New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-10-01
MR.. MIL AND YRE ERIE THIEVES.
ANOTHER CHAPTER OF THE TwEEr RING.
THE PRESENT GOVERNOR VOTING FOR MEASURES
TO WRECK THE ERIE RAILWAY.

ALBANY, Sept. 30 (SpcciaD. D.-The disclosures
concerning Governor Hils record I'm the Tweed Lcgls-
laturo already created great uneanes among the
Democrats In this city, OF whom even 20 so iar as
to suggest his withdrawal from the ticket But the Dat
has been TOLD IL would take volumes % tell OF lo
rascaty and corruption that riot in the Capitol at
that .imc The records of the Lcci lature, however
will be searched in vain to Hud single instance where
David T. Hill raised his hand 10 stay tho tide
Of corruption. Ills voice was heard In advocacy OF
TWccd's schemes, and invariably mis- vote was 5" fc
corded. The judiciary and Railroad Committees were
two OF the most important for Tweed to control
ard on both OF these placed the keen young lawyer
from Emira That he dld disappoint Tweed a dem
onstrated by the uniformly favorable reports bearing
his signature which came from the majority on those
two committees, every 'jb committed by tweed to
their carc.
Perhaps ono OF tho best illustrations OF the manner OF
man the Democrats seek 10 ntrust with
the extraordinary power Of the next Governor can he
found in the action OF th5 Railroad Committee on the
celebrated Erie Cassdation act Fisk ana Gould were
then league with Tweed and By grace OF scandalou'
measure passed by previous Legislature, and by the
aid the notorious Tng judges, the Erie Railroad wa-n
their clutches II vas in the days when FISK WAS run
nng the Grand Opera House, aud when he planted him
self before the pcOJe IN company with Josie Mansfield
and when he kept gangs OF armed Iowd.cs
TO prevent the stockholders Cf the Eno Railway.
or the courts from getting possession Of the books OF
l. the company. 1Ic Ciha-llCiliph Htl NHl'h to lt+-
passed. provided that only one-Gfth OF the Board OF
Directors of le road should 90 ont IN any ono year
by THIS means although every stockho!.cr should De
opposed to the IIsCDuld arrangement 1t WOud bc Inn
possible 10 get possession Of the road Tor AT least three
years and not 'u pos- for at lelst hyc years.
But TO prevent deiraGdcl stockDodcrs from getting
possession ot their property Though tie courts Of
Justice another ats was passed rsavdius that
10 iud gmout t, tho Board of Directors could be
rendered by court unless the suit was brought Dy
the Attorney -CeucraL It TINS only necessary fOr
the r1ng 10 owa the Attorney General (Which they did
entirely TO close the against the dcirudcd stock
holders By tho Classification act, ana by this supple
meutay the ring held possession against twothlrus
Of the stock .oders. On trumpcd up aud by an
order OF OF the rug judges receiver wac appointed
for the stock owned by foreigner. and WHOM
any Of 1t was presented for record
on the transfer book the receiver seized it In This
tnc combination secured possession o; SGO00oJO OF
! tho $50 100000 OF stock held abroal.
THIS vas the cOnton of affairs when tho Legislature
of 1871 met The whole Nation was ds{riced ani soau-
dazeI by these iniquins, which struck deadly blow
at tie credit and good faith of American
secuntles aud tho integrity Of American
Institutions. From end OF the state 10
the other the people were demanding the repeal Of
thesc monstrous laws and the impeachment OF the cor
rupt Judges who prOstnted their high Offices 70 keep
tie ring aud It's railroad allies IN power Petitions bear
ng tho signatures OF many thousands Of business
Of New-York and Of the state were daily presented
tie Legislature. demanding the repeal OF these unjust
laws Tho stockholders, representing two-thlris OF tue
stock the Eric Railway Company presented similar
petitions Al the beginning OF the session,
OF January 49, Asscmblyman Goodrich
Introduced q bill to grant tho prayer OF
the petitioners aud place the Eric stockholders
equality before the law. The bill referred to the
Railroad Committee From. that time almost daily, pc
ons poured from every quarter Of the state in favor
OF the passage OF the bill But the Railroad Committee
had packed for Just such emergency and all ei
get report tho bin for the consideration OF
the House failed. On March -. two months after
the bill had been sent 10 the committee. SIR. Goodrich
made a determined effort TO force tho committee
to bring the bilbefore the House David H. I opposed
the motion aud It was lost By close vote On tho
jority with IIill "Tim Campbell "Bily" Hitch
man, "Jim" Irving. John c. Jacobs, "Tom" Fields,
Carey and an tho rlngstcrs.
Finally, the force Of public opinion. expressed I'm the
newspapers and by petitions forced report from tho
majority OF the committee. The minority, OF course.
presented separate report. The majority was com
posed OF David Il. IIill, John L. Flagg John
j. Blair, Dominick II. Roche, James Irving
and James r. Nelscn They bTazcDly reported against
repeating tho Classification the other deny
ing stockholders redress in the courts Tho report
which was signed By Mr.. Ill., and Is said to have been
prepared by him, stated that the Classification Act was
intended 10 permanency IN the management Of
the trunk lines that the stockholders approved it that
it only foreigners who wanted II repealed that the
road well managed, whereas before Gould and Fisk
got possession 1t In bad shape; and that II any
thing wrong the courts open to redress his
last astonishing statement made, notwithstanding
tic passage Of the bin requiring any suit 70 ouat the d.
rectors TO be brought by the Attorney General.
The minority report was drawn up by Smith NJ Weed
and was signed By himself and by Dewitt C. Littleohn
and Isaac Baker Jr This report recitcd the evidence
placed before the committee, and speaking Of the Cass
and the consequences that had followed It's
passage, said:
number Of bold, reckless and interruptions
their possession and control and from their present
course viii. unless checked by the legislative power,
largest and most important avenues OF that
flows into this state and that they do violation
all the evidence before said committee substantially
destroying the rights Of such Tho capital stock
OF the Erie road at the end OF the year 1867 which
time these same persons substaually) had acquired
control Of the road was S25,l1l,2lO. At the ond of
1868 II had been increased TO $4G3O22lO at the end
OF 1862 S7s 53G9l0 and at the end tho year 1870
to $s3 G369 o. showing increase in capital stock
had the road OF $5S,425,7O0. This increase
OF stock is not pretended to have been
authorizing the company TO increase It's capital stock
nor by the vote OF the stockholders of the company
Of the stockholders Of the road; and those who pnr-
chased the stock issued were kept in entire ig-
This money had not been used for the purposes
thOrized by any law. 1t had not been used In opera
o5 5Gad wS aa S Oh Been any s
The Official reports OF the company for the
Previous year $40 showed hatit was run Mt loss OF
$500 while IN 1907 there q surplus on the
years business OF 81 100000 Nor have the al
rectors OF the company divided such stock issued
among the stockholders of said company and yet
capital stock Of said company three years ago only
ana Is now ssS0o0ooOi was vas then worth
Ia now worth but twenty cents on dollar; that he
%sS wnss ss s q sa es aGsS ago
said road and his share Of stock was wort. 80