, 1873-12-27

lnluro, Ly Implication. gayo tho Tronsurer
u certain discretion IN nBtng, loaning, Investing
and converting tho public funds. providing such
llso, lonnltg. Investing, ctc.. wero not "li.iias-
fllm I9 affidavit waa also clnng9a' and mr.
tho ono required Of lin by lnw. though believing
that 1t waB tic ono required. Consequently le
cannot bo Indicted for Bwcarng to an irrolevant
nlntter, Or for making M affidavit M 10 his oii-
gtired by law. II tho reyerHo Of this rrol'onl-
ton wcro true, Mr. GaSo, na vol NJ tho present
City Treasurer, WIN sloposits his money IN bnnk
would be technically volatofs OF tho law, and
tle proposition 70 t',rn eyer tl,o fnnea 1T sl'9tt
only compoundlng OF felony.
ANOTHER POINT.
Another point Deserves moro attention tlnn
!'as boon givou to tt. During. tho panlo, tho
banks w0ro alt worry short OF funds. Now. If
iistead OF having this money IN the lands,of
tho banks, It Ind nil tcon locked up In tho City
yanlts, Chicago would not today DO occupying
tho high position which Hho does, atnong Tho
been kept during lato year9 III tho Trcasuror's
office, tho great tlro would lavo destroyed nbao-
lntoly much larger amount Of nlonoy tlian Mr..
angos shortage, a'ld ,nlao, There would Elnve
been no wny Of recovering t.o mgmoy; ,u; WHILE NJ
dollar by Mr.. tlasc, whose property il
Atflccnt to pay tho city and nil his private orol-
itors. All Of Nlr Gago'a boolks, paporHt and cash
on hand. wero burned in tho Eroat tlro mud Ind
s1,000,000 hnon in tho aafc tint amount would
hnve Deon almoBt NIL lout
Mr.. Gage lna Int followed tho course Of tho
Relief and Aid Society, which received several
million dollars from various sources, mud which
then deposited these fluids !" tho ,, different
posit of 's15c, 900 i'll tho First National Bank
Ut Washington, yot there Inns boeM no
demand for tic criminal prosecution Of tho Soc
rotary Of tho Treasury, tl.ongh it H. admitted
Tint this deposit WAS III technical violation Of
law.
LII GagQ'a communication to tho Common
Council iii December, 1861, ho Htated that ho
should loan to .banAa mud othor institutions I'M
less instructed to tho contrary. Tho Finance
Committee Ind tho mattor rofosrct To- !hon,, but
neglected 10 make my report or to, talso notion
Oil this communication. Tho question tsas tn 10
tho rroprioty OF looming tho public funds, and it
mikes no difference to whom theso funds were
to9ned: The city, II accorting qngos interest,
tho banks, but took nil that was offered.
Tho checi-books used by Dir. Gage ns Treas
urer boloMg to tho city, md l,nvo always been
opcn to the inspection OF any city official Or
wcro loaned. It is not claimed that alr. Gnso
tried to cover up Ills tracks, or to mako my
conceaImcnt Of tho manner in Which theHo
loans were nude. II no. lled wished to
defrasd the city, lso. could have drawn
Ing ITO marks Of tho transactions. In this and
other respects, the caso Of Mr.. Gago diflers
from that Of defnuting Troasurors who layo
naado Glenn steal for thcr own ttso. Ho Inns
nsado loans which lie cannot Immediately recall,
but tho city will not loso anything, nor was il
possible thai it should.
WHAT OTHERS HAVE DONE.
