The New York Herald Newspaper, February 10, 1874, Page 3

WASHINGTON,.| \Absurdities of ‘Bill Day” in the House. BOUTWELL’S FINANCIAL, BILL. Opposition to a Hasty Adjourn- ment of Congress. REFORM OF THE ADMINISTRATION ABUSES, ‘WASHINGTON, Feb, 9, 1874, Benate Discussion of the Bankrupt Bill— The Abolition of the Office of Register Opposed—State Courts to Have Juris- diction in Certain Suits. ‘The Senate to-day resumed consideration of the Bankrupt bill and discussed Mr. Thurman’s amend- ment for the abolishment of the oMce of Register of Bankruptcy, which excited considerable debate, Senator Thurman stated that he had prepared the Smendment on the recommendation of two of the highest judges in the country, and he was in favor of dispensing with the present Registers of Bank- ruptcy and ef having the District Judges appoint commissioners, @ change which, he thought, would be promotive of economy. The Judges, he contended, could dispose of the business themselves, or, if it were in their jadgment necessary, they could send it to @ comm‘ssioner, who would discharge the duties with more interest and efficiency than the present registers of bankruptcy. This would leave them a discretion as to the requirements o! cases, and in- stead ofsenaing them, ex necessitate, to a register of bankruptcy the Court could dispose of them, Senator Sanisbury was in favor of the amend- ment and referred to the fact that in a large num- ber of cases the creditor gets nothing under the present working of the bill, because the fees of the marshals, clerks, &c., absorb everything where the estates are small, and that the machinery is cumbrous, and if to be continued the whole bank- ruptlaw had better be abolished, which, he said, he was in savor of previous to the holi- days. The views of both Senators were strongly opposed by Senators Frelinghuysen, Morton, Ed- Mounds, Sumner and Pratt, who in turn adyocated the retention of the present registers of bank- ruptcy, because they had seven years of ex- perience, had established a harmony of system and a@complete set of records, and the judges could not, overworked as they are now in a majority of cases, discharge the additional duties con- templated by the amendment; nor would the ap- Pointment of commissioners be productive of economy, but would amount to a greater expense than under the present system. The present registers of bankruptcy were acknowledged to have become skilful and to have gained a full under- standing of the law, so that in many cases there ‘was no necessity for the employment of an attor- ney, when parties wished to find out what to do, as they could now appear in person, which they could not do in the courts, Mr. Sumner was especialiy strong in his opposition to the amend. ment, which if adopted, he said, would be injur- ious to the law, which was now being well admin- istered, and impair its efficiency. A vote being had on the amendment it was lost. Mr. Thurman then offered an amendment that prima facie evi- @ence of claims might be taken before notaries Public, which could be sent to registers in bank- ruptcy, without obliging creditors to go great dis- tances to courts, It passed, Senator Edmunds re- Maarking that it had been spoken of in committee and there was no objection to it. Senator Merri- mon then threw a bombshell imto the lawyers’ camp by offering an amendment that suits for $500 might be brought by assignees and the amounts re- covered in State courts, which elicited from Ed- munds, Thurmam and Morton strong argumenta- tion against the power of Congress to confer jurisdiction in bankruptcy cases to State courts, Pending debate on this the Senate went into ex- ecutive session and afterwards adjourned. WVagaries of the House—Bill Day and Its Absurdities-The Votes on the Financial! Propositions—Dawes’ Early Adjournment Dodge Defeated. Monday is “bill day’’ in the House, and the usual Qvalancie ts poured in for reference to tne various committees, where most of them will ‘sleep the sleep that knowsno waking.” There is not evena hope of a resurrection by those who offered them, But it will sound well upon the stump next fall» ‘when a candidate can huri his thunders at the enemy through his Saturday speech and rout the reserves of the foe with his Monday artillery im the shape of a bill or resolution. As a new Member expressed it lately, on discovermg that his political importance had shrunk con- siderably since his arrival in Washington—“Well,”? said he, “I admit that a Member of Congress don’t amount to much here; butItell you he’s an ail- fired big gun in a country district.’ Monday in the House reminds one of a lot of school boys out &t noon to play shuttlecock. As the rules on this day allow members to indulge in various little games, Dawes pitched in his shuttlececk for an adjournment on the 15th of May; but the stalwart Beck hurled it back, denouncing it as an infernal machine containing all kinds of pernicious legis- lation, to be rushed through during the last ten days of Congress. Two-thirds refused to support Dawes, and he lost his little game. Next came Smith, of Ohio, with an ingenious machine, which, instead of feathers to float it, bad railroad spikes to impale the false friends of the grangers and the Strict constructionists and the toes of centraliza- tion. It claimed the right, from that Much abused instrument the constitution, to make treaties with the Idians and | Mankind in general and to regulate foreign | of the fund fer the expenses of the national loan and of Whom there is no record. These, it seems, hold by the same tenure as the thousand employés of the Rureau of Engraving and Printing. The comm)‘tee will cut out this force in the general aboltien of the irresponsibie fund stated. The clairman of the committee will introduce @ reso. lution, under a suspension of the rules, asking au- thority to insert, at the proper time, a clause in the Legislative, Executive and Judicta: Appropria- tion bill providing fora fixed rate of compensa- tion for employés in the mints of the United States. ‘The effect of this will be a reduction in the amounts Row paid for the same class of work. There will also be a reduction in the number of empioyés, Prospeet of Reduction and Economy in the Army. The House Military Committee, having heard from all branches of the army, begin to-morrow the consideration of the details of a general bill looking to considerable but caretul changes in the direction of reduction and economy, The Chair- man is busily engaged in putting the bill in form, Zhe Isthmian Canal Commission—Prhe Plan of the Proposed Survey—Promi- nent Engineers to Join in the Expedi- tion. At the fourth meeting of the Isthmian Vanal Commission Captain Selfridge, the surveyor of the Napipt route, was present, and gave the commis- sion four copies of the report, maps and plans now passing through the government press, being a detail of his survey. This completes the examina- tion of the officers of the detailed surveys, which will first receive the attention of the commtssion. The report of the route examined and surveyed by Captain Shufeldt—Tehuantepec—is laid aside by | the commission until they shall have been able | to satisfactorily inform themselves regarding | the surveys at Nicaragua and