New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-08-22
GRACE AND THE AQUEDUCT,
THE Ex.MAYoRs EFFORTS TO DUST SEC.
RETARY McCULLOH


MR. HEwIrTs CHANGES IN
HIS FIRST LETTER TO
THE GOVERNOR
This will be the last week OF the "Aquedust
Investigation proper" 30 Senator Fasseu
stated yesterday morning, and be invited all who
wanted TO give evidence or TO make any exJans-
tons to make application to the counsel Of thu
committee, who would arrange 10 give them an
opportunity to be heard. These closing days Of
the investigation were fruitful In incident and
fertile In developments. The two most interesting
with sscs yesterday-only three were examined
were the Mayor and james w. McCuiloh, ex-seerS
tary of the Aqueduct Commission and now secse
tary OF the Real Estate Committee The Mayor p,a
duced his original letter to Governor Hill, and Nr
McCulloh told some lively stories about the way In
VIII Oh he was ousted from his former Office and
about ex-Mayor GIace and his ways, and described
the conduct OF the rca! estate transactions
Mayor Hewitt had a dispatch from Governor
Hill, which urged him to produce the original
letter as ito nom production would be used 10
serve PARTISAN ends" The Mayor explained tha,
be had stated yesterday that be was not sure
whether be had the original letter itself, or only
a copy, but he had found the original one
HOW THE FIRST LETTER WAS CHANGED
Mr.. Nicou enumerated all the alterations made
in the revised edition. The words and phrases
altered are italicized in the following copy OF tho
letteri
Nsw.York. July 10. 1885,
The Honorable David B. Hill, Governor
Sir: appeal you for an act Of justice 70 the CITY
OF New.York which alone are In position 70 rendss
special session OF the Legis AZURE has been convened
which can consider only such subjects as you may zee 20
10 submit TO It ask you 10 recommend the repeal II
chapter 337 Of the laws OF NewYorA- passed May l3
1856 BY which the Commission for building the new
Aqueduct for furnishing the City OF New'Yek with AZ
Increased supply Of pure and wholesome water was ~
constituted
This law was enacted BY the Legislature and approved
BY you azains. the protest Of the municipal authorizes
Of this city made In accordance with the general demand
OF public opinion. IL has nes1essiy Increased the ex.
pense OF the Commission and excluded the Mayor aai
Controller from It's deliberations because they not
acceptable the contractors. Its secretary was dis
placed 10 for political retainer but
re-empoyed In another position because the new
sppontee could do the which the secretary had
! previously performed without extra compensation.
The contracts for the construction Of the work havs
been confoss lily violated by undertaking TO subcon
tractors who would have been glad 70 do the work for
the city the reduced price they were compelled 70
accept from Bad work since condemned
has been and paid for expensive rubo- masonry
has been for dry 1lng without giving any
! Increased value 10 the work; and in many ways toe
mention the interests Of the city have been
I sacrificed 70 the demands OF the contractors and ~
ezgencies Of party potes Il has been openly sstlfet
by the Commissioners that the law, whose repeal
now request the result Of political deal whereby
the Republican patty secured patronage, and IL appears
the Democratic campaign debts Incurred In the cleo
ton we're subsequently paid BY ne eonsrsetor
The people Of this city asounded by these reyeli'
tons The pinlon 10 unUeral that speedy rpGrfttsn
should be made by all In me change Of ne tsv.
Whereby public 1ellre has become taus entGngsd rIts
political and psT.opdI rnterssH.
The situltioa 10 doubtess enbdvrdssng but presents
plain duty which neither can shut our eyes
We are Democrats while the Legislature Is Republican.
This q fortunate cOniuncture, II will enable both
political parties clear themselves from further response
blty this unfortunate legislation II you shall make
for the repeal OF the obnoxious law.
will doubtless be promptly responded By the Legislature
The first step will thus be toward the purlnesuo
Of the political atmosphere and the restoration OF tn
government this city Its right TO participate In TN
control expenditure which Is purely local and Of vas
proportions
IL may be said that II late repair the ey1
which has been DONE but this is not the TACT The wor
will require several years for It's competition ana II
that the expenditures yet made may amour
20 s20.Coo,oOo This outlay must be controlled b
officers In people Of this city have entire conf
dence and It indispensable that In part a, least tn
Commission shall consist OF so derive ther position
directly from the SURFACES OF the people
In this appeal for Justice / merely doing ny dut
to the citizens whose Official outhplccc am and VIII
look 70 YOU for that protection from oobery fraud an
waste Of public money which the Governor and tn
Legislature bound by every consideration OF homo
and Justice afford have no doubt that the eraV'
OF the situation apparent TO you Is IL is to me- an
tina. the result will be such satisfy the REASONABLY
demands Of public opinon-
have the honor to be. very respectfully your ooeGen
servant ADRIAN 8 hE"lIi' Ma'''
THE soFrENING PROCESS EXPLAINED.
For the word retainer "p,rtisan' WAS sub
stituted The exigencies Of party politics w
modified to the requiem nts OF party pohusS
To tbe words by the contractors, these wen
added: and charged to the member OF the nm
who was at the bead of the State Comm ttee
The long sentence beginning The opinion Is UNI
vcrsal that speedy reparation should De made'
. WAS softened 10 =" The opinion is universal Una
such changes in the law should be promp
= made as may be required TO free this great puon
work from further ENHANCEMENT with poIue'
and personal interests The situation Is dou''
less embarr sing reads In the revis q version
The situation Is not without embarrassment
4 Mayor Hewitt complained of the following 81
+ tence printed on Tuesday in an interview gran'e
l. TO a Tribune reporter by Senator Fassett'
y evident that Mr.. Hewitt agreed to give the e.
/. cellent letter Of accommodation which he WIZ
Z for Mr. Hill, which Immediately followed u
q Governors message on the Aqueduct reors4uiN
tion In exchange for the control Of the Aqueuu'O
q I he Mayor said that II the cha rman nau " ,,
q that remark be made IL IN absolute erfos " as
"A facs, as the letter was in response 70 up ,v "
~ sen,se of justice when Governor HI mol ono
r copied his recommendation, but had gone la
n yond il in the direction Of home rule - o.
II Senator Fassett said: Wen give tne wv
ernor the benefit of the explanation 49,,
u When the Mayor had said his say, and toui
that nothing more was wanted OF nln. DC uui'
from the room almost at tSot
n. MIR. MCULLoH's INTERESTING TESTIMONY
q 1t was eX-Secretary McCullohs second appc"
or snce before the committee, and 1t was mucn 'nO
a entertaining than his first when the old comm
G. sioners reigned. Tie told Mr.. Boardmsn son
J: thing about his relations with the contrac''
ho and engineers He mentioned case where
10 had noticed shaft In cut L. at fonkers wn'
he had not thought the timbering safe. The en-