New-York tribune., 1874-01-01
ARGUMENT OF COL. A. C. DAVIS.

Col A. c. Davis, one of the counsel for the
Committee Of Fifty. directed his argument to an expos
ton of the manner in which Mr. Britton misused the
Grand Jures. charged in several Instances. His
speech was brief pointed, and delivered in quiet
conversational style fitting to the OCCASION and evil
IDENTIFY impressed all who heard IL After reciting the
circumstances Of the organization OF the Committees Of
Seventy-ve and OF Fifty in 1871, he stated that the
latter devoted Itself anon: other duties to the
investigation Of the cement Of the Collectors
Office. He then continued:
Notwithstanding the difficulties which were thrown in
the way II beng without the power
10 for persOns and papers was abe On the 2ih
dav OF January 1872 10 lay before the public report
containing detailed statements OF the receipts and re-
OF office, whicl showed concluslyey tnat the
Tax Collector direct violation of law. was OBTAINING
from the City Treasury ana Keeping on deposit AT GER
tain fayorte banks larse sums OF the ciys moneys,
the balances thus unaVfnly kept on deposit IN the
banks reaching as high SOME portion OF the Tune rs
rSc Committee OF FIT appointed a subcommittee 10
wait upon the proper hOrtes and demand legal iI-
vestgatiOu and such action on thelr part as suoulu
secure proper punishment for past wrong doing, and
suitable guarantees for a future compliance with the
pain provisions Of the law This committee attended III
open ana requested that tho Result OF iner aOOrs
N ght be submitted grand jury, aud prOhercd toe
court the names Of the witnesses who would sub
others whom they believed would II compelled
to come forward and testify throw still further hight
ceedrgs in open duty chronced by the daily
papers OF Brooklyn. and were tue topic OF continent ana
a. The Committee at the time called
unou the DstrctAttorey, detailed to him the facts m
their possesson and rendered him their cooperation,
and urgently requested him lay the matter before
Grand jury. AT three several times this COMMITTEE or
attention OF the DlstrciAtorney. His reply upon one
occasion stating IL lh the exact ianRuage Oh lhe
Jury" This subcommittee appointed especially TO get
TINS matter before Grand Jury for investigation bad
urred upon the attention OF the District Attorney nrst
in March Of 1871 when the tsuRgested
"A delay III bringing the matter before the GFand jury
and again IN April when ne urged sun luroneL NAY
aud again they pressed 1t upon MS attention 10 May
when for the first time he refused enphatcay 70 per
the to 60 before the Grand Jury at all reierng
the Committee to police Jnsuce. DeIore wnot ney
could spend the Summer at their own expense II tney
chose. After the summer vacation this Committee,
through Mr. X u ChitteDden, counselor ~ ss"h pie
pared an affidavit embracing the charges speclncdiy
Ihs aday and h "es eotdsr rad eng urT An
pexed TO the affidavit also full list OF the witnesses
TO prove all the assertions ained In the andavt ana
report, and some OF WON nishs oe etp
to 20 stn further wnen competed 70 assWer nS,,,n
easy reach Of process from the Attorneys onoe
They bankers, merchants, lawyers and business
fore tLe Grand JaIy effort made to secure
their attendance After the Grand Jury mad adourned
Mr. Bays the foreman. handed back the papers 10 MT
Chitenden saying In substance, that he was ADVISED
tins not proper case 20 be e1Amlneu oy tne
1omoitee Of FIFTY should have felt that they were
helpless TO invoke the aid Of the Grand Jury n tns pt
2as sI1rs mad" mad told them that the
| should not be taken before the crane nad
accumulated aud published Jan "a had been passed
by with indifference on his part up to October notwl
L
| him 10 action and the foreman Of the Grand Jury.
the same who the paper ndorsipg the District
Attorney hands BACK the papers so conclusive OF the
culpabity Of the Tax Collector without one enort 10
test their by evidence IN the Grand Jury
room ana up to-day there ID nothing 10 show that
sin gle step had been taken the part Of this public
| prosecutor night the wrongs inflicted upon
| the public in this matter. Two years have
| elapsed. and Mr. Badeau has never been disturbed.
Among the witnesses rendered to the Grand Jury we're
the officers OF National City Bank OF Brooklyn.
They were called before the Grand Jury, but Mr.
sTdwel the President Of that bank tesihes in these
proeeedngs that Mr. BadeAu had loaned The National
| city Bank the public funds from 1863 down 10 June.
lsa aud that the had paid Mr. Badeau interest
on the same. the Of tal r3 al The oncers of the
| Maene Bank Of tbs City VI Sew-York were named ~
called In proceedings against Brtton, Mr Dole
mater cashier OF that bank, put upon the Wit
stand and testihos thai his hank had pald 70 Mr.
Badeau g. 80 interest on public funds deposited
bank violation of lsw. We dd not deem
t pertinent in this investigation TO pursue these In
Quries farther IL enough ns We thougnt 70 snow
IhAt two ont OF the many banks - whom MT baueAu
had loaned the pabLc funds had paid hiin psssl ~
I AT least this amount the tax-burdened people OF
| brookya had been plundered by . faithless public
officer and yet the Committee Of Fnty Win AZ Tue zeal
and energy for which they have dsfinguished them
seyea have able 10 gain sduaason 70 Grand
Jury facts before that proper trouusi
The statute Laid before the District Attorney aud it
The Collector shall receive tho taxes and aseess
mentioned In said rols. and shall ON tho sene
day that he receives the same pay over 70 the Cny
nim" The furL.ier statute bofors MIN which nya
II Collector shall loan In any way any portion u
the received cohected ny nm ~ sucn COZ
ieelof such scg shall desDod eASbeSzsRest VI ee