Nanipi. | This. is for the reason that Captain Shu- | feldt’s report presents little more than an examination of his route, It contains no estimates of the work required and 3 doubtini recommenda- tion of its feasibility with any means short of national resources. The surveys of Captains Lull and Selfridge present complete estimates and earnest recommendations, The work of each of these officers has been that of the surveyor though a civil engineer has been engaged with each party, whose report is an appendix to their own, The commission now propose to send two officers of the army engineer corps to pass over each route, examine the principal engineering difficulties, the feasibility of each, and in their re- port to the commission to make a general comparison of the two routes. For this purpose the Secretary of War has di- rected the detail of Major Walter McFar- land, now on duty at Chattanooga, Tenn. This officer has given great at- } tention to the study of inland canals, and par- | ticularly that known as the Atlantic and Great | Western Canal, in aid of which a bill was presented | to Congreas to-day. He has expressed the pleasure | with which he will engage in this new work. It is expected that Captain W. H. Hener will accompany | him to the isthmus, In order that the public may have such an examination of these projects as | would be made by men with limited means pehind | them, or with little capital to apply to it, and the es- | timates of such men as capitalists would apply to before investing in such a work, an invitation has been extended to prominent American civil en- gineers to accompany the party. Mr, McAJpin, now engaged with the State Capitol at Albany, replies With regret that he cannot accompany the army engineers. He very highly commends the suryeys made by the government, and suggests that Mr. Walton of New Orleans, an engineer of high at- talnments in this field, accompany the officers, A letter of invitation has been seat to Mr. Walton. William B, Eades, of St. Louts, now in this city, spent the afternoon in examining the reports of survey charts, plans, &c, and earnestly advises | that the work be further pursued. He regrets that his engagements will not admit of his going tothe isthmus, and at his suggestion an invitation has been addressed to Milnet Roberts, late engtneer of the Northern Pacific Railroad, a very fluent and descriptive writer, and with an experience of forty years in engimeering and canal works. The third Invitation was addressed ‘to Mr. Shandley, of the Hoosac Tunnel, ‘No reply Wis*¥et been received. The commission convened.by the President do not accompany those engineers. ‘The officers will be taken to Aspinwall in a government steamer, and pass trom Panama in probably the Saranac to the Pacific opening of the Napipi route. Two | weeks will be spent in examining this route. Thence the party will sail north to Brite, the Pacific terminus of the Nicaraguan route, and cross to the Atlantic, returning to New York by the steamer which carried them to Aspinwall. 1t is expected that this entire examination will be | completed early in April. | Mr. Dawe Bill Regulating Postal Charges. The bill of Mr Dawes, of Massachusetts, referred | to the Post (fice Committee, proposes that on all | mail matter of the first class, including local or | drop letters and postal cards, postage shall be | charged at the rate of two cents for each half | ounce or fraction thereof, provided, however, that no stamped envelope shall be hereafter issued, The Salaries of the Principal City Post- masters, ‘The bill introduced in thé House by Representa. | tive Platt, of New York, fixes the compensation of the postmasters named at the following rates, | viz. :—At New York, $10,000; Philadelphia, Boston, | Chicago and St. Louis, $8,000 each, and Brooklyn, | Baltimore and Cincinnatti, $6,000, provided that | such salaries shall be paid from moneys received | at the Post OMices from box rents, sales of postage | stamps and other sources in excess of the expendi- | tures allowed and made thereat for rent, clerk hire, fuel, lights, furniture, stationery, printing and the necessary incidentals, Reorganization of the ment. The House Committee on Foreign Affairs again | discussed to-day Mr. Orth’s bili looking to the re- | organization of the State Department. The com- | mittee instructed the chairman to direct Secretary Fish to communicate to them the increased ap- State Depart- and domestic commerce. It emphasized thé right of the general government to regulate commerce + Detween the several States and within their bor- ders, This means government contro} of railroads 8nd canals, and it is fondly believed that the dem- ocrat who did not swallow the whole in one guip fs doomed next fall to march to Ignominious de feat, bis pathway strewn with Canada thisties, and the granger flock marching behind, employing their plaintive bleatin a dead march, and their horns applica playfully to the innocent and passive part of his person, One hundred and seventy republicans said aye to this, and sixty-four poor democrats said no, while afew “played possum” and said pothing. After ‘this Randall tried to revenge himself on the repub- Vivans by offering a resolution that, in case the currency should be increases, said increase shall be in United States notes known as greenbacks; but the House was notso susceptible as Randull | thought, for he said “Yes,” and ninety-one said “No.” Next came Cox, with a petition in faver of free Cuba and tree blacks, asking its reference to the Committee of Foreign Affairs, which was done, , and the House adjourned. Boutwell’s Financial Bill. Mr. Boutwells finance bill, introduced to-day, Consists of two sections—one prohibiting national banks irom paying or receiving interest on de- posits, and the other requiring national banks to keep seventy-five per cent of their reserves at | home. ‘The Committee on Appropriations Ex- amining the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, the Register of the Treasury, and the Director of Mints—{Proposed Reforms. The Commissioner of Internal Revenue, the Register of the Treasury, and the Director of Mints were before the Committee on Appropriations to- day, on the subject of the clerical force employed in those offices, The oMclals named protested against a reduction, and went on to show tne ex- ‘tent of business conducted’ within thetr respective Jurisdictions. Despite these views to the conteary ‘the committee have determined to make a material reduction. In the course of the investigation the Register of thé Treasury dropped one im- portant piece of information, to the effect that he | serly, until March 4, 1875, made his appearance in propriation for salaries which would be required under the provisions of tne new bill. Mr. Hawley Rises to Explain Regarding New EBigiand Protection: ze Mr, Hawley, of Uorinectivui, says that the inter- pretation given to his remarks in the House last Saturday that New England was ready to abandon protective tariffs was not correct. In reply to the constant intimation that New England desired to protect monopolists, bis argument was, that were all protection removed, New England would be injured, but not ruined; that protection $s more needed for the new