the Central Park, IN the City of ewYcrk. and
at propOronate prices delivered ~ any other points.
chase from tie old price We declined To s. II
determined t. have profit on our goods or abandon tho
business Finding terms to be absolute after some
delay and after repeated efforts to purchase ~ lower
price. the Department sent US eqnsllion 1T The price
named and continued to do as they rOrd time TO time
needed material. subsequently, desiring screened
crycl they demanded our Terms for that. We asccr
famed the extra expense TO he 30 ccr's yard and
off red to supply tho Department 1T that extra charge.
From ms diftrence pIicc received benefit the
addjtoual amount being paid by to the party who
did ne work such is the brief and PLAN hut correct
Abatement Of this whole matter II It oilers IN any way
from an honorable and straightforward business trans
action must confess my ignorance OF the rules that
obtain in the business community
AZ 10 the gratuitous false and unwarrantcd assump
ton that amy arrangement was ever made or cneraned
between the parties III interest ana any OF the oihcas
| in any way connected with the Department of Public
nov The sii,les foundation ON the contrary as was
Informed by Superintendent, the department made
quality OF gravel from other parties and was no until
they asceraned that none other could be obtained that
they acceded to terms. SO persistent that de-
termination TO procure material from other quarters. II
| ed
| from time to time their necessities demanded.
never h eXohahged word with either Of the ccnms-
relative TO the business. The superntendents OF the
Company honorable and honest men, attended 10 all
of the books and the accounts, which always kept
in perfect order and which OF themselves by compari
exclusively that charge of irGud direct or consruc
tive is untrue in fact and unsupported By evidence.
As to the immense profits that are reported o. have
been made. state here unqualihedy that since
lection with the business the profits have not exceeded
ten per cent on the gross receipts and this fact the books
OF the Company Will also show In Difference 10 public
opuion and the good opinion OF my this Lex,
auire Ibaye given this explanation, and now Sir II
shall appear any gentleman on this floor, after what
have said that my vindcation is full. satisfactory
and complete shall only he too glad t. have such pro
ceedngs instituted by tins body as will enable me to
sustain by documentary and rarO evidence The correct
ness OF my position and the ruthnlness OF my state
Mr.. Hawkins said:
Mr. sPrAKER: desire to make personal explanation
in relation TO some OF The genteahs Iciirxs suppose
perhaps that there Is on tie Our az tins House
who better acquainted with the circumstances under
W articles
than myself although mad nothing TO 90 WIN them-
nothing do with the writing or the-notbng TO 40 III
relation 10 obtaining the information upon which they
were founded Know positively that the Information
that was derived by the writer of those articles came
directly from the office OF the Central Park Commission,
after Judge Hilton had left the presidency oil that Com
mission ,-.-, A., - -.., Ill.,.
Tine statement Of facts from the Central Park
Onlce and the Central Park Office il responsible for
belve the articles sincerely written IN the in,
erest of Reform and not Inspired by any personal
| inf hV no .Tta of
The Neo York Times precisely another article would
have bccu printed in the interest of Reform that had
been presented to his favor by responsible man. That
was in relation TO these articles know posi-.
lively there was no malice III IT, Ihey were INSPIRED
from prOpcr feeling of the responsibility OF the pO-
stion which the proprietor OF that journal feels that he
yenatjne NOT only other abuses but this one the
tme-going for Republicans, in other words, to
engaged in committing these frauds upon the public.
The facts ! understand to he simply these:
That man by the name or Ryder. residing, think III
the district with the member who has just spoken,
had furnished gravel the Central Park Commission
passed into the lands of the new Iamnlany Hall Com
mission, as We cali it in NewYOG for s. 40, pretty soon
aier the new commissioners hau taken chafSe, anu
Collector stebDins and Mr.. Green and the other gentle
men had gone out OF the MANAGEMENT While Mr. Green
remained there he never was consulted and he hardly
ever saw the inside OF the Offices of the Park Board and
had very httle do with their aiairsin fact, was
snuhbed upon every OCCASION very soon after the new
Commissioners came into power they passed resOu-
ton, without giving any authority at all ior 1t rs un
dcrstand it, authorizing contract purchase OF the
new company 70 which the member has just referred,
| Mr. Alyord 10 point OF order, and said The
gentleman from the Xlth District Of NeW-YOrk ~
not speaking 10 question Of privilege unless he firms
the truth Of the article, and then will not undertake to
interfere with him. that be does believe the state
ment Oi the gentleman from Wcstchoster (MT. HnsteGJ
and intends 10 move Committee Of Investigation.
! The SpcIhcr-Ihe Chair is OF the opinion mat the
question OF privilege belongs 10 each member qucs-
ton o. right and the subject Is not Gebaabe. The gen
tIeman from New is not In order unless rises TO
/ question OF privilege,
Nh. Hawklhg-I VIII rise to that question for the
purpose explaining, not insiuuatO an attack
lat TO the dispersion upon gentleman VINO cannot
/ IN. Wer upUD tins floor.