New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-02-19
ALBANY.
THE TERWILLIGER CASE.

CHARGES.
IRON IIlB REGULAR CORRESPONDENT oP THE TR1BUHEl
ALBANY, Feb. 1.-THE Senate Committee, APP
pointed to investigate the charges against Mr. Ter
williger made their report to-day. 1t win bo no
tced that the Committee studously limit themselves
10 the matters which they were directed TO examine;
also that Mr. Terwlliger being out of the way they
have not made use Of any language in regard
to him or his ohensc. For tho information Of the
general public, in many respects different body
from the Senate of the State of NewYork, the fol-
lowing facts should be considered in connection
with the report l. That Mr.. Terwlliger was Clerk
of the Senate continuously from 1860 to
1860, inclusive. being ten consecutive years.
@ That his immediate predecessor BIr. s. p Allen,
n good Republican, swears that from 1855 to 1893,
during the four years he was clerk, no per centage,
commission, or gratuity, was paid him for bringing
printing jobs TO Weed, Parsons x Co., OK any other
firm. 8. That Mr.. Parsons himself does not carry
back the antiquity of commissions beyond 1850. 4.
That both Mr.. Van Benthuysen aud The Arggs Com
pany swear that their profits printing for the
State, without any gatuities, do not exceed 20 per
cent 3. That the examinations Of tho committee
have not extended back Of the years 1893 and 1869,
nor TO tie point whether the bills certified to by Ter
williger were Just charges g. That the particular bill
which Mr.. Parsons says was FIST made ont by his
SON and afterwarI twice altered by himself, Is
utterly without precedent for its eXOrbitance, a.
may be shown by comparing tho work with other
similar documents and his price with the prices OF
others for Ike documents, both in this and III other
States. {. That the very magnitude Of the commits
SION proves that an unfair advantage must, IN some
way or another, have been taken OF the State ex-
ccedino a. il does the entire profit of tho two other
great concerns on work Of precisely the sam" char
acter which they were doing for the same Lesisla-
ture The conclusion to be drawn from these anu
other circumstances is that is as Good plea
for the common fclon in the prisoners dock as lor
such an old offender as Mr.. Terwiger, and such is
the opinion of the Committee though expressed in
somewhat different language. To be Criminal 1t "a
not necessary to invent new crime.
The following is the report in full, which Mr. Ter
wlllger finding ne could not get suppt ,sed antici-
rated Ivy resgning before its Or ;cntatiOn
To he Eaar: Tho Select Committee. appointed pursll-
ant the resolution passed jan 80 liz. TO invest ~
and report upon tie charges contained IN an gdi' %
Edward Oracle, datcd Dee. 10 lTl, against James TT
wiIliccr O. rk Of the Senate" respectfully report tidt
they proceeded TO make dgent inquiry lno the SUBJECT
and al The outset of their investigation chdcaN0ed 10
aSr d f ,n i tsen II, 70 ~ a. foIloTs;
First: "Tat from the 18th day OF November, 1909 70
August lr70. oneiith OF all amounts collected
Tor printing senate bills Or other Senate documents WAS
regularly ~ counted and paid 70 said James Terwii.
Tiger the Clerk Of the senate. bonus Orcoinniss
hv the firm OF Weed Parsons Co., then printing Leeis-
nursuance ~ n contract with the state authorities.
second: That frequently during period the said Ed
ward oracle then employed sole boohkeepor of the
said hru furnished the said TerSilh-r WIN Dllls Tor
printing senate bills documents in which the items
snd accounts were fully and correctly stated. hut that
tho said bills were uriformy returned 10 Geponen said
aIly Increase the amounta of the bills
Ihird That these altered aud fraudulent accounts
and and c siiea,t BY the 1aia fr'n."