regions of the West and South than for New England, wheve many manufacturers have got a firm foothoold, and that, aside from the question of protection, an English free trade tarifis unequal and unjust taxation. Standstill in the Howard Case. Contrary to published statements no designa- tion, official or unoficial, of oMcers to compose the court of inquiry in the General Howard case has been made by the President, inasmuch as there is yet no law authorizing it, The Senute made amend- ments to the House resolution which are yet to be | acted upon before there can be authority for the ’| appointment of the court of inquiry, The New California Senator. Mr. Hagar, the new Senator from California, wao serves out the unexpired term of ex-Senator Cas- the Senate this morning, and, alter being sworn, took bis seat on the right of the Chair and on the democratic side of the chamber. He isa rather large, fine-looking gentleman, with sparse beard, is nearly bald and 1s, apparently, on the sunny side of fifty. The Proposed Statues of Senator Baker and Chief Justiees Taney and Chase Opening the Congressional Library on Sunday. The Joint Gommittee on the Library to-day fathorized thein chakn}n te contract with Horatio Stone for the marble statue of the late Senator E. D. Baker, provided for by act of the last Congress. The statue is to cost $10,000, and is to be placed in the Capitol. The committee also con- sidered the respective propositions of Messrs, Jones, Simmons and Swayne to furnish the busts Das in bis office o large number of clerks paid out, Of Chief Justices Tanev and Chage, autnorized by a | | only clothing that covered his body was an ander- «shirt, &@ pair of drawers and @ stocking on one recent law to be provided for the United States Supreme Courtroom, The models are to be sub- mitred to the committee at their next meeting. The contest is said to He between T. D. Jones, of Ohio, now resident in Galveston, Texas, and Mr. Simmuns, of Maine, who has come here from Rome to execute a bust of Admiral Porter, Senator Allison gave notice that he will, at the next meeting of the committee, offer a resolution directing the Congressional Library to be kept Open on Sundays. The Lynchburg Lefateation. Official reports to the Commissioner of Internal Revenue from the Collector and special agent at Lynchburg say that the actual amount of the de- faication in the Internal Revenue Office there is only $3,500, The government wili suffer no loss whatever, Confirmation of Nominations, The Senate in executive session this afternoon confirmed the following nominations:—Richard S, Brooke, of Virginia, to be Consul at La Rochelle; Taylor Bradley, of Nebraska, to be Ageut for the Indians in the Winnebago (Nebraska) agency; Cicero L, Bristol to be Pension Agent at Omana, Neb, RAPID IRANSIT. SES A Viaduct Along Each River Front—A Structure for All Time, To THE Eprror oF THE HERALD: Being aware of your cordial support and en- couragement to every scheme of public improve- ment, rapid transit in particular, with your per- misston I shall take the liberty of offering a few remarks on that engrossing subject. Any plan designed for the sate and rapid conveyance of passengers and merchandise from New } ork city to the suburbs, and thence all over the country, should be of a comprehensive nature, suMciently ample for the future increase of population ana commerce. Now is the time to project and ma- ture sucha plan, It is unwise to defer its con- sideration to a future day. Every day’s delay will only add to its cost and create more opstacies and impediments to its speedy accomplishment, such as the erection of new buildings, which may in all probability come within the limits of the proposed works, Having made these preliminary remarks Ishall briefly describe the route, character and style of railroad required to tulfill the conditions above sketched, I propose the Battery as the most suitable loca- tion for the main depot, andfrom that point belt the whole island with four tracks, two for passen- gers and two for merchandise, on the passenger track depots to be about 800 feet apart; the four tracksto be connected with the Harlem, Hudson River and all other existing or proposed railroads through Westchester county and Brooklyn, the points of connection to be determined by surveys and examination of the topography of the ground, | It appears to me to be a matter of great import. | ance, demanding the serious consideration of the commercial men of New York as well as those of many other cities of the Union, for this is an age in which nations are eagerly contending for com- mercial supremacy, As animportant auxiMary to achieve the latter result, the proposed railway should connect all the rallways radiating from New York with the new docks, It will ve seen | irom this outline sketch that my plan of supplying | the present as well as the future wants of ube city | and country is inseparably connected with the | roposed dock improvement. Both works should | e Carried On simultaneously, and, when finished, would be a great architectural ornament to the city and incalculable in its beneficial resuits, The topography of tue island with its under ground works, sewers, gas pipes, &c., is altogether uniavoravie to the tunnel plan. It lavors highly the viaduct plan. I would, therefore, propose to Tun the four tracks paraliel with the bulkhead line diverging from it by easy curves where bends | occur in the docks, Garden. The entire width required for the jour | tracks would be flity feet, the structure consisting of a series of arches, abutments and parapet walls, | each arch to be sixty teet span of an elliptical form | to be built of Philadelphita brick or stone. ‘The superiority of a railroad built as above described | 1g manifest, People, however, timid when travel- | ling over it will ieel a sense of security from its Stapility, Even should an engine get off the track the parapet walls are a strong barrier against it,to prevent disaster, It will last tor centuries, re- quiring no repair whatever, being almost level. One engine running over it will perform as much work as five on roads that are designed with sharp | and irregular grades. Forty miles per hour of Speed may easily be attained without fear of r,. the, writer has been engaged as anen- gineer in several European countries, and has observed with what singular unanimity the via- duct plan has been adopted by their respective engineers, -e-pectaliy when approaching and pass. ing through Jarge and populous cities on a high level. It 1s the safest and best plan of construc- tion, whereas tunnelling under houses 1s dangerous | and attended with unknown cost. The Dubiin and Drogheda Railroad penetrates into the centre of Dublin, crosses over houses and streets, and 18 built on the viaduct plan of splen- | did masonry work.. The same may be gatd of sev- | eral roads coming into Liverpool, Birmingham, London and Paris, No doubt many persons will | object to the viaduct railroad solely on the ground | of its cost being greater than that of au iron | | | Structure or one composed of iron and woou com- | bined, but such objections ought to vanish when they are squarely counteracted by the following advantages of the viaduct:—fhe solid, compact nature