The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-06-29
FAIRCHILD'S REPLY.
The Story Of the Ring Suits
Told Once More.
PETER B. AND HIS SORROWS
Why Four Hundred Thousand
Dollars Were Taken.
TOWNSEND RETAINED BY SWEENY.
Tweed Charged with Lying
and Duplictty.
aMANY PROMISES And FEW FACTS"
How Townsend Proposed to Collect
Tweed's Checks.
A TEN PER CENT COMMISSION.
The Revelation Of Comptroller
Kelly Criticised.
TWEED'S RELEASE UNJUSTIFIABLE.
A TEN PER CENT COMMISSION.
The Revelation Of Comptroller
Kelly Criticised.
TWEED'S RELEASE UNJUSTIFIABLE.
OFFICE or THE ATTORNEY GENERALLY
or THE STATE OF NEW YORK,
ALBANY, June 81, 1877.

OyrIcE or THE ATTORNEY GENERALLY
STATE NEW YORK, J
ALBANY, June ~, 1877
Hon. LucIus ROBINSON, Governor Of theState of New
York
SIR-The statutes OF this State do not provide for
any Official report from the Attorney General This is
not well for the State and is injury to the Attorney
General, who has way OF telling his clients
how no has managed their business without
gong out OF the established by the
custom or the Office, and seeming TO show
undue anxiety to explain his official conduct.
Heretofore this not perhaps, of much conse-
luence corruption and the robbery of the people
turing the past few years have made the duties Of tho
Attorney General more delicate and difficult and far
more important than before Also, chapter 40 of tho
Laws OF 1875 which makes it the duty OF the Attorney
General TO bring Tor tho recovery OF moneys
wrongfuy taken from local governments puts upon that
officer still greater responsibilities nile, therefore,
there is provision in law Tor such course yet that
there might DO Official record made and preserved
Of these matters have wished with your PERMISSION
md the public good would permit TO report
regard TO the business of my oce to the Governor,
The officer who Is directed 10 SEQ that the laws
faithfully executed, aud who, under the law OF 1875,
is especially empowered 10 direct that the actions
named IN the law be brought
TWEED.
Al this time wish TO repor, upon two OF the actions
brought under the law oil 1875 IN which important
proceedings have been taken during my term OF Office
THIS have your PERMISSION 10 do These two actions
entitled The People against Peter u. Swceny and
The People against William ~ Tweed These actio ns
as well as all others, growing out OF the frauds dts
covered the city OF New York were, until recently,
under the charge Mr. Charles o'Conor, who in the
fan OF 1871 authorized by the then Attorney
General Sir. Champlan. 10 bring ana conduct such
against those who had pundered the city OF New
York ne, Mr.. O'Conor, thought 1T ana he
gwen authority to represent The Attorney General and
use his name any all ways such and
proceedings The authority gwen TO Mr.. 0'Conor by
Attorney General Chanpain has since been continued
by every Attorney General, including myself, and
wus u.ei BY Mr.. OiConor subject only TO his
discretion he employing such assistance he
Tho chief oil ec OF the prosecutions conducted
by him had been accomplished, aud nothing loft
to DO done but the collection of money and the
punishment those custody Therefore, in
December. 1876, Sir. O'Uonor finally resigned all
charge OF these matters and returned his authority
10 the Attorney General Mr. 0'Conor had, for
than live years, without reward served the people oil
Tue State and city OF New York win unmatched devo-
hon ana ability The proceedings planned ami chiefly
conducted by him have punished. broker up, scattered
ana degraded band OF men who, at the beginning OF
the 1871, had abso power both State and CITY,
and before spons BILE dcspolsm great peo
pie bowed down. All tnls has come from these pro-
reedinrs ana at SO little cost hat city New York
has Already received 1--WE times more IN money
from those who ruled and robbed her than she
has spent In conducting her .evoluton TWAS re, o.
luton though the battles were fought 10 the courts OF
law.
Under the authority given to him by the Attorney
General IN 1871 Mr. OConor caused actions to DO
brought in the people against many Of
wrongdoers recover the uniawtuliy taken by
Them from the city and county oil New York. These
ons The Court OF Appeals finally decided could be
maintained by the people. Although this decision
ieeaed the recovery OF large amount OF money, yet
The vigor and energy OF the prosecution hal already
triven from power and broken down the wrougdoers
and made the people OF New York irce-this was the
main good sought by Mr. O'Conors prosecution and It
vas moro important TO the city and State than the
more getting Of a sum Of money, however large.
THE SIX MILLION SUIT.
After chapter 40 OF the Laws OF 1875, which
enacted cure the defect laws revealed by the
decision Of The Court Of Appeals ihcso two actions
against Tweed and swceny wero brought by MIR.
OConors direction, under tho authority gwen to HIM
~ hs chief sssstants Mr.. Wheeler II peckham. who
has given able and faithful service TO the people.
Since Mr.. O'Conor gave back his authority 10 the
Attorney General Mr.. Peckham has been the
chief agent and representative OF the Attorney
General In these matters in The city OF New York.
actions against Tweed and Sweeny. They
commenced under my predecessor In the year
Law OF that year, and we're intended to recover
about So 900 taken from the treasury OF the city
and county Of New York under the "a Sc and corrupt
audit oil board created by law OF 1870 to audit
tain claims against the county oil New York. a. Oakley
Hail. the Mayor OF the CITY Of New York; Richard b.
Connolly, the Comptroller OF said city and iilIam NJ
Tweed the President Of the Board OF Supervisors Of
tho county OF New York, were the Board OF Audit
OF
The people hoped TO prove upon the trial OF those
actions that than SO, 900, 900 OF claims
audited BY this Board In 1870 at least sxty-hve per
cont certain oil interest IN and for
which the county OF New York had received nothing;
that the members Of this Board OF Audit knew OF the
fssity OF these claims when thcy audited them that
Of TINS sixty i've per cent william NJ Tweed received
twenty 1ve Richard b. Connolly twenty, Peter
b. sweeny, or his representatives, ten, and that
ten pcr cent aid the certain amount oil interest
divided among several other persona. The re-
manning thirty nve per Of the audited bills
received Kept by the persons in whose the
bills were and believed TO be In the main Tor sup
plies actually furnished TO and work actually done Tor
the county OF New York although probably AZ extor-
tionate prices. The people claimed and In the action
against william Nj. Tweed established, that until tho
whole claim satisfied, each OF the persons
money, aUe Tor this 81, 000 900 aud tho interest
upon IL, whatever might be the sum that he had
actually received. Chapter % OF the Laws OF 1873
authorized the attachment Of the properly OF the de-
against the properly both Tweed and Sweeny the
commencement OF the ctions and property Of each
was attached. An oruer OF arrest was taken at the
same time against tweed, and NO was ordered TO DO
held 10 bull IN Tho sum VI 81, 100000.
rwEED's TRIALS.
Peter b. Sweeny had long beeu out OF the country,
and hence could be arrested. William NJ Tweed
vas. however, in imprisonment upon Backwct's Is
upon MIN because OF his conviction OF hny-onc misuc-
neanors comm ittcd by HIM a member OF the aivrc-
said Board of Audit Soon alter the commencement OF
lhis acton against him. and alter hs had been confined
nabeas corpus In pursuance OF decision OF the Court
o Appeals IN his iavor Immediately upon ms release
he was arrested In this action, and dciant Of bail