Summoned Defuro tbcm end exaln'red Edward Oracle,
Toln D. Parsonr, OF the Arm 81 Weed Parsons CO.. JAS
ColnstOck boOkkc'par said firm, and lfary Gallon,
Deputy state Controller after which Cnars King ost
fed ia behalf Of W. Parsons and MI Tcrwicer IN his
OWL behalf. Committee also caused eyaniuI-
ton be made or the vouchers on ne in the occ OF tho
Controller If The state rendered by weed Parsons Co.
for printing done STATE, for the period Aforesaid
also an examination OF the accountDooks and cdGcrs In
period by sad firm anu the senate journals and
documents covering the period ~ question and from tie
FIRST: As 10 CG1rgcs second and third Jhey we're not
supported by any proof except that wiicn given
atins . one bin which hat been altered by increasing
Parsons 4 CO.. AMI embraced Two IT. ms, VIZ: one Tor
printing ie> imony. &C. fo7 P9ilr1ni Committee OF the
tenatc relating 10 increase Of capital stock, c, charged
under date Mlrch 49, GO; ana the otter Tor printing
testimony, a. !or seicct COMMITTEE or the senate, "p-
pointed April 10 1853 CHARGED unfor data OF April -
,69 These wer" respectively increased as TO-.
lows The ar first CHARGED at S's] g. and sub
,oouently increased Il $3.50 a. 1he second iccm was
first charged a. 500, aud aItcrwrd incaa TO Sl,l56
and subsequently again increased TO SlsS The a-gre
gate thr n "a finally CHARGED was $3.50 H. This bill
was certified to BY TcrwiliSer az tlef% ana warrant
for the payment thereon was drWn % u" controller on
the Treasurer Of the ,s s'ae, ne certificate
Tor the payment tnereot June 7, 1899. There
is no S hi, s ST. Ea1 INV tT Ier
10 lts alteration OF the additions that made to IT,
Mr oha d. Parsons, one OF the firm OF Weed, Parsons
A. Co testified that the charges were made IN the first
instance by his sou. VINO was not conyersant wiki such
work: that tie printing was done by piece-nleal and
II nights with extra help and that reasons he
Ghe witucs made the alterations and additions to the
bill believing that the charges, rs finally liked, were no
more than a just and far compensation for the work
done As to charge first II appears that Terwilliger
,,ha from no "A 10
TO the -t day Of Dec mber 1869, and that during that
period Weed, Parsons Il Co. dill department printing
specified Gracies AFFIDAVIT the firm paid to Terwihger
per cent on certain printing done Tor the STATE ins
per centum made Uf the following credits ncud
ing that which was allowed on the altered bill viz:
Amount Pc 'eat
Twenty per cent for printing FOR Constitutional
Twenty per cent charge. printing mi.ceaneoo.
per cent eh.rg for P,psIs and 5Sp " 1908 %
1Neuu per cent printing for Railroad Commit .,. .-.o
TSea yer cent printing mscsi,neoa. sccoaut
To Dec u. sp 10 lb9 20
ro. charge. for printing "a s46s O5
That this per centum paid to Terwilliger at the
tunes and In the manner following, to-"It:
1888 May ill.,. 80 60 1870, JLy9......s2oaj Is
Be ;o.:...~ q Total p.nen,s'es IS
That the printing on which the per centum was paid.
above stated done between the I'd day Of Janu-
ay 1863 and The h day Of ~, h 1872 Ionr
ported the testimony and proofs taken before them IL
paa and nndt u has %
respect to legislative printing for number oil years
Your Committee Of the opinion that the the practice
receiving per ceDum by tho Clerk OF the Senate on
printing the state il highly repreheDsible, AS
being peicOus in its tendencies, wrong upon principle.
manifestly against public policy. The usage even
though has prevailed FOR years does not in the opinion
OF your Committee, AFFORD any justification 10 those who
AVIAN themselves Of II. All OF which Il respectfully sub
nited. JoHN G. PERRY.
Els. IOwERr,
Dated Feb. II. 1871 j. HAkDLNBLkGH.
LEGISLATIVE PROCEEDINGS.
A LIVELY SEINE N THE ASsENBLY-COL. HAWK
arm, ~, ,ur uunNr-uopE USyF,TI-