of the structure renders it almost inde- structible, It will give a sense of security to those travelling over tt, and require no repair for ages | yet to come. It will remain as a monument of | puolic utility, bearing testimony to the greatness | and enterprise of its promoters, It will be a great orhament to the city, Taken in connection with the new docks, it will be no obstruction whatever | to the tramtc along the streets facing the docks, | but, on the contrary, lessen it to a very great ex- tent. Jrucks coming to and going trom the docks Wii goods can pass under the arches of the via- duct. Why a rapidly growing city of such commercial | importance as New York is should up to this present day be leit without as good railroad ac- commodation as European cities of considerably less importance, is to me incomprehensible, unless it be owing Lo apathy or to a want of public spirit and enterprise ofits capitalists and public men. The growth of the city, a8 weil as the public re- quirements, imperatively demands a total aban- | donment of the old idea gf temporary shifts, of building railroads on trembling stilts, requiring | constant repairs, attention and expense to keep them in running order, Why not begin to build on a plan that insures stability and permanency in its results, such as the viaduct wouid unquestionably | accomplish? suild # street about 150 or 200 feet | wide ali around the dock frontage, graded to the | required | evel suitable to the dock and the pro- | posed railroad, On this street, build a viaduct fifty | feet wide, When this is done the rapid transit problem is solved in a simple manner. P. M. DOWD, Civil Engineer and City surveyor. New York, Feb, 9, i874, ~~ An Elevated Road with Sunken Crosse ings. To THe Epiror oF THE K.graLp:— So much has already been said and so many plans presented to sour notice that 1 hesitated | whether I should reable you with mine; but here itis. 1 propos@-that a space of ground suMcient | for two OF Laore tracks be enclosed by a stone wall and raised ix (eet from the line of the street orave- nue, ad Aled in solid between the cross streets, Up Which the rails are to be laid; the cross | Streots to be carried under the tracks by making AN excavation or descent of five or six feet. Tue depots could be built above the track at the cross- ings or wherever it might be most convenient. WILLIAM DISBROW, New York, Feb. 9, 1974 A TEBRIGLE JOUR Fiat names ene Nd Wanderings of an Insane Man Through the Snow tn Jersey. Among the boarders in the family of a Mrs. MoCabe, on West Newark avenue, Jersey City, is Thomas Brannon, He has recently suffered from typhoid fever to such a degree that his mind be- came affected, and he has been frequently deli- | rious. About eight o'clock on Sunday night he | arose from his bed and quietly passed out of the house, unobserved by amy of the inmates. The | | foot. In this condition he set out across a bleak section of the meadow flats for the county work- house at Snake Hill, apd a more dreary, cheerless journey, in even the mildest weather, it would be dificult to trace within twenty miles of Jersey City. Tbrofigh the wild waste of trackless snow tora distance of four miles wandered the raving Man, He must have been insensible to suftering or he would have succumbed to the attacks of the keen, biting frost. Yesterday morning at six o’clock one of the keepers at the Penitentiary in Snake Hill saw a man clinging to the bars of one of the windows, and, observ- img that he was in an almost nude condition, he hastened to his relief, This man was Brannon. His hands were frozen to the bars and were 80 Stiff that 1t was with diMculty he could be extri- cated, The extremities, in short his whole body, Was frozen and there were no indications of lile. As the keeper remarked when he called for assist~ ance, “Come out; there is a corpse hanging out of the window!” The resident 2 sician, however, applied restoratives, and with such success tha’ the wretched man returned to consciousness 80 | tion Counsel, Such for example, as at Castle | 48! NEW YORK HERALD, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1874.—TRIPLE SHEET. BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. Important Message ot Mayor Havemeyer. Arraignment of Governor Dix—Eleven Million Dollars of State Tax Charged to the City— More Mandamuses—The Comptroller Bedue'ng Bills Without Warrant. This Board met yesterday afternoon, Supervisor 8. B. H. Vance, in the absence of Mayor Havemeyer, | occupying the chair. The minutes of the previous * | the ‘Board“of supervisors is tinal on the ambles and resolutions as follows, which were Ista as the varied character and large amount of supplies and services jor the use of the county whic the Board of Bupervisors is required to audit tor payment, very often requires an examination such as can be given only by exper ferent branches oi trade and tanu- ad Whereas With the Board of Supervisors as a body it i utterly impracticable to examine bills with such care aa is necessary to vrevent errors and frauds; and wheveas it isa weil known tact that in former years, when auditing in the Finance Depart. ment was '& mere formality, millions. of dol. lars have been paid from “ihe County "Treas. | ury to satisfy claims whose validity rested Princtoally in the fact that they had been audited and allowed by the Board of supervisors, and whereas it appears irom the report of the Commissioners of Accounts, made to this Board, that claims amounting to more than $600,000 are now pending i the Finance | Department, which have been audited or authorized by | former Boards of Supervisors, but which ‘or (he most | bart are notoriously traudulent or extravagant, and all | of which will have to be paid if it is decided by the | highest legal tribunal of our State, that the audit thereby preclud: further examination and audit in_ the Finance Depart | ment other than merely 10 ascertain. the legal | torm of passage in tie Board of Supervisors, eda meeting were read and approved. A bill for $3,750 95 trom ‘Sheruff Wiillam C. Con- ner, for fitting up the Sheriff's office, was received | and referred to the Finance Committee. in answer to a communication addressed to the Corporation Counsel, asking whether the county is compelled by law to furnish the Coroners’ oMice and | oMce supplies, this oMcial replied that the county is only required to furnish oftice room, but that the other supplies must be provided by the Coroners themselves, under chapter 565 of the Laws of 1863, regulating the {ees of the Coroners, which is liberal | enough to warrant them in bearing this slight ex- pense. The communication was received and | ordered to be printed in the minutes, A mandamus trom Judge H, W. Robertson, order- ing the Board to audit a bill of Henry Kaldenburg, amounting to $430, for services as Armorer of Bat- tery K,N. GS. N, Y., Was referred to the Corpora- Supervisor McCarrerty also presented a per- emptory Mandamus trom Judge A. RK. Lawrence, in the name of the people of the State of New York, on relation of Daniel Garrison, to compel | the Board of Supervisors to audit a bill of $5,000 | for rent of premises corner of Broadway and Forty-seventh street, formerly used as an armory, Considerable debate occurred