The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-12-11
EXTORTIONS.
The Registers. Sheriff's and
County Clerks Offices.
REPORT OF THE BAR ASSOCIATION.
Enlarged Powers Given to Their
Committee.

COmmlLL6o.
The regular meeting OF the Bar Association was
held last night at which there was very large at
tendance Of members. Mr.. W. L. Delaheld occupied
the chair.
Mr. Holmes. the chairman of the Committee
Executions read the report Of the Committee on Al
legged Extortions in the offices of the Sheriff County
Clerk and Register in which it stated that many
persons who made complaints of extortons in the
above Offices said that they afraid formally to
appear before the committee. fearing that it would
result in preudice themselves and clients and they
decided that they would leave the carrying out Of the
proposed reforms to some other means. The exist
once grave Irregularities had been clearly shown by
q personal visit OF the members of the committee to
the several Offices
At the Registers offre it required by the first
and second of chapter 5 of Laws of 1874 that
certain books should be kept in which all payments
of the Office should be entered To two members OF
the committee the Deputy Register said that
such book was kept and the Register
said that it considered private
document The Register offered the committee
facilities Of examination. and said that his books
and naners we're at all times accessible but 1t was
fully estabhshed that the book referred to not
kept in substantial compliance with the statute.
The committee think the fees greatly in excess Of
were paid by the Register for the number Of folios
written by them in accordance with the law. the par
cess Of that required a. legal fees This proved
by the examination Of the books kept by the copyists
themselves.
IRREGULARITIES IN rHY REGISTERS oFPrcE.
The schedule in the Registers Office showed that
the legal fee for the record Of power Of attorney
was ten cents. The Register charges 81 s. In the
Sailors Snug Harbor leases the average num-
Der Of folios was twenty-six. and the
Gel H~n,Sx kaR aoydor
half cents That was tariff of charges that was pre-
pared 1t the instance Of Mr. Loew the Register and
that than the legal fees should be charged
in his Office.
The Sheriff and his Deputy. well as the Order of
Arrest Clerk. informed the committee that it would
be impossible TO continue the Office il only the fees
required by law were exacted- and the exaction
of illegal fees was substantially admitted by
the Sheriff and his subordinates No salary
is Given by the sheriff to deputies and their re-
munerstion obtained by the collection Of fees. The
ten Der cent of the poundage for the examination Of
the books would it is alleged be inadequate for their
support The accounts examined by the committee
contained charges not sanctioned by law and
forbidden by tho courts The report then
sales by the Sheriff OF which the following may be
regarded as . sample Certain property was sold
charges ~ers Ssh 3D. and the s %as
saecution creditor six.y-ons black silk hats
demand Of $37 So The snetioneer's charges were
81 75 and the Sheriff. bill swallowed the remainder
The Order Of Arrest Clerk admitted that thirty
seven and . half cents all that he was
legally allowed 70 charge on the taking
Ct, bond; bu. that .s he -. .lv s eaacs s.
sststants shouldnot receive any gratuity whssever
While accompanying = person 70 obtain bail.
sr.tnities, and the Order Of Arrest Clerk
aid that he instrnctsd hds deputies that
nd sh.e he had d:c1srsd four Of his
vecsuss they had failed 10 divide fairly with him
0seh emotions. The committee informed that
srressed for the psivilege q seeking bail
~ the county JAIL for the proper conduct Of which
ceive money for chamber rent ind fee OF 81 50 was
enacted for giving release to the prisoner st his dis
charge. That it was ordered by the statute
'4hst books should be kept in which an
account of fees should be entered but tho committee
vcre told that such books hsd been kept and were
rnow destroyed. and that such accounts were now
kept loose sheets of paper. which were destroyed
- che end Of each month.
THE COUNTY CLERK.
The report gives er.easo the correspondence be-
tween County Clerk Gumbletcn and the committee.
The residing Of the Letters Of the former threw the
meeting into commissions of laughter in consequence
Of the eiaborsteness of the explanation as
10 Why the County Clerk could not give the
Ehe committee said that on the FRS. day Of their
visit TO the County Clerks Office they inquired
entries in reference thereto were made and
IN which the moneys received thereon
book was kept and that the only memorandum
thereso was made ON slips Of paper which were
nos was th,t each night a clerk came 70
Ehe desk who took the money from the
drawer and n il did not correspond with the amount
70 make il mp, and that this money was delivered
70 the County Clerk every night. The legal
once was ten CENTS. bat the fees 70.
cevcd were $50 per cent above that In consequence
of the Opposition Of tho County Clerk 70 any further
he had oply beer All
make very limited examination Of the County
Clerks once, and that in only . very small portion
of the vast business OF that Office.
COMPTROLLER KELLY.
The committee went TO the Comptroller once for
ments sent to the Finance Department by the
County Clerk The Comptroller informed the
committee that he would see them in an
hour When the committee did him
he told them that he knew what they wanted that
they should not have it and that that the end Of
It," and further said that their requirement
vas without law. When asked TO point out
the stsfute which forbids the information he
see the p.per.if they paid the fees the fee. yere
paid, and then when the committee asked for some
Information Interference 20 the papers they told
that they must put their inquiries into the form of
afBdavits.
The report concludes as follows
In conclusion for reasons VIM he appsr-n,
which your Committee in discretion deem i
srnn n s%s e s. ss. yDrr Committee
ing ssG !, - .ms.sss y adding =. Collecting
ea,ssal nvsssss into the ard eonauc, q
county sud the ceservunc- by sad officials their wu
ordinates ~ tho provisions of the Law relating said
ces and their revub~nts and that said take
found
AL Of which Is OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
ARTRMAS ". HOLMES
CHARLES y MCLEAN.
HENRY ". KNOX
ADHTASCE BUSH
short discussion followed in which speeches
were made by e@-Dock Commissioner Henry NJ
Yeaman. Mr.. Kitcheil. Mr.. Arnott Judge Peabody
Mr. Bell and Mr.. Bush, after which the report was
adopted by a very large majority. and the mectn z
'Adjourned.