New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-04-24
.rHE UNCLAIMED STREETS.
,rxcp or OFFICIAL NEGLECT.


m. ,r;al Of the Police Commissioners was contln-
"a vesterday at IL o'clock, before the Mayor Al
sonn.el for the defence were present, except MI
MI. The Mayor opened the proceedings Dy s'aV
-. that in regard to the request made lhursday Wy
~ counsel for the Commissioners, that copy "a
A.. testimony taken before the Assembly NoniniV
Wv cities should be given to them, he would say
-. no mch thing existed in the Mayors ONCE
"a consequently he could not grant the reque0''
~. counsel had also asked that the Corporation
r.rrscps Office be required to give in1ornauon 10
A. tho action taken in regard to the reported Noi"r
,;ons of the city ordinances. lie thought 'h"' W.
no'' s y, began the head of any department
s.un he suppnaed as a witness and all the inioI-
-, desired could be obtained in that way. he
thought therefore, 'hso ~ was NV
Grant the request. ..
pohert r. Tbbitts then continued his testimony
I,;s observations of the streets, which he iounu NC
lid in very bad condition. were emoooieu III
voiuu,nous notes, and he occupied FRIDAY anu 'o'
,srdav about three hours in presenting MS iao''
NJ Andrews asked the witness if he usually iouliu
that the ashes and garbage we're kept apart -,
H. RortlettI object to the question on the grouhu
tho, IN. Police Commissioners were unuer n' -
hhoations 10 enforce the ordinance compeihe ''i''
x,h,ch is assumed TO be in force wouiu I'm, ~
an on,nion in support of my position "h'cn n'
Gently been made public At q meeting OF Tue WV
Co,nm;ssioners April 9, Commissioner Matthew's an
a..s.,o of vour Honors was requested to give his
,,nion a IN whether or not the Commissioners were
h,ired to do this In the record OF the procstuiHps
Of the Commissioners, April 20. ma the ioio""s
oninion attributed TO Mr.. Matthew's 1900
whereas II docs appear from the recorus OF ' h
sa"artment that any specified order has been gwen ~
The Health Department to the Board OF ron'o h or
,a,on of asbes from garbage In the absence OF sucn ~
asr tbe BOARD Of Police not compelled TO enforce te
ordinance Of the Health Department requiring suoN 'p
aration =, - rr,. o+,or
ton 70 This opinion of Commissioner Matthews. who
r was apR RSVe Stated t has been Judge;
Mr. Andrews-I would inquire if the other COM
missioners indorse this also. Mt Matthew's was an
sxceent Judge. no doubt, but he may have made
mistake in this The Court of Appeals has passcd
upon number of cases similar to this, ana " mas
decided that the ordinances of 1873 are sim n13rce
Mr. Yanderpoel-I think the gentleman is mistaken.
am perfectly willing TO have the Mayor ask the
Corporation Counsel for an opinion;
Mr. BaTtlctt-To exclude the question: and cite
this authority: ~
lection recorded MIR. Vanderpoe has suggested that
I fake the opinion of the Corporation Counsel VI
course be would be the proper person Tor me 10 con-
Mr.. Root-We would be more willing to leave it
To the Corporation Counsel If his assistant Mr. An
drews, had not just expressed his opinion 80
Mr.. Vanderpoel-1 am willing to leave it TO him
In reply to questions by Mr. Root, Mr. IlbDltts
Of the Continental Life Insurance Company as
policy clerk for several years. MI WINS, the
Mayors secretary, had asked him IN March TO ex,
anime the streets and had atterward given hun ~
a day for the work. The Court then adjourned until
2 o'clock.
AT the afternoon session the Commissioners were
represented by Messrs. Bliss Root and Bartlett.
Michael Russell, of No. 152 West Twenty-fourth-st,
who buys and sells old paper at No. 80 City Hall
A. oo,la of dirf nd
feet high had remained in the street opposite his
place Of business all winter Tie was accustomed to
collect dirt rubbish and useless papers III his store
drivers of the Street Cleaning Bureau to take It
ing this. -
Mr. Bss-How do you know that these were en-
ployes of the Street Cleaning BureauI
Because they drove carts with +. ID. on them ana
because one or two Of them said So
Mr.. Bliss-Do | understand from tins thar the
Commissioners are bound TO remove papers and DIRT
from mans store
Mr. Andrews-If they in the street you have
to do so. Ii is the if they i'll the street
The drivers would not take them away unless they
were paid.
discovered that the Police Commissioners ought 10
be removed whether they have or have not removed
these things from the streets. How is IT with the
Corporation Counsel, who has not acted upon the
100000 complaints handed to himi He ought To be
removed i'll justice if the Commissioners are re-
moved. He will not be- however, until the May ap
pointments are made, you may be certain. Ii makes
difference which OK is gOred.
Mr. Andrews-I wonder that the Commissioners
didn't complain TO the Mayor.
"They know too much. At least the one repre-
sent He knows that the present Mayor tod MN
that there were charges against bin, when the
very charges were in type and had copy OF them
In my desk" $50
"Why didn't he ask the last Mayorr
He knew TOO much"
Mr. Root suppose we are entitled to a show of
fairness in these proceedings This testimony III re-
gard to removing papers and dirt from this mans
store does not show that We removed the dirt from
the streets or that we did not remove II. Are we
cupable for removing il or for not removing itf
Mr. Andrews-YOu are culpable for not removing
Mr Bliss-Aint we culpabe because the Mayor
wants to get at a certain Commissioner and he
cant
Mr. Root move to strike out this testimony on
the ground that it was not the Commissioners duty
"a remove this dirt. and that this man paid an en-
pl0ye of the Street Cleaning BureautO do what lie
ought 10 have done himself
Mr. Bliss also ask that this evidence be stricken
out because the Mayor is not competent to pass
upon the question. The Mayor is culpable for hav-
Ing this information about the bribery OF city
officials aud not giving it to the Police Commission
Office. - % -" NV WHO" ''''' 10 "' '''''' ''''''
The Mayor-I will reserve my decision.
\. Mr. Bliss-The Court Of Appeals has decided that
THIS cannot be done in this way The Court of Ap-
peals has nothing TO do with these proceedings how
ever.
The Mayor decide that it can be taken, then
The Court OF Appeals has also decided that that
cannot be done in that way"
This is subject TO review
fortunately for honest men aud the city, it is"
coLoRKD WITNESS.
William Hill, colored man Of about twenty-five
years OF oge testified that he was anitor of the
building al Nos. L. 4 and Cedar-st and No. ISL
Pear-st. He was in the habit of paying regularly
the drivers Of the Police Department carts 10 take
away the ashes from this building He thought
that be might he able to identify some OF the men
vnom he had paid. but il would be incODvcnent for
him TO do 30.
Ar Dhss-YOn have heen engaced in hrihing nnl,- !