on this subject, in which Supervisors Cooper, Billings, Morris, Mon- heimer, McCafferty and others participated. The long legal document was read in {ull and referred to the Committee on Armories and Drill Rooms, THE MAYOR'S MESSAGE. The following messuge from His Honor the Mayor was received and read by the Clerk, General Pinckney :— To rae HONoRAsty THE Boanp OF SUPERVISORS OF THR County ov New York :— , Gzxtixwen—The recent characteristic Message of His Excellency Governor Dix to the Legisiature shows that two-thirds of certain sinking funds ot the State have been diverted from their purposes and paid out for current and extraordinary expenditures of the State. Upon one retext and another $11,0W,0,0 have thus been diverted rom the {unds made sacred by the constitution to be sup- plied to the miscellaneous wants and jobs of our State government, which either should have been supplied by | the taxes of the year, when the expenses were incurred, | or these outlays shonid not bave deen made. His ixcel- leney suggests that the current taxes shonid, as they come in, be applied to supply these deficiencies, and al extra tax has been already called tor these purposes. You will doubtless remeinber thatin my ‘tirst and re- cent messages I drew attention to the great hardsh New York city arising trom the unjust discrimination the apportionment of the quota of the State taxes which this city i8 calied upon to pay, and that our overbur- dened ‘taxpayers place annually in the State Treasury within @ traction of one-balt ot its whole annual fiscul | revenue. It was but last year that legislation required this city to provide for its proportion ot a state deci ency of $7,000,000, that proportion amounting to over $3,000,00u, Which must be'raised by tax. on this city or by the issue of its credit. Ifthe bonds are issued to mect this misappropriation by officials o1 the State 1 suppose the newspaper organs and ailies of the © King” of this clty Will teem with ceggures against a reform adminis tration for increasing tigreity dept, , tsceins to me that, hgwever just the position of His Excellency may be, She sinking tund should be re- plenishest, and thus the'strictest faith be kept. with the creditors of the state, et, in view of the tact that the whole state debt is leas than $25, the state is amply able to pay, with or without any sinking fund; | ana if the unjust discrimination in” assessment: is persisted in by the Legislature and the State authorities jainst our city some steps should be taken by your. honorable body and the members of the Legislature Hors this city to resist the passage of any law which may be introduced to ast a very much too large @ proportion of the additional load catived by the State deficiency upon the shoulders of our eity’s taxpayers. The abstractions which have taken place of the sink- ing fund have occurred during 4 series of years, and ale though the arguinenis of the Governor are conclusive that the sums thus diverted shail be replaced, yet, taking into consideration the tact that taxation is at present of #0 grieVous a character, it would be well to allow the replenishing of the State Treasury to be also made dur- ing a series of years, so that we shall be enabled to. per- torm our duty In that particular without actual suffering from over-taxation. Ww was passed at the session of | the Laws or 187, sectiou 6, that the Finance Department | of District Attorney Phelps by his confession, and | Board and to the interests of the taxpayers whom it | Prevent irauds; that this reauditing constitutes one of or to notice clerical errors in the extension of the bills; and whereas It is provided by chapter 190 of | of the city of New York shall have the like powers and vertorm the like duties in regard to the fiscal concerns of the Board of supervisors as the said department pos- 6 concerns af the said city ot New as it is due to the characier of this represents that it should invite a re-examination of claims after having en audited lowed rather than to put itself in the sus) cious position of seeking to avoid and prevent such & re-examination, it being cer tain the amount cannot be increased over that allowed by the Board of Supervisors, be it ; ‘Resolved, That in the opinion of this Board a revision and reaudit inthe Financ: Department belore payment of all claims and bills audited by the Supervisors is in- dispensably necessary to insure against errors and to ihe most valuable safeguards and checks, the removal of which would open again the doors of thé treasury to all sorts of corrupt, attempts, relying tor success on the impracticability of a suticientiy careful examination by the Hoard of Supervisors: and be it further Resolyed, that the Committee on County officers be and it 1s hereby lustructed, lf they should consider it ad- visable to exercise the power conferred upon them by resolution adopted at the lust meeting of this Board, to employ couusel to appear for and deiend the rights and powers of this Board, to instruct the so employed coun- sel to argue the question in regard to the finality of an audit of the Board of supervisors, in accordauce with the foregoing resolution, The Committee on Armories and Drill Rooms suomitted a reportin favor of paying the sum of | $5,000 to Daniel Garrison tor rent of premises cor- ner of Broadway and Forty-seventh street, as per the peremptory mandamus requiring them so to act. The report was received and adopted by a vote of 11 to 4, The resolution providing for the equalization of taxes and the provision ‘or raisiny funds for the newly aanexed district (already publisned) was adopted. | Alter the transaction of some little unimportant business the Board adjourned, + BOARD OF ASSISTANT ALDERMEN, ‘The regular session of this Board was held yes- terday. On motion of Assistant Alderman HEALY Mr. Thomas L. Thornell, Assistant Alderman from the Seventh district, was appointed Chairman, Mr, CLANCY offered the following :— Resolved, That im cage the committee of the Board of Aldermen, appointed under a joint resolution which pussed said Board on January 26,1874, and the Board of Assistant Aldermen on February 2, 1874, retuse to permit the committee appointed trom this Board. to act with it, that the committee of this Board be and itis hereby empowered to act as if said joint resolution was an orixmal resolution of this Board, not requiring the concurrence of the Board ot Aldermen; and ve it turther Resolved, That the said committee of this Board is authorized 'to offer for the use ot any legislative commit- tee that is or may be appointed to investigate the work- ings of the different departments, the chamber ot the Board of Assistant Aldermen, together with the clerks and attaches of said Board, if they so desire; and be it urther Resolved, That if a committee of the Legislature is or should be kppointed, then this committee is hereby directed to suspend turther investigation, and present to such legislative committee all the evidence that may have been collected by them. Assistant Alderman HEALY proposed by resolu- tion to have a committee appoined which is for the purpose of ascertaining whether there are any non-residents holding office under the city govern- ment, and if so, their salaries and duties