The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-05-24
NO FRAUD HERE.
Senate Investigating Com
mittee Looks Into the
Chancery Fees
HIGH TRIBUTE TO MR.. M'DERMoTT
Compliments to Clerk Lee for the
Management of His 0fice-ln-
creased State Expenses.
HIGH TRIBUTE TO MR.. M'DERMOTT
Special to the jersey CITY Netus.


eating Committee this morning Mr.. Cor
bin said he desired to offer some tesr-
mony concerning some fees received by
the clerks of Courts of ance and
the Supreme Court for the use of the
State and for their own use. He then
read the sections of the revised statutes
governing the matter and providing the
manner in which the clerks are required
the State Comptroller.
Allan L. McDermott, Clerk of the Court
of Chancery, was then sworn. He sub
mitted copies of the reports which ne
had filed in accordance with the statute.
He showed that since 1856, when he was
appointed Clerk, to 1894, the State had
received each year from $1,000 to $4,000
from the Court of Chancery. In ex-
planning the report of the fees for ms
own use Mr.. McDermott said that when
he took office the law allowed four cents
per folio for copying. The custom of
his predecessor was to give two cents
to the copyist and retain two cents for
himself. Mr.. McDermott found that
about seventy per cent. of the work
done was copying and that two cents
was not a fair compensation, so he had
a law passed making the price live cents
per folio, of which three should go to
the copyist.
He said that in his reports he returned
only the profits of his office, as he I'M
derstood the object of the Legislature
was to ascertain what the value of the
Office was. His profits during the min
years he had the Office had been be-
tween $500 and SIG. 500 a year. The
expenses of the Office were about the
same as near as he could tell.
He arrived at that conclusion on the
ground that when he went into office
he resolved to charge the office with his
employees salaries.
PRAISE FOR MIR. MDERMOTT.
Mr.. Corbin asked him what amount
he would suggest the Legislature should
appropriate for the expense of the Chan
Gerry Office. Mr.. McDermott replied that
would be hard to tell: but suggested
that The clerk be allowed to pay the ex-
penses subject to the approval of the
Chancellor.
Mr.. McDermott said that his office
was one which required the highest kind
20 oac1;o,ox- o,5 1a uaC ohliCod to nm-
ploy superior clerks. His office was
closely, watched by every lawyer in
the State, and all the complaints which
he had received, including missent let
tiers, did not average three a year.
Mr.. Corbin and the lawyer members of
the committee paid a high tribute to
Mr.. McDermott's administration of the
office and he was then excused.
Benjamin F. Lee. Clerk of the Supreme
Court since 1880. followed Mr.. McDer-
mott. He explained the manner in which
he collected the fees due the State and
which he was allowed to keep for him
self.
He showed tina he often paid fees to
the State before he collected them from
the lawyers.
But they are not all hopeless, Mr..
Corbin." continued MIR. See.inhis suave
way. yesterday 1 collected a lawyers
bill IA years DID,
The State had received fom his office
about 5000 a year. while the gross fees
which he received for his own use ranged
from s49. 900 to $24,O 900, during the years
1890 to 1894. Out of this he paid the ex-
- 49, a vL;o, ,oro1 ol 10
tween $12, 900 and $13. 900. After consider
able figuring he said hat the Office was
worth to him during the past four years
about $4,000 a year.
Mr.. See then told a very interesting
story of how he had found the records
of the Supreme Court when he took the
office in 1872. He found the records piled
indiscriminately on shelves in the vaul
When the State House was burned some
years ago the vault was fire proof, but
not water proof, and the records were
soaked. Mr.. See dried them: but they
laid around like so many bushels of pota
toes
The Legislature appropriated 5000 to
pay the expenses of sorting them out,
which Mr.. Lee is now computing the
work at his own expense.
COMPLIMENTS FOR MR. LEE.
MI. C0rD1n showed what an important
work this was and complimented Mr..
Lee on the efficient manner which he
carried on the work.
Mr.. Lee returned to the fees of his
office. He said that in considering the
value of the Office the committee must
remember that the clerk lost a large
sum of money and he started to see what
large sums his predecessors had lost.
"But this cloud has a silver lining"
said Mr.. Corbin with his knowing smile,
.sthis value which you have placed Upon
the office comes from fees already paid
and when the clerk goes out he has this
list of bad debts to draw from for years
afterward.' This raised a laugh at Mr..
Lees expense.
EXPENSES OF THE STATE.
Mr.. Corbin then read a statement show
ing the ordin-a-y expense of the State.
It had increased from $796. 900 in 1875 to
s1,653,535 IN 1894. He was particularly Sc
we're on the expenditures of the mill
tary department, which he said cost
s21s, 900. Last year these expenses, he said,
had grown steadily and would be much
larger this year. In 1877, when the State
dealt with the biggest strike in its his
tory, the cost of the military was $1,000.
He said that a practice had grown UP
of men going to the Legislature and get