New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-04-04
TWEEDS RELEASE DELAYED.
REPUBLICAN LEGISLATORS OPPOSING
CLEMENCY.

FEARS THAT FORTHCOMING REVELATIONS MAY IN
voLvE THEM - COMPLICATIONS AMONG THE
ATTORNEYS FOR THE PEOPLE-MR PECKnAM
NOT CONSULTED BY THE Acknowledgement
Yesterday was William NJ. Tweeds 54th birthday.
He has been looking forward eagerly and hopefully
toward getting bis liberty on that anniversary; but
he was doomed to painful disappointment. Compli-
cations of various sorts have delayed for few days
the release which has virtually been arranged and
only remains to be carried out in detail.
Tweed's reluctance to give evidence Of any sort
against those whom he used in the Legislature in
years past has been another of delay, and this
the chief why he was not released yester-
day. As indicated in his letter to Mr.. OCOnor,
agreeing to surrender everything, he has all along
been anxious to have all matters affecting
other persons kept secret and that the prosecution
should take the responsibility Of failure. The prose-
cuton has, however, insisted all the facts being
given upin order to compel restitution of tho money
paid in any form to affect legislation, and, it is
understood, has lately demanded additional proofs
from Tweed. The dispatch from Albany published
elsewhere, would seem to confirm this statement
Great efforts to prevent the contamination of the
compromise by the release of Tweed have also been
made within the past week by the men still in the
Legislature and courts who are said to be most in
volved by the expected disclosures regarding the
passage of the Tweed charter. Among the docu-
ments in the hands of Harper d Brothers for future
publication is said to be the evidence that $250.OOO
was divided among five Republican legislators to
secure tho passage Of this charter. The suppress
sion of this evidence, it is understood Will depend
upon the alacrity with which those who received it
repay it to the State. Those thus implicated are
said to have been moving heaven and earth" to
break off the compromise, at least far rs any ex-
posture of themselves is concerned But on the
principle announced by Mr.. OConOr that the ex-
posure and removal of men still in power III the
courts and Legislature is more important than the
mere restitution of money by them, or the punish
ment of those already shOrn of the power to do FUR
Their mischief, the exposure of all i'll office must fol-
low. The dispatch from Albany indicates that
Tweed has not yet fully satisfied the Attorney
General az to his disposition and ability to estab-
ish their guilt and to aid in driving them from office
That he has the evidence there is very little ques-
ton.
The terms Of the settlement so far agreed upon
involve the payment Of money, amounting to nearly
a million of dollars, at least that amount III what
is as good AS money to the city. Among the trans
fers of property to be made the extensive Lake
Property Purchases" in Putnam County, which
were made by Tweed when, as Commissioner OF
Public Works, he agreed to buy the property
in his own name and give the City Of
New-York the water privileges of the lakes, with
the taci agreement to transfer the property to the
city when the public treasury should be " able {"
stand it, THIS however he failed to do, and in the
compromise to he made the water rights and the
property form valuable part of the consideration.
There will probably be little further delay in the
matter of Tweeds release. He will come ont from
Ludlow Street Jail an DID, careworn, shattered man,
who has paid almost with his life the penalty OF his
crimes