per- formed. Adopted unanimousiy. The CHAIRMAN offered a@ resolution, which was adopted, asking for the appointment of a commit. tee to investigate the structure now being erected on the lot bounded by Fourth and Madison ave- hues, Twenty-sixth and Twenty-seventh streets, and its liability to tire, which committee is to re- Port at the next meeting. An invitation was received and accepted to visit the Catholic Protectory, in Westchester county, on Wednesday morning. On motion of Assistant Alderman Cuancy the Committee on Salaries and Offices was instructed to ascertain the number of vacancies existing in the offices of Commissioners of Deeds, Among the papers coming from the Board of Aldermen a resolution calling upom the Fourth Avenue Improvement Company to trect a briage for foot passengers on Fourth awenue, at 130th B 1878 to authorize the imue of bonds, payable in instal- Meuts of from one tofen years, to provide for this ab- straction so tar as waa then known. These bonds have not yet been iss and @ paramount one, why tho Stato ainking ti Ould “not again be rapidly ‘re plenished, J9 that the too well ‘lied covers of the State Treasury offér a tempting bait for the schemes and plans of poiiticians, and may induce tresh raids upon the public treasury in the interest of the horde of schemers and thieves with which almost every legislative body of the present day is surrounded, (eading toa result which may require some future Governor to send a message 10 the Legisiature deploring again the perversion of public trust funds trom the purposes for which they are sacredly pledged. This deticiency in the sinking fund of over $11,000,000 might be provided for with tar less difficulty by a State loan, The good faith ot the State in protecting the sinking rund would thus be maintained the ehole matter of taxation, or loan of the city credit tor this bur. pose, should be postponed anda State Joan created to meet it. and whatever measures are necessary for the creation ot this toan should be entered upon at once, and wherever any counties have already advanced. their portion of these deficiencies they should be reimbursed out of this loan. It was proposed by the Comptroller of the city last year, ina bill prepared for that purpose, to adopt this mettiod. The tunds that are deficient were State tunds, and they should be made good by the credit of the State at large, and not by the Imposition upon this clty now, when we are struggling to settle ap the gigantic robber- Jes of our late city rulers, of new burdens made up of the misappropriations of State officials The Governor well says. in his recent Message, that he found, on inquiring, thatnearly two-thirds of the amount ot the sinking tunds “existed only on paper, and that the moneys belonging to them had been consumed in detray- | ing the current expenses of the government, in direct | violation of the constitutional requirements dnd ot the Plighted taith of the State.” To bring this matter home tous:—What would be said of | the custodians of the sinking fund of this city it they were | to take its moneys and pay them out for current expenses | or inany ot the various fobs that are atoot in this city? | Among honest men in this community this would be deemed an offence of @ high character and a violation | of all faith and honor. interpret the Governor's emphatic lan- | page, does mean but this—that_ dis- jonest and unscrupulous politicians in the. Legis: lature, to carry out thelr purposes of plunder, assed @ variety of bills to put’ money directly | or indirectly in the pockets of themselves and friends | (the statute Looks tor the past five years are full of them), and demanded of the state Comptrolier and Treasurer that they should furnish the money’ to carry out their jobs. Jt was the duty of these State fiscal officers to refuse to pay a dollar under these laws, except the money was in | the treasury legally applicable to such payment. It was | a plain contempt of their duty to use any of the sinking | fund moneys for purposes other than those to which they were plighted by the constitution, and to resist the invasion of these funds by every possible means, | any misapprehension impossible. | ‘The use of these (unds is, us the Governor says, “a direct violation of constitutional requirement and the plighted | faith of the State, What would a ¥lagg have done under such circum. | stances? Would he have parleyed with jobbers and dex- | trous lawyers? Wouid he have sougint for a subtic, dis> | honest legal subterterge to justity a plain and direct violation of the constitutional requirement? We all Know that, sooner than yield one fota to the clamor of the corruptcrew, inside and outside of the Legislature, he would have perished amid their an- athemas and forever lived in the esteem of all honest men. The general statement of these neiarious abstraction’ ¢ Is before us. ‘The people of this city will probably b g called on to raise asain some $5,000,000 to pay for them. Under these circumstances, and before one dollar Ys raised for this purpose, it behooves us to inquire, thro’ ph some agency that will neither conceal nor extenv ate, into the detail of this great wrong. | When did thes ¢ats ence’ Under what financial offic er or r ey accomplished to x $11,000,000, and what legal justification have they ‘ offer forthem? Let us Know what the factsare. Lett i know how much of the results of this State rapine a’ ge to be added to the already ungupportable burdens pi fea upon us by the plunder of our local bandittl, When we have this information it will be time enoagh to. determine whether we will raise moneys to. put into Uae sinking funds of the State to invite ‘fresh plinderer’, Respect: tnily, WILLIAM F. HAVEMEYE,R, Mayor. Supervisor COOPER, at the conclusion of the reading of the document, moved that: the Message be received, printed in the minutes, that 500 copies be printed in document form anda copy sent to each member of the Legislature. An amendment to refer to, the Committee on Annual Taxes was offered and adopted. Supervisor V4N ScHaicK hoped that the motion to print extra documents would not prevail. He could plainly see where the hand of Andrew H. Green commenced and concluded this Message, It was @ joint production—his and the Mavor’s, Hie (Supervisor Van Schaick) was in this matter altogether In favor of Governor Dix, whom he deemed as honest and competeut a man as Mayor Havemeyer. On the original motion of printing the extra copies Several more members rose to explain, Su- pervisor Keur being excused from voting. The resolution was lost, Mr. VaN SCHAICK offered a resotution calling for information as to what had become of the warrant drawo in favor of the Tammany Society for $22,901 75, for rent, &c., which had been already signed by the Mayor and Comptroller, and wag subsequently made out for $21,618 00, showing a reduction of $1,282 86, If the Comptroller has a right to reduce @ bill nearly $1,800 he might ag weil reduce tt $13,000, An amendment was offered by Supervisor Flanagan to communicate with the Tammany Society on ‘this subject, which was ruled out of order, The resolution of Mr. Van Schaick was lost by a vofe of 8 to 7. communication was received from the Board of Justices of the Marine