Year: 1871




curity Of the City Recerds.


On Monday last the new Grand Jury, sum-
moned to serve for the December term Of the
Court of General Sessions, appeared in Court,
and were discharged by Judge Bedford until the
10th inst, the old jury having been held over
until the 18th inst by the extension OF
the November term till that date. 1t will be
remembered that this course was decided upon
by Judge Bedford in order to give the Grand
Jurors who have been engaged in investigat-
Ing the city frauds an ample opportunity to
complete their work and bring the
offenders to justice. In order to prove
his earnest determination to accomplish
this desirable end, Judge Bedford yesterday
stated that, should longer time be needed by
the present jury, he should most assuredly
order still longer extension Of the November
term, ''being fully convinced that now is
the time to probe all these matters to the
very core, irrespective of whomsoever the
blow may fall upon" From this it will be
seen that District Attorney Garvin and the
Grand Jury will have all the opportunity they
can wish or require to thoroughly complete
the important Investigation to which they are
urged by the fearless and impartial
Judge, and 1t is for them to second
the efforts of Judge Bedford to
redeem the scandal that now rests upon the
city, and to bring to criminal punishment the
men who have SO shamefully plundered the
people. 1t has become quite evident that an
effort is to be made by the politicians to defeat
the ends of justice and to screen the
guilty parties from the consequences
of their crimes. Already hints begin
to be thrown out of the difficulty of bringing
such offences as breaches of trust criminally
home to those who have committed them; but
If the men who, through fraud and forgery,
have stripped the City Treasury are to escape
unpunished, or to be subjected only to civil
suits for the recovery Of 1.-THE Of their
plumber, then law and justice are mere
mockeries. Judge Bsdford's determined action
bids fair to upset the schemes Of the politi-
cians and to give us at last what we have not
yet had-an earnest effort to prosecute an
investigation into the frauds in good faith,
without regard to political expediency, aud to
bring the guilty to the bar of justice, ire
spective Of persons or parties.


Yesterday the acting Grand Jury appeared
in Court and made presentment in regard to
the Hall of Records in the City Park, where
are deposited the title deeds to most Of the
real estate in the city, with the maps and
other evidences pertaining thereto. The
building is pronounced to be an unfit place for
the deposit of such important Documents
dilapidated, not areproof and without any
sufficient security against robbery. The Jury
consider that fireproof building, properly
protected in every respect, should be at once
secured, and they call the attention Of the
Judge to the facts in order that he may take
such action as may be proper to insure
speedy remedy. In the course OF their pre-
sentiment the Grand Jury state that the recent
repairs and additions to the building are
found to have cost one hundred and sixty
thousand dollars, while liberal estimate
fixes the value OF the work done
at twenty five thousand dollars. This
is SO petty swindle, however, 10 comparison
with the grand frauds committed in other
directions as to be scarcely worthy of notice.
The want Of perfectly secure depository for
all the records Of the Registers Office, and
for all the documentary evidence Of the trans
actions Of the Important city departments,
especially that of finance, is certainly great
evil If the vouchers and warrants in the
keeping Of the Comptroller had been thus
deposited when the city frauds were first
developed the people would have known
more than they do'know about these disgrace
full transactions. All vouchers for claims
against the city government should be made
in duplicate, and one copy should be deposited
in such building az the Grand Jury suggest.
This should be provided for in the new charter.
and the erection of Hall Of Records, fire.
proof apd burglar-proof, should bs authorized
at once BY the authorities having power in the
matter. 9''si e.s g aa' '9t Il s3aAt