, 1874-01-28
LOCAL MISCELLANY.


Boon nfter Mayor Covin Ind ontnrod into Of
leo, and WHOM tho dofAlcation Of MIR. Gago bc- |
samo public, tho professional services OF tho
arm Of Dckoy Il Caullold wore retained by
Tho city. 1n view of tho magnitude Of tho in-
korcstH involved, tho fact that outside lcgal aH-
stHtanco was called In waa not specially rctnark-
Rblo, nor waB tito selection OF Mr. Caultlcld con-
sIdored singular, owing to hs intimate con-
nection with tho pcoplo'a party and lis doing 30
much to promote its victory. But. eftor tho
confirmation Of Judge Norton, and aftor tho
Gage matter lad boen disposed Of by tho turi'-
ng over OF Ills property to n Truatoo for tho
benefit Of tho city, 1t was supposed That the
special necessity for outside logal aasiatnnee had
roaaod. THO presumption was that tho now
Corporation Counsel would ltlso his predecessor,
he enabled to Intend to tho ordinary loyal busi-
uoBa Of tho city without MD, Bayo Ill exceptional
eAAcH. so,
Lust yoar's appropriation bill contained an
ttom Of $4,000 for legal oxpouHes. Tint was
to moot cascB similar to TINT Of Mr. Gage, or TO
provide for tho legal asHst"nc9 heeaea ln ao-
fondinr heavy Tux cnses, etc. It appears, how
evcr, l t{at tic appropriation, which ,sns made
for thcso special cases, IL IN f"ir why OF botng
oxhauHctl. 1t is nssortctl that tho professional
services G eHss ows haya a
Thc1e arc now pending in tho courts 500 cases
in which tho city is Interested. OF these. $50
Inv cases against tie eit 7l inyolvng dam aan
na mud quasi-crminal Cases; % tax & cases; ana
o. cases where the city is patnlff In city aifairs
Untor tho old ByAtom which prevailed whom
Gen. stiles vas City Attorney apd Mr' II aui,Sy 4,,yy
LOCAL opinions required by the Common Councll
or CITY officers; attondol to all tux cases, anu 60
thogo iu which tho city was plaintiff. 1n addl-
ton to this, Capt connet +d nony mapnnyo.an an
Counsel, really worked up tho testimony for
tho city In those countoss cnscs wl4ero suits
woro brought against it for damages Oh account
or loaB incurred by defective sidewalks, holes IN
CORPORATION Counsel Ia the Chief officer Of the
law department. Ho Ia required to conduct 2 all
tho law busincas Of the corporation ana OF ne
departments, and MI other law business IN which
Of tho City Attorney: Tho Corporation Counsel 60,
it, according to tho Charter, the superior, and tho
City Attorney tho inferior. The general supor-
vision Of the legal business should como upon
tho former, and he should 20 lug a one o. ta1 wot ~
the agreement mentioned is still in force, it VAL
bo Bcou that tho Corporation Counsel would
l1avo on his handB 161 cases out OF tho bGg in
Ntornov y to attond to 4ia. While it Is true that
the Corporation Counsel has given quite NUM- n.
bcr Of opinions --porhapss tiyo or six-to tho
Common Council aud tho Mayor, yet
tGcro lATc not petH cAUAEA "
balance this immonao disproportion u tno
number Of cascs to be tried in court. It was
auegcstcl that tho Corporation Counsel was 50
busy attending to his own Inv business that no
was unable to look nftcr the Affairs of.tho city 10
. apy greater oxtont thau at present. III order
to ascertaiu whothor thiB statement ssaB correct,
n rnpnrtnr was directed to call at the oilico oil
Norton. Perkins 4 Chase, that being tho firm OF
which the Corporation Counsel was q member,
for tho purpose Of learning whether 10 wns still
conucctcd with It. Ho was informed by
ono Of tho partners that any report that Mr..
Norton had dissolved lis connection with tho
firm was incorrect, and TINT no was stu M ae-
two member of it. Ho was also handed cnrd
which had on It tho na1nes of "W. ". Porknh,
T, L. Chnso and Jesse o. Norton, Corporation
Counsel" Now, tho City Cllarler, aa amended III
1866 reads as follows:
Tho Corporation Counsel Of said city and the City
Attorney ahall dovotc themselves exclusively to tho
dulles Of their respective offices, md sn hyo theif
oico in auch place rs small 10 lfosiueu ~ ~ Jun @
poyc In any other business tlAn TINT winch &elatea
10 fo uties Of their oIccs respectively during the
terms for which they were chosen.
Tho reporter wne alao directed to 500 Mr..
Storre and aBcortan whether hlr. Jameson, the
City Attorney, who waR formerly . mcmbor OF
tic finn Of Storrs & Jameson, Ind dissolved hia
partnership, but ho was unable to meet tue
Gentleman aud, consequently, could not ascor-
thin wlnt Ind been done by this officer. The
rrovisions Of tho Charter nre imperative. II the
City Attorney is still engaged in other bueiness,
1t is his duty to abandon it and devote himself
solely to that Of AiR Office; aud 1t IL plainly tht
duty Of tho Corporation Counsel, instead oi
Bpel,ting tho money Of the city in tho employ
1nent Of outside firms, to give up Ills private law
suits and intend cxcluavcIy to thoae OF the city