Court, setting forth tie action taken by them on the 6th imst., in the re- moval and Sapciament of assistant clerks and attendants. The document, was received, laid that he could speak. He now lies in @ precaxjous condition at the hospital, over and ordered printed in the minutes. Supervisor OTTENDORFER oUered @ series of Dre- | | because, some of tne men asserted, the Staats Zei- street, was concurred in. The “smooth cover on sidewal’x vaults” ordi- nance, from the Board of Aldermen, which has already been published in the HzRaLp, Was taken up and debated upon. Mr. CLANCY hoped that the spsme would at once be concurred in, jor if there eve ¢ was any nuisance im this city this is one. The slippery mantraps | how intesting our sidewalks aye as bad as kegs of | powder lying around loose, Mr. SIMONSON also hoped hat the resolution | Would be concurred in. Alderman Kenox thought t he time of ten days Mentioned im the ordinauce too short. | The motion to amend by granting twenty days’ | time was negatived, and the original ordinance | adopted, which requires ¢ mly the Mayor's signa- | ture to make it a law, The Board then adjourn ed, THE S TRIKES. The Cigurmakers ,and Capmakers Are Still Locked Ov g—No Prospect of Any Arrangement -with Employers—The Strikers Confid gent, THE OIG ARMAKERS’ STRIXE, On Sunday night ,jast the cigarmakers who are on strike had am seting in Concordia Hall, avenue A. Representaul yes of the press were exciuded, tung was againf 4 the operatives. A trade union consisting Of three branches, was formed—- that is, Eng Ash-speaking, German and Bo- hemian. Th ye three sections represent some 8,000 operati’ ses, men and women. Of this number | 800 who wer ¢ employed by Messrs. Kerbs & Speiss | are on strik », The reason of the lockout has been | already re’ yorted in the H#RALD, At the Sunday night’s mM geting the members of the new Union pledged themselves to give fifty per cent of their | earning’ 4, if need be, in order to compel the bosses | to acce de to the operatives’ demand in taking back | day. NOR' Interesting Facts About That Affidavit—Inter. view with the Notary—The “Thunderbolt in His Old Lair for Three Hours—Off Again at One O'Clock in the Morn- ing—“Browbeaten” by the Ring, The excitement caused among local politicians by the unexpected reading of the affidavit of ex. Sepator Norton before Judge Donohue on Saturday morning last, in the case of the Tenth National Bank claims against the city, was unabated yeater- The aMdavit and the means by which it was obtained are still the topte of universal discussion, ‘The general opinion seemed to be that the fugitive from justice had procured immunity agthe hands the District Attorney's silence on the subject must be taken as an indication of tuts, Everybody interested had been interviewed om the subject, including counsel, but the ex-Thunder- bolt himself and the notary public before whom the affidavit was taken. Nobody seemed to know: anything about the latter but the (act that bis. name was in the lawyer's directory and that he was @ bond Jide live notary. The fact of his appear- ing to be ‘a myth," or, at ali events, being unable. to be found, inclined a good many to believe that there was some screw loose in the afidavit which would, perhaps, invalidate it, or that no aMdavit had been made at all. WHO IS BEILEY? A HERALD reporter, strolling leisurely through the County Court House, met an old politician— one who had been inside the curtain in his day— from the Fifth Senatorial district—a man who knew Norton and his friends well—and plumped out the above question, “Why, almost everybody knows who Heiley is round the Eighth ward. Hetley, he wasa@ kiud of body guard of Mike’s, he was. They were boys to- gether, and Mike got him what he has got. You know Norton helped Booth at the last election, and when Booth weut to the Senate between him and Mike they fxed up Heiley and got him a place.” “Where is he now?” asked the reporter eagerly. “He isa clerk at Essex Market Police Court up- der the new Police Justices,” was the answer, The reporter did not wait for any more, but jumped into acar and hurried to Essex Market Police Court just as the Court oMcers were closing the doors and the clerks preparing to depart. “Is Mr. Heiley uerey’? asked the reporter of a Court officer, “Yes,” was the reply. “That’s him behind the desk,” pointing to a sallow looking gentleman be= hind the desk chewing the end ofacigar. The re« porter accosted him abruptiy with the question— “Are you the gentleman, Mr. Heiley, before whom the affidavit of Mr, Norton was taken about which there i8 $0 much talk +? “Yes, Iam,” replied Mr. Heiley quickly. “Come behind the desk and take a chair.’’ The reporter did as he was requested, and after briefly explaining the object of lus visit asked how the affidavit of Norton was obtained. “There is one man here iu the city, and only one, who knew of his whereabouts. ‘The matter was suggested to Norton's counsel—Messrs. Tatntor and Strahan. The former, after some consultation, saw no harm in taetr client’s making the required afidavit. It might serve him, but 1b could not injure him. and they concluded to sub- mit the proposition to Norton himself. Hts friend, who knew where he was, was sent tor, and Norton was telegraphed to immediately and le consented to come.’ “When did he come, or rather when did you frst see him, might Lask 1? “Late on Wednesday night last.” “Where did he come to 7” asked the reporter. “Right into the city,” was the answer. “Not to a place in Westchester county, as wag Said positively in this morning’s papers ?'? “Notatallj right into the ctty, or how could L dare put city and county of New York at the nead of the affidavit ?”” “But part of Westchester 1s now within city limits," suggested the reporter, “Oh, Liorgot,"’ said Mr. Heiley; “so itis; but he came right into the heart o1 New York,” “Where did he come from ?? “{ don't Know. Somewnere in Canada, I bee Meve. The fact 1s I did not ask. [ do not wish to know. I would not want to hurt him. He looked awiully worried and tired, and | supposed from his. appearance he had travelled six or seven hundred miles at least.” ome long did he stay in the city on Wednesday night?" “I left him at one o'clock on Thursday morning, and he went off again, 1 know, at once, but Ido nof know what train he took or where he went ton “Now, what was the motive, or what were the inducements to him to make this aMdavit?”’ “You can say positively and with. truth that the aMdavit has been made with no distinct promise of immunity from iegal consequences by the ai thorities, for any reward or to injure any person. His counsel, 1 suppose, thought that what he knew about the transactions may as well be made public, ag he had no direct finger in the ple, and that it may do him some good with the District Attorney.” “How came Messrs. Strahan and Taintor to ask Jor this aMdavit of Norton’s from bis counsel?” “Why, the very fact of their suggesting such @ course is & proof that they kuow exactly into whose hands every cent of this money from the Tenth National Bank has gone. They know all about it aud they know the exact extent to which Norton was guiity, but that he did not get any of the spoils, [repeat, they know all about it, if they want to tell.’’ “How came @ cautious fellow like Norton to sign those vouchers, which, according to his own con- fession, he did, When he must have known the danger?” “BROWBEATEN !"" «There never was but one meeting of the County Court House Commissioners held, and at that no business was done, Norton couwid not have been present at that meeting, for it was held before the month of September, and he only returned from Europe on the 14th of that month. Documents calling for the loan of money to the County Court House by the Tenth National Bank were subse- quentiy handed around among the Commissioners Jor their signature. I myself was with Norton on one occasion when they asked lm _ to sign, as a mere formaiity, but he refused then, Afterwards he went into the race tor the Senate against Benedict, They threatened to ruin him, They browbeat him. Oh! you know the means the Tammany leaders at that time used n they Wanted to force aman into anything. into th jeir employ the dismissed committee, about the p' yying off of whom this aificulty originated. Seve rat hundreds of dollars were collected on the » strikers. The operatives express much con- | ld ence in their ability to hold oat three or four ™ onths if need be, The Bohemian branch met 1: ast migut in No, 220 Second street, A week from 1 sow ts the time flxed for the society to begin to | succor those wilo are promised pecuniary aid, THE CAPMARERS? STRIKE, Yesterday the trade strikers of f were very much excited at the result of | recent negotiations with the bosses. ‘The | Meeting at No, 66 Orchard street was, if | { possible, more densely crowded than ever | | before, The members of the Union jammed the passageway down to the very door. ] The reason of this excitement had its origin in | the result yesterday of a conference that took | | place by appointment between the strikers and | | the manufacturers, This was effected in the | | house of Messrs. Isidor & Hein. All the principal manufacturers were represented. | The workman's committee of nine, instead | | of seeing the bosses at once, were obliged to wait | this craft | their pleasure for over three hours, At the end of | this time a new schedule of prices, as made out by the manufacturers, was handed to the representatives of the strikers, with the | | Temark that they were at liberty to de- | | part and lay it before the Central Union. | This body are highly indignant at being, | | as they term it, “treated like boys;? and have | | passed a resolution strongly denuncidtory of the | treatment complained o!. They have agreed to | “spurn” the new price list as ‘being completely | unworthy of consideration, and will coutinue | the strike. The workingmen in and out of employ- | ment have determined to assess themselves all | | they can in order to help those of their number who are in need. The operatives’ committee con- | sider that the new price list emanated from Marks | Brothers & Thompson. The foilowing are the | firms who still refuse to concede to the demands | of their workmen:—L. J. Phillips & Co., Greene street; Marks Brothers & Thompson, Greeno street; W. R. Willis, Mercer street ; . Corn & Bros., South Filth avenue; Isidor & Hein, South | Filth avenue; Charles Foxe’s Sons, South Fifth avenue, and a number of other houses of less note. ‘The firm of H. Rothstein, of Broome street, gave in to tné demands of their hands on Saturday, and they have gone to work. The other firms who had formerly signed the operatives’ schedule—as already reported—are S. Wolfe & Co., Hernam & Spinger, Braunsen & Co., Roll & Meiring, H. M. Silverman, and some others. No further advances will be made to the bosses. These gentlemen, the opera- tives think, cannot agree among themselves, and one by one they will be obliged to sign the hew price list. ‘The meeting held on Saturday night by the men was for the purpose of forming a co-operative so- ciety; but on account of diversity of opimton the | vanced by the Tenth The language of the constitution isso plain as torender | SUN gay night for the benesit of the needy among | Mr Tatnvor und. Mr. ‘ything Was at stake with tim, and he HAD TO YIELD AT LAST, though he never received $1 of the moneys ad ‘ational Bank to Ingersoll. trahan knew all about tt? Why, the Court House Commissioners of them- selves could not get $1 from the bank except through Tweed, Connolly and Inger- soll, They were directors of the+ bank, and they knew what they were doing. If Norton wanted $1 he could not have got it as simple Court House Commissioner. ‘‘hey would not have advanced a cent; and Norton has not $1 now.’ Mr. Heiley said, of course, that he did not know where Mr. Norton was bow, and the reporter left. An oid, shrewd politician subsequently made the remark and a shake of the head relative to Nor- ton’s whereabouts .— “Canada! He ain’t in no Canada and never was. All his Iriends knew that Norton 1s either with an uncie of his in Pennsylvania, or at the half-mile racetrack near Saratoga, kept by an ex-Alderman of this city.” THE TENTH NATIONAL. BANK. The counsel of the Tenth National Bank held a consultation yesterday at the omce of Judge Ed- monds, when it was decided to take definite action in reference to the affidavit of ex-Senator but what that action would be was not a transpire, THE NEWPORT-DORIS COLLISION, Examination of the Injuries to the Steamer Newport—How to Avoid These Disasters. Newport, R. L, Feb. 9, 1874. The steamer Newport was hauled into dock this morning, and an examination made by James Mahoney, of the Narraganset Steamship Company. Her stem, from the promenade deck to three feet below water mark, 13 carried away, as is also two feet of clamp streak, The aprom, which is fifteen feet long, is entirely gone, and the chocks for hosepipe, together with fiiteen feet of the main deck and 4,000 feet of new planking, are also so “chawed up” as scarcely to be recognizable. All the joining work above deck, some fifteen feet, and the main statr brace are also seriously damaged, The latter was made of iron, two inches im diameter, and led from the mast to the stem. As 8000 48 She Was hauled into dock a8 many workmen as could be conveniently employed were set. to work clearing away the débris, tained upon examination that she did not leak a drop, thus Dita | herself @ stanch boat, She also showed no weakness elsewnere, which is- astonishing in view of the violence of the shock. It clearly proved that had her dead wood not been of An extraordinary strength the Doris would have sunk her, and the attendant consequences would have ranked with other steamboat horrors 60 scheme fell through. [t is to be carried out ina private way among the individual workmen, The meeting yesterday was addressed by Messrs, Rosenthal, Leman, Over and others, The speakers fave vent to much indignation towards the esses, The manufacturers have offered in their ied list to pay $1 60 for What the men demand fresh tn the minds of the public, The accidens might have been avoided, in the opinion of many of the leading nautical men o1 this port, if the timely Suggestions of the HERALD had heeded tm re+ gurd to the carrying of Weriul electric lights or acoustic signais, and it is tervently hoped that the lesson of the Newport and Doris collision will ha @ timely warning.