New-York tribune., 1876-01-18
LEAKS IL TILE LrGIsLATrRE.

sOMT QUrER ITEMS Tor rHE STATE 10 PAY ALLOWED
BY CONTROLLER HoPgINs-PERs JNAL EXP.NsIs
or TIE EMIGRATION COMMITTEE HE NEW
CoNTR,ILEE DONG GOOD WORK.
irnov rHE REGULAR CoKrEsrDNDENr oF THE rRIDUNEl
ALBANY. Jan. l7.-Whcn Controller Hopkins,
iu ms last report portrayed himself the stawrt bul-
wrk of the state against extravaganza aud fraud, he
vs merely ndugng IN that sort % sopraisc of which
ccran men Just fond after they have been found
ou ~ they before. Ad there was great deal Of
II from Mr. Hopkins before ne found out. Since
Controller Robson las in there have been various
tto changes wrought IN tie manner of DONG business,
that serve to tic impression that Controller who
IL not quite ~ rkafyc Mr.. Hopkins, may be- even
mo,e useful to tie state. good instance In point is
that OF the payment OF the personal eXpeuss OF the
Committee appointed by 'he last Assembly to investigate
the affairs - the Emigration Commission. These eN-
penses are paid under authority Of the following passage
from Chapter ll3 OF tic Laws Of 1872:
Whenever hy resolution Of either House n committee
shall b" directed to conduct an investigation or take
te C"nJior rhel IrnH his warrant Tor The payment o
thr actual AMI expenses incurred by such com
T., ttrc on subcommittee having In charge such Invest
CATION inquiry, or taking ~ testimony together with
tie and expenses of such of"crS aud
omp.o,ts a. shall be authorized 10 accompany them ;
items thereof, IN detail. shall be rendered 10 the Con
the Chairman Of euch committee md duy approved 10y
he President of the Senate IN the case ol committee o
the senate. an 10y the Speaker of the Assembly IN the
Of committee 0f he Assembly and duly proved by
ailayt otherwise, to the satisfaction OF the Con
troiicr.
The bills for personal expenses Of Mcssrs. McGuirc
Alyord and V0sbursh. presented 20 Controller Hop
hins and though they lacked the affidavit, which should
usually accompany thcm aud were not properly item
zci except in tie ease OF MrAlvor they promptly
paid. That of Mr. Mcclure 1888 80; that of Nir.
Alyord was $2SS. and Mr.. Vosburghs $3.50 -. NrNos
burgh's bill contained these items: "CIr fares, omu
fares, telegram etc, S75 washing, messengers
nrcs etc. $50" These bills Mr.. Hopkins allowed to
pass. Atter Mr. Hopkins had rciscd, However, Mr.
Naehner, aud Mr.. Godncy who live In Ncw-YOck
and are hot supposed IN incur hotel bills, aI-
pelred with bills for S22j 40, aud $i71. respectively
These were ordered to be returned by the Con
trollar on ground that they not properly item
Red though hoy very much rrscmblcd the bills which
Mr Hopkins ordered paid, being probably too busy
striking attitudes front OF the sinking funds To Ive
tacm proper scrutiny. Mr.. Schuylcrs bill was Tor
1886 50, was properly cmzcd, and accompanied
by an affidavit I'm due form The total of tie personal
expenses of the Committee ~ SO 30. The charge
of Mr. Tanior the expert, for examining Noans checks
&C., ~ 800. So that, exclusive Of the cost OF
stenogra ahcr, usually large iem and Of printing this
investigation $4,000. Usually counsel fees swell the
account largely, but this item was saved by MeGurc's
serving as counsel.
There s not tho slightest intention IN aa this TO charge
that these members have made fictitious charges, but
simply to show how much might tricke through these
petty leaks, ii the dsburing officers did not exercise
proper good deal depends on the members too
Senator Booths investigating committee charges My
s7G0 for personal expenses Of which $40 was for the
paror the FiitA Avenue Hotel in which they met and
$3.50 tie expenses and salary OF their clerk. Sen
aor Booth made charge at all for personal expenses
as he resident OF NewYOrk As matter OF Justice to
the first Committee II should be said that their
labors considerably exceeded In length those OF the
second. The first is Democratic and the latter Repub
lican Tie bills Of the members OF tie Canal Legislative
in Iuff Tho of Tho
stenographcr amounts TO ST. 100 charge being made at
the OF $l5 day from early In June until the close
OF December during which time the Committee took one
recess that lasted 20 days.
That the subject Of considerable Importance to the
taxpayer, may DC inferred from the following schedule
Of expenditures OF the various committees OF the
Legislature standing and special since 1868. The ng
ur4s ara eompiled from the Controllers reports: