The New York herald., 1874-07-18

Tor the Ninth Election district OF the Eighteenth
Assembly district named Daniel hughes.
The third - or the removal OF John j. Crowley,
an election Inspector OF the Fourteenth Election
district OF the Eig hteenth Assembly district.
AS on the occasion OF their previous indictment
upon which the ex-POlice Commissioners came into
the District Attorneys once and gave bail, the
great indicted Will, no doubt, appear to-day and
give ban for their appearance for trial upon any
DAY the Court OF oyer and Terminer may select.
An Importa mt Doc ume mt from the Ma yor.
MAYORS OFFICE, NEW YORK, July IT, 1874.
In accordance with request made by the
Commissioners OF Public Charities and Correction
IN resolution adopted on the 7th day OF May last,
10 make iull thorough and complete Investiga-
ton into the alleged charges implied In the pre-
sentiment OF the Grand Jury OF the city of New
York, April 30. 1874" proceeded without delay to
comply with that request, and named the Goth day
OF May for that purpose, giving due notice TO all
parties VINO might throw light upon the subject to
appear and be present On the occasion, and, ac-
companied by Mr. Jonathan sturgls, whose nigh
reputation and long experience in business emf
nently fitted him TO share that duty with me, we
commenced the investigation on that day, and
regret that the absence OF Mr.. Sturgs from the
city prevented his being present during the re-
mainder OF the sessions.
deemed 1t due TO the high character OF the
Board and TO the gentlemen who compose IT, in
whom had every reason to place the greatest con-
fdence, to appoint as early a day as possible. IN
order to give them an opportunity to reIute the
reflections and insinuations indicated in the
presentment OF the Grand Jury. 1t Is true that no
direct charge was made in that document against
any individual. and its terms were 80 vague that
the District Attorney did nov find IL eXpedient 20
take any action upon it. Howeves, the vagueness
and indehnitepess made it the more sweeping and
general, and furnished the partisan press an op-
portnnity to magnify the implications contained
therein, and shake the confidence OF the people in
a number OF public oticers, whose appointment
has always been a source OF satisfaction to me.
The proceedings before the Grand Jury upon
which the presentment was based were carefully
examined, and the action which Sc cmed to furnish
the ground for the charges con tained therein
turns upon transaction OF the Board in giving
orders direct to Louis Sternbach for the supply
OF line of dry goods, instead OF eecting tue pur
chase through the Supply Clerk; it is also charged
that the Board paid higher price for goods fur
nished by said Sternbach than could have been OBJ
tanned anywhere else. This transaction seemed
to Justify the Grand Jury in asserting that since
''lhe 1st OF May 1873 the dry goods bought by the
Commissioners of Charities and Correction have
been purchased in manner at once wasteful and
extravagant, leading directly to corruption and
which In the interest OF the reputation OF the
Commissioners as well as of the city OF New YORK,
should be at once reformed"
Examining the evidence as given before the Grand
Jury, IN which certain William P. Lampson, the
former supply Clerk, who was discharged by the
Board for good and sufficient reasons figured as
the principal parsonage, I must confess that
failed to discover any substantial reason lor the
presentment subsequently made. There is cer-
tainly no wrong in the CHIEF bnd only responsible
officers of public department assuming the
performance or the duty Usually intrusted to
Subordinate, ii by so doing the interests OF such
department are served thereby The supply Clerk
Is but subordinate officer, q mere empIoye,
charged with the performance OF certain Drancn
OF work and the Commissioners themselves are
ultimately responsible Tor the proper discharge OF
that portion OF the work. They may think him
best capable OF attending to one branch OF the
business and unfit fOr another The Commission
perform their duty best by examining and at.
tending personally, II possible, to the details and
tached to their actions because they Judge it best
In the interest OF the puDlc TO attend to certain
labors themselves instead Of leaving them alto
Hether to subordinates.
The appointment OF commissioners was con-
ferred upon gentlemen whose position in the COM
munty Is one OF acknowledged rectltude OF ca
! pacity ana Willingness to undergo the arduous
I and responsible labOrs connected with their sew
erai oIhces. Should this trust be forfeited upon
the Smpie charge Of a subordinate, after his dis
charge from ofilceg Yet, solely upon such charge
was the presentment OF the Grand Jury based, as
far as could ascertain from the written proceed
| ings before 1t.
gwen to all parties to be heard, convinced me
that not the slightest foundation existed ior the
implications Indicated.
1t appears that one OF the commissioners soon
after the assumption OF office by the new Board,
found that the prices paid Tor dry goods by the
department were higher than necessary ana many
oil them entirely unsulted for the purpose for which
they were purchased. The Board found that
almost the entire supply OF dry goods was obtained
from one firm. According TO the extracts pro-
duced from the Official records OF the department
and sworn to by the storekeeper, John f. Fagler,
and on close examination by the Commissioners OF
Accounts, the amount expended for dry goods
from May 1872, to May, is53 was ss2, y s5s 3d. 4S, Of
! from January TO July, 1s73 that same house alone
furnished all the supplies of dry goods. with the
amount. The Commissioners considered it suspi-
cious, and justly SO, that all the goods were ob-
tanned from one house, indicating that the Supply
! Clerk simply delivered to that house his requisi.
tons, or that he received q commission on the
The nrst step taken by the Board to improve
! this condition OF things was to adopt resolution
/ offered by Commissioner Stern, on the o0th OF
/ May, 1873 which reads as fOlows:-
Resolved That all supplies tor this department amount
ing IN value TO $5O and upwards per annum shall be
sealed proposals which proposals opened before
the Board OF Commissioners ut such time rs the adver-
was found however, that such a course was
not practicable, as the law required that certain
! iorms OF a complicated nature should be complied
with, and first class business houses would very
seldom, II at ALL go to the necessary trouble, and
higher prices than the goods could be bought for
IL appears that Louis sternbach aler IN dry
goods, was informed, among others, that II ne fur
nished samples OF goods OF the quality required,
and his prices compared favorably with those OF
/ other houses, he might get an order rom the de-
partment. He furnished such samples, and the
prices proved much lower tnan those offered to the
! department Tor goods OF similar quality.
Thomas k.'Fletcher testifies that he has been In
the dry goods business In this city for over twenty
years, and that he happened to come TO the ONCE
! OF the Commissioners on some private business.
Several samples OF cloths, fannels and other dfy
goods were lying on the table. The commissioners
took the opportunity to ask his judgment as an
expert. His opinion was that the sample OF nannel
iurnished by Louis Sternbach, and for which he
! charged forty-hve cents per yard, was worth fl
! teen or sixteen cents yard more than sample
| furnished by another house. the price OF which
was nftyfve cents yard, and the price asked for
the clotn offered by Mr.. Sternbach was decidedly
/ cheaper than any otner samples submitted to the
Commissioners by other houses
IL appears. then, that LOUIS Sternbach onered
the goous required at the cheapest price, and he
- 1rnn fha for IL va