BY the strict rules OF the 1auks, particularly
the National Currency act, bunk oillealsato for
bislleu TO loan money to individuala Or firms in
greator amounts tllan one-tonth Of tho capital,
yet tho recent failureu in Now York uill else
Thcro hayo shown TINT III Some cases moro thuii
one-llalt tho capital has bocn loaned,
and it ia admitted that it is often nee
essary to bolster up a customers credit
by Increased accommodations. Perhaps tho
bank fails and the 'lopositogs loso heavily, yet
IT the transaction appears OIL tho books upon in-
fcstigat!on to hnVo been made in good faith and
In tho ordinary cnrso Of bt,sinoHs, 1t iB not held
t,nt tho bank ofcials co,ild DO indicted for mis-
appropriating tho city funds.
a1rs. CAGES PROPERTY.
Mr. dngo decllpcs to givo detailed statement
III writing Of his property untii ho knows
whether the city will acccpt tho offer made, Ho
has Claims agaiust well Known business men,
which, out OF prudential considerations, llo de-
clincs to mako public. Last Tuo.day, llowovor,
y detailed statement was lnado verbally 10 tho
City Attorney, and yesterday oyening mootiu;
wns held ut Tho Granl Pacific to discuHa tho form
ot & trust decd which 11r. Gago's attorney sub
mittcd 10 the City Attorney for revision
or approval. No decision was reached
vt jato hour. when tho lnecting
bro]io mp. Mr.. Gagc has given III the schedule
already published tho principal part Of bis
assetA, al,d hna lra'lo full statomon. of them
verbally to the City Attorney. Thu State ssroet
property, which Inns been Bpoken OF ns ono of
tho ussrta not specially mentioned by Mr.. GaGo,
belongs to +. Parmoloo & Co., md forms " part
Of tho 5100,00U, which NIr. aagcB share in that
Iir,n ~ estimated to DO worth.
Mr. Gnge las his own private creditors but
his property III sufficient to pay both the city aud
tLcso creditors in full. llo toes not propose to
enough to make up tho amount Of his doiicit.
SHOULD DAVE, A. GAGE LIE risosEoUYED CN1M1-
70 the Editor n The chteauu 3''ibuno:
SIN: III tho law made FOR tho protection Of 80
ciesy? II it s, nto its penalties to be Disregard
cd nh to ono md enforced aA TO nnot,or: Why
B tho Inv onncseu, mud why nro lis pcnaltics over
enforced, if it bo not OF universal application
u one nn better tha1A another il. to eyo OF tho
law2 But it is sail thut afr. Gage !luu boen MI
excellent citizen and charitable toward the needy.
Cau VIC not dlycst ourselves Of lho toclng TINT
Goyoru:nont has llothing to do with the execu-
ton of Divine Justice or tho punishment of moral
tlrI,t,sdo? The Government only interfeso, to
protoct itsolf and every ono stands before tho
lnw equal.
Friends may preach ubout tho good intentions
OF lna1, tliut be aa no moral dcprayity in his
heart; it has nothing to 10 With Tho case. Won
poor clnploye Ioba tho mail ut 80 III order to
buy bread for bis children, lo Inns 10 moral de-
crime against society, a'ld l,o III punished with
ten years iu prison. mot out Of yinf4ctivcnese,
but on account Of Tho great interests Of society
in having tho mails duly protected.
Certainly tho Interests OF great city domnnd
TINT tho cnatodiR1ie OF its money should DO Rboyo
temptation, and, to protect ttoso yast interests,
tho pellnlty OF tho law should 10 enforced, swift
" and without hesitation. 1t raaay 10 very un-
pleasant for tho Stnle's Attorney to prosecute no
clever gcntloman; but whut IL his duty to 30
uioty? It In very unpleasant duty for II Judge
to sentence tho murderer to bo hansod; but does
ho avoid tho tl,ttys
And what Is tic effect Of avoiding such ,l,.-
pleasant duties? Waa it not tha laSl1ess to
prosecute clover men that tinnlly made possible
tho enormous crimeA OF Tweed nnu Ills egao-
ciatcs Tho n'onlant tho officers Ut tho law feel
pity for criminals. Or feel friendly to them, ut
that moment society bcgius to suffer and to do
terloratc.
Eu,noso AR Cana rr0aa frea ,rhnf ,,rctnoto,,