New-York tribune., 1875-10-06

1acllltateu tne proceedings, tnOugn ~ may ha'o
proved costly to the taxpayers. The Com
missioners were royalty entertained, without
any cost to themselves, and part OF the pro-
vision made for their comfort WAS wine sup
per, or dinner-"I guess it was BOTH" said
Commissioner Stroud Z" it was q long meal,
think" The very day after the award was
made we find Commissioner Stroud, according
to his own testimony, riding through Buffalo
in company with Davis and Oscar Folsom,
when Davis stopped the hack in front of
bank and went in he came out with two
packages of money and threw them into
"the hack Then there was the mysterious
certificate for So, ,000-a part of the proceeds
of this Hand award-which Bennett handed to
Davis without any remark, and Davis handed
to Commissioner Barkley without any remark,
and Commissioner Barkley says he inclOsed in an
envelope directed to Bennett, likewise without
any remark, and dropped into mail-box at
Albany, since which time no human being has
laid eyes on it. Bennett used to pay money to
Commissioner and Legislator Alberger every
year, giving him at various times as much as
81, ,5OO-of course for political purposes only
and Mr.. Albcrger helped along with the dredg-
ing contracts. When Benefits interests at
Buffalo were menaced by hostile legislation, he
paid $500 to old Jarvis Lord, and of course
that was for political purposes too. lle paid
So 900 to John Hausc, an inspector appointed
in the interest of the State to keep an account
Of the number of scOwlOads dredged from the
canal on the Hand and Bennett contract, but
this was not for political purposes; it was to
reward Hausle for making Favorable allow
"ances." Engineer Behn received 5000 for
similar favors. Resident Engineer jerome hay
ing been agreed upon as referee or appraiser
to fix the value of property turned over by
Hand and Bennett to George d. Lord got
$3.50 for making a report satisfactory to Ben
nett We can almost believe, after reading
the testimony, that there was hardly Canal
officer in the State above taking bride.
But the Report does not stop with this ex-
traordinary Hand case. 1t gives us several
other stories of the Lord family, which may
not perhaps afford material for indictments
but are nevertheless well worth attention.
While George ID. Lord was member of the
Assembly in 1871 an Act was passed which
has no parallel in our legislative history ex-
cept the famous special audit lazy under which
Tweed committed his greatest rObberies. 1t
directed the Auditor to pay all claims pre-
riOusIy filed by any Of the canal repair
contractors Wih the certificate Of an engineer
dhdched-all claims, whether just or unjust,
lawful or unlawful, even those which the au-
diting officers had already rejected. One of
the first to profit by it was Lord himself.
He had filed false claims for work already
covered by his repair contract, and he imme-
diately called them up and drew $12, ,431 from
~ 20 cl, ha had shadow
of a right. This was not an isolated instance,
for he caused $4,000 to be appropriated by
the supply bill of the previous year to pay
him for $5, 600 expenditure already covered
10y the same contract
After these things the transactions of Jarvis
Lord and George with Mr.. Phelps appear COM
paratively innocent and regular. Phelps had
obtained contract being the lowest bidder,
and the Lords tried to buy him Off He OBJ
iected that the course they proposed was not
honorable but Jarvis said, "D-n all honor in
"canal matters" and threatened, If Phelps
refused to come to an arrangement that he
would get him into trouble. Sure enough,
within q week Mr.. Phelps was ordered to do
certain work under another contract he then
held, which would have cost $15O,OO0
and for which he would have received no
additional payment. lie was obliged to can
eel the contract at loss, and withdraw from
all further work on the NewIOrk Canals,
and he complains moreover that before ho
could obtain a settlement Commissioner Fay,
who was very intimate with Jarvis Lord,
obliged him to pay $500 to the well-known
Ring contractor +. B. Van Dusen. OF course
nothing more has ever been done about the
$3.50, 900 of extra work. The threat answered
its purpose, and it was probably discovered
that the work was not needed after all.