The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-02-11
THE STATE CAPITAL.
The Two Million Appropriation fOr the
Streets of New York.
THE COLLECTION OF TAXES.
Looking After the County
TreasurerS.


poIized the chief share OF attention in the Assem-
blv this morning. 1t appeared to have more than
ordinary interest for the rural members. The
eeunty treasurer is somebody in his county. To
the rural mind he occupies a position which COM
mands, in the words OF DR.. Johnson, ''the poten-
TALLY OF growing rich beyond the dreams OF
ayarice.n No rural member OF Assembly can
anord TO despise a question affecting an ONCE
which is held in such tender esteem by
his constituents. The message OF Gov
ernor Dix drew attention to what was
. virtual robbery or the Sinking Fund IN
applying the moneys belonging to it to anticipate
legislative appropriations Comptroller Hopkins
in q late communication to the Governor ex'
planned the principal cause that led to the deple-
ton OF the Sinking Fund to the extent OF
Sill 600 900, and he dwelt particularly on the fact
that the county treasurers were, as rule, ad-
dicted to the questionable habit OF lending the
people,s money collected in taxes to banks, at
rate which made quite respectable item IN the
income OF the treasurers. case was cited where
a treasurer, to whom 100000 In taxes had been
paid lent the same to bank at seven
DER cent. and, by furnishing plausible ex-
cuses from time to time to the state
Treasurer eontrived to stave or the
payment into the state Treasury OF this amount
for fully year. The unmethodcal, lax and, in
many instances dishonest ways OF collecting and
accounting for the State taxes together with the
equally Irregular and dishonest practices OF mis-
appropriatng the money OF the Sinking Fund
would very soon bankrupt the State Treasury.
County treasurers have been in the habit OF apply
ing the public money to their own special uses,
trusting to be able to restore what they mlsappro-
priated before getting into trouble.
THE ABUSES IN THIS DIRECTION
have been OF the most Migrant character, and the
DIV In unfit NJ no
Whole and was passed to third reading, en-
braces the purpose Of correcting the evils COM
planned Of and OF placing the county treasurer
under proper obligations to bis trust and to its
right iu..,,exs.. sne Oil gives the rs--ar to the
Board of Supervisors Of county to remove the
treasurer OF q county from ONCE and declare the
once vacant whenever 1t shall appear ne has
Incorporated any Of the funds or securities en-
trusted to him. clause In the bill that
mo person shall be eligible to the office Of county
treasurer for second term, for the next three
years after the termination Of his of1ce,n excited
the principal share Of discussion among ths coun-
Beebe, Alberger, Alvord and vedder. =
The section was finally allowed to stand as it is.
provisions Of The bill-tne main feature OF
which is the covering into the State Treas,
% vsn0 reeey a1 qom aeas q al
purposes-brought the Kings county delegation
20 their feet. Mr.. Bennett, of Kings, commended
that there was just as much reason In exemptlng
Kings as in exempting New York county. The
governments OF both counties were similarly con-
etituted and the financial afrairs analogous. he
thought Treasurer Gardner was above Suspicion
and that 1t was wrong to interfere with him. Mr..
Melvin spoke to the same effect, and there was
evidently a united determination to save Kings
county nom any application OF the intended law.
n vots was .aksM ana H o ybs, WAS % as
urer as the rest. II the bill become law and have
the eject Of making county treasurers deliver up,
he 20
II will accomplish much desired reform.
X RESPONSIBILITY OF HUSBAND AND WIFE.
The exploded tradition OF English criminal law,
that vile was incompetent to offer evidence for
or against her husband and ufce versa, was sup
posed to be in the luminous eye Of Mr.. Prince to-
S S: IN the Assembly when he 0nslsd the following
Whenever husband shall for a criminal offence be
seii as witness his wife shall be competent witness
ene ee andep pd on the 4r trial hereaf
sna ener az h witness 9er husband shall be
1t Is thought the appropriation OF 1000, 600 for
the uptown streets OF New York, about which
partments Of Parks and Public Works. will go to
the latter. Mr.. DAILY, the eryun terrible, who intro
duced the resolution seeking TO place the exDendi-
tire OF this sum OF money in the hands OF the Com
mon Council for the benefit OF the unemployed
workmen OF New York, was The object OF much at
tentiOn to-day from Mr. Wales, President OF the
Park Commission. While much argument has
been expended on the point whether this
Of the work contemplated, nobody seems to have
considered the question as to the legality OF inst
tutlng extensive public works to give employment
praisewortby the object, the precedent about TO
be set may prove embarrassing in the future. II
S2,000,00O are to be spent now without any imme
date utility and IN an eleemosynary sense,
4s,ooo,O0o may be asked next year and in the far
1nture wnen the poor OF New York are more
numerous than they are now, we shall touch the
confines OF Communism.
sembly That prohibits any other expenses in street
openings beyond the cost OF labor and material.
The regular engineers OF the city government win
have to do the work Tor the regular salaries they
receive, and all those exorbitant items that the
people Of New York have gazed at with amaze
ment in the accounts OF street openings Tor years
past shall De seen no more, II the OCaIaghan has
his bill made law.
WHAT THE DEPARTMENT OF PARKS WANTS
The Departments of Parks and Public Works are
determined not to pull together. Mr.. McAiee
the Park commissioners, for the President is here
and 80 Is the acute and slippery Dexter Hawkins.
The Department OF Public Parks want, according
70 TINS DILL exclusive power to lay out, survey and
monument all roads, public squares and places
within that part of the city of New York north and
east OF nne commencing at the termination Of
the s0utherly line OF 155th street. at or in the Hud
son River, running thence eastery along the south
erly line OF l55th street and prolongation OF the
line to the middle OF Harlem River and running
thence southerly along the middle OF the river to
the Sound, north OF Randalls Island, OF such width
and extent and direction and upon such grades
- to them, or a majority OF them, shall
to change the location, width, course, windlngs
and gradings OF the streets, avenues and roads
now laid out within that part OF the city or dis
continue the same or any portion as the Commas
siOners or majority OF them shall deem most con-
ducive to the public interest. The Board OF Esti-
mate and AppOrtionment are authorized TO in
ciude in the expenses Of the city government,
such sums a. shall be necessary to carry on these
works.
BERGH's BILL,
which 30 worried Senators Johnson and Lord by
lts extraordinary and mysterious phraseology, was
drawn up by Mr.. Elbridge T. Gerry, who was at
the Capitol during its discussion and appeared to
be az much interested in it's passage as II 1t were
Of any vital Importance to the community. IL was
moved to-day to a third reading.
THE BRITTON CASE.
CONSIDERABLE interest ID felt In the disposition OF
sne case OF Britt0n, especially since It became
Known that the Governor has discovered manu-
ssctuted testmony in the papers presented to him
e0r DIS cOnslderaton. II s alleged that ex District
Attorney Morris, OF Brooklyn and his friends have
framed case OF such surrepttious character and
JET 30 lngenlously put together. that while It was
calculated 70 deceive at the first blush,
was unable TO- stand the test of q close
tnvestgat0n. Britton Is believed by many
q raa