The New York herald., 1874-08-20
Ring Suits and Pet Lawyers.

The people OF New York do not know now
much Of their money is expended under
Comptroller Green's management in the
luxury Of law. They are aware that Dexter A.
Hawkins was paid by Mr.. Green for services
at Albany, during the session Of the Legis-
lature last year, one hundred dollars day
fee. work or play, and from nine to twelve
dollars day for hotel expenses, and that the
bill of this lawyer alone amounted to more
than seven thousand dollars for about one
half the session. From this they may form
some idea of the hberality practised toward
those who use their legal talents in the service
of the Comptroller and his friends. But they
would probably be startled to learn exactly
how much money is expended annually IN
litigation and legal advice. AS the Comp
troller refuses information in regard to out
standing claims against the city, and con-
ceals-as far as possible-the amounts paid 10
lawyers, exclusive Of the regular expenses OF
the Law Department, it is difficult to
arrive at the correct sum. The costs In
actions against the city ore seldom stated
separately and hence cannot be readily ascer-
tanned But glancing over the warrants
drawn in October, November and December,
1873, which are the last published by the
Comptroller up to this time, we find one
hundred and seventy-one thousand dollars
paid out for interest, costs and judgments IN
those three months alone besides such ''re-
tainers'' and fees for professional services"
as the following, in the month of December
alone:-
Henry L. Clinton. retainer. ................ $500
Z. l.. Paris professional services. 1886
Lyman Tremain PROFESSIONAL servces...... l2,5OO
J. Z. Carter professional services. 1000
Martin Smith, professional services. $500
James NJ Smith, professional services. 800
William Barnes, retainer. 3,10O
So here is o total, in one month, of nearly
thirty thousand dollars, or at the rate of three
hundred and sixty thousand dollars year,
paid out to pet lawyers for retainers and fees,
in addition to the one hundred and seventy
one thousand dollars paid for judgments and
costs in suits within three months.
These facts naturally induce the taxpayers
to demand that no further useless litigation
shall be invited on the part of the city for the
purpose of supplying favorite lawyers with
fees at the expense of the public treasury. The
|
the Broadway Bank to recover six million dol
lars paid on warrants, the signatures to which
| were forged, may be only an electioneering
trick to revive On excitement over the old
ring frauds and cover up the new ring iniqui-
ties But if the suit is really contemp ated
the ground upon which the city stands should
| be examined by competent lawyers, in order
that it may be ascertained whether an action
| against the bank can be maintained. The case
made out by the political prompters of the
suit makes it clear that if the city can maintain
an action at all the proper defendants
are the City Chamberlain and the
Comptroller in Office when the frauds were
committed, and not the banks of deposit
| The specimen case cited is sufficient to satisfy
any lawyer Of this fact One million two
hundred thousand dollars, we are told was
due to Keyser, but warrants for two million
dollars were drawn, eight hundred thousand
dollars more than Keyser knew Of or ever saw.
The warrants were regular i'll all respects, SO
far as the signatures OF the Mayor, Comptrol-
ler, Auditor, &C., were concerned; but in
order to obtain the money without Keyser's
knowledge his name was forged, and the
money was paid by the bank of deposit. Be
fore a hundred thousand dollars or there
abouts of the peoples money is paid out te
pet lawyers to prosecute this suit it will be
well to take competent legal advice as to the
probability of recovering the amount from the
bank. If the portion OF the money which was
stolen by the raising of the warrants can be
recovered from any person by all means let Us
have ''vigorous prosecution" Of suit fol
its recovery. But the people do not want any
more political actions or any more bogus suits
concocted for the purpose of bleeding the
public treasury.
More About the Scandal.